The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Markus Zusak

I read The Book Thief some ten or fifteen years ago. I remember it was a very good book but can not remember enough to recommend it, so I am going to put it on the list of books to read, again. It is a widely read book, any thoughts about it?

The story is narrated by Death, who is weary, wry, and unexpectedly haunted by the humans he must collect. If you enjoy books that play with language—where words are “tasted” and the sky is described in colors you’ve never imagined—this book will stick with you forever. It is a powerful testament to the ability of stories and books to sustain the human spirit even in the face of total annihilation.

Set in Nazi Germany in 1939, the story follows Liesel Meminger, a young girl sent to live with foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann, in a small town outside Munich. Liesel arrives with a stolen book—The Gravedigger’s Handbook—despite the fact that she cannot yet read.

With the patient help of her accordion-playing foster father, Liesel learns the power of language. As the war intensifies, the Hubermanns decide to hide a Jewish fist-fighter named Max Vandenburg in their basement. Liesel and Max form a deep bond over their shared love of words, even as the world outside their door becomes increasingly dangerous. Through Death’s eyes, we watch Liesel become a “book thief,” stealing volumes from Nazi book burnings and the mayor’s library to share them with those she loves.

⭐ Reviews

• The New York Times:
  “A novel that is unsettling, beautiful, and deeply moving. Zusak’s use of Death as a narrator is a stroke of genius, allowing us to see the Holocaust from a perspective that is both detached and heartbreakingly intimate.”
• The Guardian:
  “It is a triumph of storytelling. Zusak takes one of the darkest chapters of history and finds a way to fill it with light, music, and the simple, profound act of reading. You will need a box of tissues, but you will be glad you read it.”

🎙️ Audible Note

The audiobook is narrated by Allan Corduner, and it is a masterpiece. Corduner’s voice for Death is perfectly pitched—somber, resonant, and slightly exhausted. He handles the German pronunciations and the shifts between the harshness of the war and the tenderness of Liesel’s home life with incredible skill. If you enjoyed the “voice-driven” nature of Remarkably Bright Creatures, you will find this narration equally addictive.

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