The movie adapted from the book was released in November of 2013. I am glad to say I haven’t watched the movie, but it is finally in my laptop and I plan to watch it soon. I am sure I will not enjoy it as much as the book, same as The Fault in Our Stars book/movie. The girl did an awesome job, the boy in the movie, Augustus, didn’t quite live up to the boy in the book. Just my opinion!
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Anyway, The Book Thief is set in Germany during the second world war. It is narrated by death. Death has its way around words, I can tell you that. The words are beautifully woven to create scenes and images that stick around long after the book is finished, like warmth in a hearth long after the cooking is finished. The story’s timeliness might be confusing, as it goes back and forth from present to future, to past and back to present again. The chapters can also be brief and at the beginning of the chapter, there is a little introduction and for the obsessive like me, you will spend quite some time trying to decipher what is ahead.
For all that, it was a well written book about a girl called Liesel. She loves reading, even if at first she is not quite good at it. War being the terrible time that it is, and she being a poor girl living in foster care, books are a precious commodity. She didn’t so much steal her first book as she neglected to give it back to the owner who had dropped it. The story starts with her being in a carriage headed to Munich, with her brother and her mother. Her brother never makes it, and she never sees her mother again (at least not in the scope of the book). That is shortly before the war breaks out.
We get to watch the war unfold and its effects on ordinary Germans, including Liesel who is at the center of this story. I don’t want to give away too much, but I would re-read this book in perhaps another year. And as I said before, if I can re-read a book, then that’s my definition of a good book.
Savvy Kenya in Japan 
Savvy, your brief review is brilliant. It is a book that I will definitely
look for. Do you wonder, as I do, why war-based literature is so
popular? Could it be perhaps because war is such a terrible thing –
and is never far away. When we look around us the world seems to be
in a constant state of war. Is it not strange that in seeking to
escape, we read about the struggles, conflicts and heroic deeds of
others during war.
The world seems to have brought the old afflictions of widespread hunger
and disease under control, relatively speaking, but sadly war remains
with us.
These few lines here remind me of a lovely little book that I read as a
youngster. Try and find a book called The Silver Sword, about a young
family separated during war. It is actually a children’s book.
Finally,that image…..I was trying to click at the bottom to see if I could
turn the pages ha! 🙂
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Tales of war are often so gripping because the worst of times brings out the best (and of course the worst) in the people?
War is the one constant in a constantly changing world, that’s for sure. Men will always find a reason to fight!
The Silver Sword, I shall look it up, thanks for the recommendation. I do read all books, children’s books included. In fact, I am thinking of starting to read Japanese children books to improve my Japanese.
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Loved the movie 🙂 https://twitter.com/MackelTisa/status/546376330347307011
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Then I shall watch it on your recommendation.. although I think the holidays are over for me, so no time to watch any movies, B-rated or not!
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