The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

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My thoughts on the novel 
I've got to admit that it took me longer than I expected to finish this novel. I've just kept on putting it off for so long. Today I finally took the last step and finished it. I now understand why I was so reluctant to finish it. The ending is just heartbreaking. I guess I knew that pretty early on and that's why I kept avoiding it. At least till now. The Book Thief is a masterpiece. A new favorite of mine. Although that was not my initial thought when I started reading the novel. It took me a couple hundred pages to really start enjoying it. And I did end up loving it! Sometimes it just takes time, but this one is definitely worth it. 

A short recap
"The Book Thief" takes place during World War 2. The young German girl, Liesel Meminger, is sent to live with foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann, on Himmel Street in Molching. Although they live under poor conditions they try their hardest to get by. Liesel is grieving as she has just lost her brother and was lovingly sent away by her mother. She feels all alone and is haunted by nightmares of her dead brother. The life of Liesel Meminger starts in the small town of Molching and it is here that she learns the true power of words. 

The actual review 
As you may or may not know, this novel is narrated by death itself. I initially thought that that was funny, but I was also sad when I realized that the story of Liesel Meminger would be told from someone else's point-of-view. I quickly got over that and started to really enjoy the different relationships between Liesel and the ones closest to her. Let's take a quick look at some of them:
  • Liesel and her Pappa: They are the first ones to really bond in the novel. Pappa understands Liesel and he takes great care of her. He is not let down by her "rejection" and he gives her time to heal. Pappa is the one to stay up with Liesel when she has her nightmares. He changes her sheets when she pees on them as he truly loves her like his own daughter. Pappa patiently teaches her how to read even though he isn't even that great at it. He also plays his accordion to her because he knows that she enjoys it. Hans Hubermann has such a big heart and he shows it time and again throughout the novel.
  • Liesel and her Mamma: Rosa Hubermann represents tough love as she repeatedly calls Liesel Saumensch (Sau = pig, Mensch = human.. I don't know how to translate it better than that, sorry). Rosa is always after Liesel and being hard on her. Although she softens and grows fond of Liesel.
  • Liesel and Rudy Steiner: Rudy Steiner is truly one of a kind.. I love this guy so much for always standing up for Liesel. He protects her no matter what. All he wants is a kiss that Liesel won't give him. They're best friends and do everything together. Rudy even joins Liesel when she starts stealing books and he doesn't judge her once. They are always there for each other and it's so sweet.
  • Liesel and Max Vandenburg: Max is the jew that ends up living in the Hubermann's basement. I don't have a lot to say about the relationship between Liesel and Max.. other than the fact that they have some kind of special connection. They've had it from the moment they met each other. The two of them end up meaning so much to each other and it's so incredibly beautiful!
This novel is heartbreaking in many ways like any other book that takes place during a war. People are always separated and reunited, but there are certainly also people who die. It's always the good ones that end up suffering the most and that is just so unfair and tragic. 
I would rather like to focus on the fact that a lot of the characters in this novel show true compassion and empathy throughout the novel. They are amazing human beings who would rather sacrifice their own lives for someone else's. They do great things without a doubt. It's incredible what people do for the ones they care about - and just what they would do for strangers. Because in the end, we're all just people. We're equal and deserve to be treated that way. 

Read "The Book Thief"! It's truly amazing.

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