Hellooo :) Well for English this week we have to write a book review on a book from a list or as we call it 'The List' ( i think when you say it like that it makes it seem really cool or something but that could just be me .... )
The book I am reviewing is drum roll please ........
The Book Thief By Markus Zusak :)
Firstly, I would like to start off by saying that I LOVED this novel. In my opinion a great book is a book that make you feel, that makes you feel like your part of the story, a part of the characters. The Book Thief is one of those books. I loved it the minute i started reading it. I could not put it down! . I felt different emotions from each character, i felt their sadness, happiness, joy, and anger. The story made me smile, laugh and even cry.
Now i should really tell you what this book is about, but don't worry i wont say too much.:)
This is the story of The Book Thief, Liesel Meminger. However it is narrated by Death, who visits the Book Thief three time throughout the novel. Liesel is a nine year old girl who is living with her foster family on Himmel Street. It is based around 1939, Nazi Germany. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street and what happens when the bombs begin to fall.
Characters: Throughout this novel you meet the most beautiful characters. You meet the most charming, innocent children and the most heart warming fathers and friends. And you meet people who have a tough outer shell but who are just as beautiful in the inside. It is extremely difficult to pick a favourite character, but I will go with one of my top :).I've decided to go for the main heroin of the story, Liesel. From the beginning of the novel till the very end we see her struggles, her restrictions, and her changes form girl to women. We see how she copes, how she always has hope and most of all we see her heart. The beautiful relationships that she forms between Rudy, Papa and Max . She is a truly remember-able, strong and loving character.
Style of writing: Markus Zusak in my opinion has created a master-piece. Not only is there a great story line and fabulous characters but his style of writing is really superb! The first thing you notice when you begin to read this novel is that it is narrated by 'Death' and it works brilliantly! This original input makes the novel very different, a character such as 'Death' adds a unique view to the story. Zusak takes a different approach than most authors when he tells this story through the eyes of a child, Liesel. This gives a new perspective to the story. The book has the innocence, humour and love that a child has and that sense of unawareness of the great troubles of the world especially during this time ( 1940s) . This innocence and childlike story-line is what makes this novel beautiful and masterfully told. I also like way that it show the hardship of Germans living in Germany, and how it is highlighted that not everyone in Germany agreed with what was going on during this time.
Relationships: At least once in this review I HAVE to talk about Rudy and this is my perfect opportunity. The relationship that i loved most has to be the relationship between Rudy and Liesel!!
It starts a friendship. A friendship that gets stronger and stronger throughout the novel. A friendship built on trust and loyalty. In the novel we see many adventures that these two embark on. When things get hard they work together to keep each other going... even if it means stealing from the rich to feed the poor or even sometimes a book or two.
The other main relationships in my opinion is the one between Liesel and Max ( a Jewish fist fighter) and Liesel and her foster father. Both relationships develop in their own ways by music, love, understanding, trust but most importantly books.
Cultural Context: This story is based during World War 2. A tough time to live in for people in and out of Germany. For the poor people of Himmel Street it was a struggle every day to feed your family. Jobs were scarce and businesses were loosing customers every day. Towards the end of the novel we also see the seriousness of the bomb raids and how it affected many peoples lifestyle and lives. This is a time that many people wish not to talk about and hopefully never happens again.
I hope that you enjoyed my review and if you haven't read this book yet than you better get cracking!!! It is truely a read you must not miss out on !! :D
Bye for now :)
Niamh
xx
