LS 5623 Module 5: THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak

Zusak, Markus. 2007. THE BOOK THIEF. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0375842209

Told from the perspective of Death, THE BOOK THIEF examines the life of nine year-old Liesel Meminger. Death first meets Liesel as he carries away the soul of her dead brother and lingers to watch her steal her first book. Intrigued by the book thief, Death looks in on Liesel as she grows up in her foster parents’ house in Molching, Germany during Hitler’s reign. As Liesel learns the power of the words in the books she steals, Death draws nearer, collecting the souls of the Jews in concentration camps and the Germans who became casualties of war.

Themed around the power of words and the evil of prejudice, THE BOOK THIEF tells a story of life in a small town outside of Munich, Germany. The characters in the story are fictional, with the exception of German leader, Adolf Hitler. Although the characters are a work of fiction, the events and circumstances are very much a page out of history. “With its interwoven storylines, the novel clearly depicts the tragic effects of war and the salvation of words, and this makes it timeless.” (Beach, 2007).Author Markus Zusak seems to have done his homework in regards to the era of Hitler and the Nazi party. While the reader is not hit over the head with history, enough of it is laced throughout the pages of Liesel’s life to create a deep understanding the destruction and unfairness of war and persecution. Factual details are carefully researched and intricately woven into the lives of fictional characters.

A strong difference in this story, as compared to most others, is the lack of mystery in regards to the ending. The desire to keep reading isn’t found in the need to get to the last page, but to learn the importance of what happens on the pages in along the way. “It is a testament to Zusak’s skill at humanizing his characters that even though we know they are doomed, we are still devastated when Death finally reaches them.” (Beach, 2007).

Although the book uses a smattering of German, the terms are almost always explained to the reader. The quality of writing is extremely high- a very sophisticated and well written book. “Zusak’s sweeping, ultimately heartbreaking novel is told (appropriately, by Death itself) in gorgeous language that contrasts markedly with the stark events—just as main character Liesel’s rich life contrasts with the bleakness of her circumstances.” (Parravano, 2007). The one drawback is that the reading level seems a little high but would work nicely some high school students, especially those in Advanced Placement courses. Students learning about the Nazi party and the persecution of the Jewish people could not do better than THE BOOK THIEF.

References:
Parravano, Martha V. 2007. "The Book Thief." Horn Book Magazine 83, no. 1: 91. Education Research Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed November 21, 2011).

Beach, Cynthia, Beverly Chearno, and John Waller. 2007. "The Book Thief." Ohio Journal Of English Language Arts 47, no. 2: 91. Education Research Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed November 21, 2011)