×
Home Intro People Events Equipment Places Maps Books Photos Videos Other Reference FAQ About
     

World War II Database

The Book Thief

Author:
ISBN-10: 0804168431
ISBN-13: 9780804168434
Contributor:
Review Date:

The study of history is not always about the world changing events. To some people, it is how historical events imprinted on their individual lives. I once met a gentleman who spent his childhood years in Shandong Province of China under Japanese occupation, and when I asked him about what he remembered, he told me that his most vivid memory of the war was seeing Japanese aircraft flying over him as he ducked into rice paddies, naively thinking that the aircraft were looking for him. Although The Book Thief was but a work of fiction, it moved along that premise, telling the story of working class girl Liesel Meminger who had nothing to do with the war and had no means to influence world history. While her childhood, evenings reading with her foster father and causing trouble in the neighborhood with other kids, was not unlike any child growing up in any time period, growing up in Nazi Germany and during the war, whether it was seeing her foster parents hiding a Jew in the basement or reading aloud to others who shared the same air raid shelter, marked her distinctly as a child of the WW2 era. Under author Markus Zusak's imagination, Liesel's stories were fascinating, but to top it off, he chose the incarnation of Death to narrate the story. To me, the gloom of death was a great balance to a child's innocent optimism even in a time of war.

I had reviewed this title in its audio book format. Reader Allan Corduner did a wonderful job with this title. While the pace and clarity were impeccable, it was his voice acting that left a nice impression in my mind, whether it was his treatment of Death's musings or the innocence of the children.

Works of fiction had always been mere diversions for me, but every so often some of these diversions would leave a lasting impression in my mind. I would definitely consider The Book Thief as one in this category.



Back to Main | Back to Book Reviews Index




Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

 Facebook
 Reddit
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds


Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name
Your Email
 Your email will not be published
Comment Type
Your Comments
 

Notes:

1. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.

2. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ.

Change View
Desktop View

Search WW2DB
More on The Book Thief
Affiliated Link:
» The Book Thief
Famous WW2 Quote
"All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us... they can't get away this time."

Lt. Gen. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, at Guadalcanal


Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!