The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I really loved this book! I liked the fact that Death was the narrator. I liked his definitions and descriptions (in bold). He told it like it was. He was impartial, yet saddened about how often he had to visit during WWII. We saw the suffering of the Jews and the suffering of some of the Germans - the ones with no control over their situation. I think many German people hated Hitler, but they felt powerless to change things. A simple act of kindness toward an "enemy" of Hitler could mean death for you or your family (think Papa); going against the Nazi party could have the same result (think the Steiners).

As always, I was intrigued by how a simple decision can alter a life forever. The most obvious: Liesel choosing to go into the basement to finish her book instead of sleeping in her bedroom the night Himmel Street was bombed, or the afternoon Hans Hubermann gives up his awful seat in the truck to Reinhold Zucker because despite his pride, he didn't want to seem petty. These decisions had dire consequences. There was Max's decision to leave his family as a young boy and Michael's decision to leave his mother for the neighbor's basement that had lifelong emotional consequences for both men. Then there were many seemingly inconsequential decisions that these characters made that resulted in remorse, regret, comfort, happiness (even if short-lived), power, strength....I could go on and on, but you get my drift (I hope!)

I loved how Liesel came to the conclusion that "words" can be evil (Hitler), but they can also save people from helplessness and hopelessness. There were so many characters that were deeply affected by the written and/or spoken word in this novel! Start with the German people and end with the people on Himmel Street: Liesel, Max, Hans, Frau Holtzapfel - and of course Ilsa Hermann. I loved the books that Max wrote for Liesel - and I loved their relationship!

These characters were flawed on so many levels, but I liked so many of them. My favorites: Hans, Max, Rudy - and yes, even Rosa! Ok, the more I write, the more I like the book. :)

Wendy's Rating: *****