Monday, October 29, 2007

The Power of Books

Title: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
# pages:
550
ISBN #:
0-375-93100-7
Genre:
Young Adult Fiction
Challenge(s):
Bibliography, Award Winners (2006 National Jewish Book Award Winner for Children and Young Adult Literature)

First Sentence: First the colors. Then the humans. That’s usually how I see things. Or at least, how I try.

Setting: 1939, Nazi Germany; the small town of Molching (just outside of Munich)

Summary: Set during WWII, this story is about 10-year-old Leisel Meminger. In the narrator’s own words:
“It’s just a small story really, about, among other things:
*A girl
*Some words
*An accordionist
*Some fanatical Germans
*A Jewish fist fighter
*And quite a lot of thievery” (p. 5)

It’s also about the resilience of the human spirit and the power of words. Their power to soothe us, heal us, hurt us, and destroy us.

Reason for Reading: I needed a book about books for the bibliography challenge and I’d heard that this book was good—it was.

Random Thoughts: Using Death as the narrator allows the author to give us a unique perspective on the human race, the beauty and the horror. “I guess humans like to watch a little destruction. Sand castles, houses of cards, that’s where they begin. Their great skill is their capacity to escalate” (p. 109). This book will stay with me for a long time. It’s heartbreaking and beautiful all at the same time.

Favorite scenes: The snowman in the basement. Rosa sleeping with the accordion strapped to her chest.

Rating: A+

Also reviewed by:

Things Mean a Lot

Valentina's Room

Foreign Circus Library

50 Book Challenge

the deus ex machina complex

Maw Books

In Spring it is the Dawn

A Striped Armchair

Reading Adventures

An Adventure in Reading

Confessions of a Book-a-holic

3 comments:

Heather said...

I can't read your review yet, b/c I am reading this book right now. LOL! Great timing.

Juliette said...

Kristi - Julie here from A Novel challenge group here.

Well done for completing your first challenge - it is a great feeling isn't it! This book will be one of my favourites for a long time - so moving and challenging. Looking forward to seeing your lists especially the 888 one. I took ages to get mine pinned down as I kept being tempted and then changing my mind! I really want to stick with mine even though you are 'allowed' to change them.

Kristi said...

*LOL*. I'm looking forward to seeing my final list for 888, too. I've only changed my mind about 5 times ;>)! I think I'm getting close now though... And thanks, it does feel great to finish a challenge. I think I'm hooked... :>).

Kristi