The Book Thief Review
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- Опубликовано: 19 янв 2020
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“I have mixed feelings about Death.”
-Merphy, 2020
Merphy quotes taken out of context are the best 😂
Don't we all... but I must say, that, like M, I had mixed feelings about the book and about Death.
Favorite line!
Andrew Watson Ditto. I actually only got a few hours in, and didn’t love it. So I was waiting to see if we’d get a review because I hoped it would pick up. Apparently not. 😅 I’m moving on to greener pastures! Maybe it would be worth not liking 10 hours of listening time for 3-4 that I do like, but I’d rather read a book I like 100% of, so I’ll leave Death to do his thing, and get another title from my To Read list! Happy reading! 📚
I love how pretty much all the "negative" points are exactly what I loved about the book. That just shows how different all the readers are and it's beautiful.
"This is a spoiler free book about a book that spoils itself in the first 15 pages."
I feel like I absolutely loved death because I honestly love works that spoil/you know how it's going to end ( think Hamilton, Hadestown, The Book Thief, etc.) Because a work is special when you know what's going to happen but you still can't help but cling to the characters and are still impacted when it happens, not because of shock, but because you love the world and the characters and don't want to let them go.
Ana Suarez exactly, for me is about the journey, not the destination. Knowing the ending of a book tends to only make me more exited about reading the book.
YES, I feel the same. Especially if it's well executed, like in this case. I don't think I have ever cried so much with a book like I did with Book Thief. And it wasn't just the deaths, it was the little moments between the characters that made me tear up with a mix of joy and sadness, because I knew what would happen to them later. In that sense, totally ordinary scenes were SO impactful to me, and I don't think I would've felt that way if I wasn't spoiled by Death before.
You should read They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera! It’s a book where the entire premise is focused on the fact that the main characters will die at the end, and yet it still manages to hurt like hell when it happens.
@@hexl2112 omg i love that title it makes you think "did the author just spoil the ending??" Hahaha
Hearing you talk about death spoiling the book and you not feeling the emotion like you were supposed to made me think: people in WWII were so involved with death all over the place, they knew that the likely hood that one of their friends or family members would die was high! Maybe they, like you, were desynthesized to it! I don't know... It just made me think
I loved this!
Yeah, I actually think this is exactly part of the point. When death is all around you, you can't help but become desensitized, even when you know how horrifying it is.
This book definitely was an experience. But I also feel that the book and especially death was metaphorical too. The death constantly giving out spoilers and telling us that a particular character would die is a reminder for one and all that death is imminent. Whether it announces its arrival or not, it is still a reality. As readers we keep on waiting for some action to take place, the way we plan our lives and wait for our plans to unfold but one day death suddenly takes us or our loved ones by surprise and we are left disappointed, the way we are disappointed with the story for lack of action and plot. Also, the author i think did it deliberately so as to remind us that even when we know each of us has to die one day,yet, it still strikes a hard punch when we lose our loved ones. The same happens in the book too. I loved my experience with this book.
I see all of these flaws too, but The Book Thief is one of those books that sticks with me. That's why it has a special place in my heart.
Same..
I think it was more intended for you to feel numb to "Death" much like how the characters in the books felt "numb". That time people did grow numb to the though of Death because they were surrounded by it so. I remember when I read Night by Elie Wiesel... I remember him saying at one point he did grow numb what was happening around him since he was in a Nazi death camp and death was always expected at one point or another. And I think that's what this author somewhat wanted to make a point. That eventually you do grow numb to the thought of it and it's like "Oh... another death... just another day's work, such is life." It's the brutal reality of the time.
It’s funny - I read this book many years ago and have no memory of the book having no plot! I remember being riveted. But I also am such a character driven reader! I should reread it sometime and see what my feelings are today.
I read it almost two years ago and I have the same thoughts as you. I remember it being such a page Turner for me! But I definitely want to see what my take is on it now to.
I'm currently reading it right now and yeah I agree it's a page turner. Not much exciting stuff goes on but the characters feel so real, like you're right there with them. I love it
I’m re reading it right now
While I agree that maybe death's spoilers made the ending less impactful, i still dont understand how you managed to read it without crying! And you explained so perfectly how the book feels real.
Also, in my Croatian translated copy, death is female so when you referred to death as a he, I was really confused 😂
When I read Manga and watch anime I often times look for the category "slice of life" maybe books should have this category, also! Like the boo thief was just a part of these people's lives! No plot involved...
That’s a good point. I really like a kind of book where it explains something in detail. Like how someone figures out how to survive. Or they become a really good chef or waitress and you see the details of that field, learn the lingo, the rhythms of life for them. I like problem solving books like The Martian, because it shows a problem and a solution and another problem. But it’s not just... survival like that or Hatchet. I liked Little House on the Prairie as a kid because it showed us steps of building a house and a well, and problems and solutions.
I dunno how to search for more of these books, because it’s a weird sub genre, and if it has a name, I don’t know what it is! 😂
it would be so cool
Plot is honestly the least creative part of creative writing. The story should be driven by character not plot
Amara Jordan those are character studies not the deepest but you are interested in characterisation
I get having the emotional punch dulled, but I have never cried as hard as towards the end of this book
Her name is Liesel, so like in The Sound of Music, Leesal.
I think you may not have liked it as much because it was so hyped up by other people. When I read it, I went in blind and ended up loving it! But had I had known it was this huge book that everyone loved and was excited for me to read, I may have thought it was a better book than it actually was, which would in the end make it seem worse than had I never had any expectations. I hope that makes sense haha.
If you’re looking to read more historical fiction, I think you would really like Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. I always associate it with The Nightingale, which I know you loved. They’re both on my all time favorites list.
I recently read code name verity and thought it was brilliant!
I couldn't agree more! It's been on my favourites list for a long time, but the amount I hear people talk about it (ie not at all) means unfortunately it's stayed as something of a hidden gem
Good review. I agree with you about knowing that there was no plot is essential to enjoying the story. My husband watched The Book Thief movie with me (he is not a reader) and he mentioned the same thing to me. “Where is the story?”
But let me ask you isn’t Rudy (her best friend) the best?! I loved him so much. Him and her papa omg wonderful human beings.
You already know I loved this one 😉, but I can totally understand what you're saying!
I feel like the best comparison I have is when one of my uncle's passed away, I had spent the last 10 years hearing my family say "he probably won't make it through the year" and after countless goodbyes, when it actually happened I felt almost nothing.
But with my Gramps (much shorter time frame), I knew when I left that night there wouldn't be a next time, but I still couldn't bring myself to actually say goodbye. And when I got the call a couple hours later it broke me even though I knew it was coming.
The book thief hit me like story two, but I can completely understand feeling more like I had with my uncle.
(Hopefully this makes sense and doesn't make me sound like a jerk 🙈)
LOVED this book. My all time favourite. No boring spots for me. Death needs a hug.
I haven't read the book yet but having death constantly remind you that a character is gonna die kinda feels relatable. because as a person I've always had my guard up, constantly reminding myself that eventually all the people I love will be gone from my life at some point. so whenever I lose a loved one, since I already expected it, it just doesn't hurt as bad.
I believe the first time I read this book I shouted angrily "you're killing me Death!"
The Book Thief is one of my favorites, but I enjoy watching reviews on my favorite books where the reader had a different experience than I did. Great review!
Merphy: I didn’t cry. Me: *starts hysterically crying during independent reading and it’s not even the end* Friend: *leans over shoulder* Oh, you’re at THAT part. (The floating book part one. That chapter murdered me.)
where rudy lost all the hopes for leisel to accept his proposal or kiss him someday, but still loves her alot…
As a German (from a town where Max Vandenburg's train must have passed through on his way from Stuttgart to Munich, BTW), I'd like to point out that Zusak captured German culture and German people pretty well. Rosa Hubermann is the type of woman you can find in literally every neighborhood. I've seen reviews where people said she verbally abused Liesel and other characters, but this is just how many people in southern Germany (older people in particular) speak. But there are some minor details which immediately gave it away that Zusak is not a native German speaker:
- "Saumensch" is a gender-neutral insult and not just used for girls and women. In fact, the word itself is even masculine gender.
- Most of the street names were super weird and he kept alternating between German and English (e.g. "Munich Street" (English), "Grande Strasse" (German), "Himmel Street" (German/English)).
- Some of the characters' last names didn't sound like last names you'd actually find in Germany ("Vandenburg" should have been written as "Wandenburg", "Muller" should have been "Müller" - big difference in pronunciation!, "Meminger" looks like it should have been "Memminger" but I guess that's debatable, "Chemmel" isn't German at all and not easily pronounceable in German, etc.).
Overall though, he did very well.
I liked Death as a narrator and I didn't mind his spoilers at first, but it became annoying when he kept spoiling the entire ending. I definitely loved the first half of the book. I'd give the first half a 5/5 rating. But the narration and the story became super repetitive during the second half and then it just all fell flat. Nothing really happened in the second half. And what did happen in the last chapter didn't come as a surprise at all because, well, Death spoiled it all!
The characters were great, but they, too, fell flat in the long run. They could have been so much more.
I gave the book a 4/5 rating on GoodReads, but it's more of a 3.5/5, to be honest. I can see why it's people's favorite book, but I can also understand those who don't like it at all. Despite the book's flaws, I enjoyed it and I would recommend it to people who like YA and are interested in WWII stories.
I have been wanting to read this book for a while. So thank you so much for posting this video and sharing!
Thank you for being so honest. Refreshing review!
Having only heard about this on the periphery, I had no idea death was a character, and I expected a straightforward children surviving war plot. You actually make it sound more interesting now.
The conceit reminds me of a book in tbr, Death with Interruptions by Jose Saramago. As I understand it's more fable-like and much lighter than the Book Thief, but death is a character, in a country where people must adapt when they no longer die.
I love that you did this review! The Book Thief is one of my favorite books and I completely understand your concerns with it. I think it’s great to do reviews where opinions are mixed! Keep it up!
I remember reading this book when I was 12 and feeling a lot of the same things a Liesel while living the world through her eyes. But just a bit more scared since I knew what the setting was, due to the outsider perspective I had. I remember appreciating her parents, her best friend and that guy she cared about so much, and wondered if I would've been the same had I been put in that situation. Didn't 100% understand the meaning cuz i was a kid, but it was still fascinating for me. I also really enjoyed Death as the narrator. Even felt bad for him. He just seemed so exhausted and just needed a break. He's a cool guy and deserves a long-ass vacation.
I really liked the ending because it wasn’t a happy one, giving such a story a happy ending would seem wrong. Although I did like that We did end up knowing what happened to Max rather than just being left to assume he was dead
Most of my friends read this book in high school and loved it. I didnt read it until college and wasn't as impressed. I think I would've liked it had I read it when I was younger.
I’m 12 I near the end of the book 📖 and it’s a really good book also learned a lot of vocabulary in it
Having Merphy describe the Book Thief as “quiet” is something that I never thought I needed.
I really love this book! It was a whole emotional journy for me!
Leisel is pronounced like Diesel. Like a diesel truck. Just pronounce it with an L instead of a D. It's the Austrian/German version of Elizabeth:)
The Book Theif is one of my favorite books ever.
Really glad you posted this. This book is on my 2020 TBR so I'm glad for the 'no plot' warning. 💗
I’ve read this book twice, and I love it, but I totally understand how you feel. There were a few parts that felt a little too slow. I liked the fact that you knew that characters were going to die, but not when, so you were always bracing yourself. That’s what it felt like to live in Nazi Germany. It was less of a question of if someone is going to die, and more of a question of when.
Nobody is talking about how the role of words and it’s power is just as crucial to the narrative.
what really struck me about The Book Thief is how Zusak conveyed the sheer beauty and calming power of words themselves.
I'm a huge lover of words, not just words in poems or novels, but words as their own entities. and one of my favorite parts was when Max gave Liesel the book he wrote for her.
Even with the total chaos of World War II surrounding the plot, words provided such a profound sense of peace and beauty.
I completely related to Liesel and the feelings she had anytime she encountered any form of writing or words.
This book was an oasis for me - a reminder of the almost sublime, rejuvenating capacity of words even amid utter turmoil and darkness. Zusak's ability to portray words as these pure sources of solace, truth and sublimity was what resonated with me.
Tq tq, Merphie! This book have always been on my TBR. Now, I am sold!
The thing is, death doesn’t warn you when it’s coming. Even if people are given a relative timeline you will never truly know. Death spoiling it just doesn’t make sense
THANK YOU! I’m three hours in and not a huge fan. I’ve been kinda on pause because I hoped we’d get a video like this! I DNF maybe one book a year, so I don’t want to give up on it, and I know so many love it.
But I also have a ton of books I’m excited about. And I don’t know that loving the last four hours makes it make sense to listen to fourteen hours. I could listen to another entire book in the ten hours I don’t enjoy (or seven, at this point). I don’t know that it’s worth it to read a book I’ll like 30% of when I could move on to one I may like 100% of. I really appreciate this review because I’ve been so on the fence. People keep telling me to push through it. But... reading shouldn’t have to be a thing you “have to push through,” when you’re reading for pleasure! Some books are just a miss.
I read The Bookthief years ago and loved it. I'm thinking about rereading it this year!
It's kind of like Romeo and Juliet in that from the very first page you know they're going to die, but you can't help but become emotionally attached to their story and feel absolutely heartbroken when they do die. A tiny part of you hopes that you've been misled and they will make it. It's the same with this- you have so much empathy and love towards the characters that it makes it almost worse when they die and there's nothing that could have prevented it. I think the book is a triumph precisely because of the foreshadowing.
Tears, tears, tears and lots of tears and tears again.
Happy tears, sad tears, angry tears, disappointed tears, hopeful tears and so many more that this book brings out naturally...
The only mistake I made while reading this book is that I read it over a span of 1 month... I should have read it in one sitting, which gives me my next reading goal.
Coming to the book, the story is an unusual take on Holocaust. It is not a typical WWII story, asking us to sympathesize with Jews and hate Hitler. It is an experimental fiction. I say so because this book is about WWII, yet it manages to divert our attention from the tragedies and makes us look at the happy things, the colors, the relationships, the friendships.
One cannot write about "The Book Thief" without applauding its narration style. The narration is flawless and something I have never come across in my reading journey so far. The idea of the story being narrated by Death itself is so innovative, that it makes this book haunting in its own special way. Death would predict certain sad things about a certain character/situation and you cannot help feeling sad and crying sad tears already. Death would also predict certain happy things and you cannot control your happy tears either. The things that are not predicted by Death, bring out the hopeful tears.
There cannot be anything happy about WWII, except for the fact that it came to an end.
The narration manages to give us many moments to smile upon and look at the good things. Specially the bonds our protagonist develops with the other characters. You feel not only for Liesel, but for every other character in the story. I have started observing the clouds and the color of the sky more often now.
For me, the uncontrollable tears came when Rudy died.
To quote,
"He does something to me, that boy. Every time. It’s his only detriment. He steps on my heart. He makes me cry".*
Indeed !!
While I am writing this review, I am also preparing myself for a second read of the book, in one-go this time. What touches me most about this book is that it focuses on the power of subtle things in life... Words, for that matter. As per the book, it was with words, that Hitler fought the war, and not with guns and fire.
To qoute,
"Yes, the Führer decided that he would rule the world with words. “I will never fire a gun,” he devised. “I will not have to.”… His first plan of attack was to plant the words in as many areas of his homeland as possible. He planted them day and night, and cultivated them".*
The power of words is one of the main focus of the story. And here I am, trying to do this book justice with my clumsy words.
"I have hated the words,
And I have loved them
And I hope
I have made them right"
Yes you did, Markus Zusak !
Aaahh I love the new hair style! 😍😍
SPOILER ALERT
I absolutely loved this book. Like you said, it was very real. I felt as if I was there, in the basement looking at the girl and her father; outside watching the kids play; and in the library in the mayor's house. I knew the death of the characters was coming and it made it painful to watch all of these experiences happen and know that all these wonderful people in her life will be gone at some point. I knew that seeing them go would be sad and I thought I was ready but boy.. I WAS NOT. I finished reading it at 1 in the morning and I was hysterical. I was crying like a baby (my boyfriend didn't know what to do), I think the thing that caused such an excessive reaction was the fact that all the characters died at once. Even though the book prepared me for it, it didn't at the same time.
Nonetheless, I loved it and would recommend it to anyone!
I didn’t know you had one of the leatherbounds from Mistborn, Merphy🤯
Great review Merphy! It was fair, shared your feelings and criticisms but was informative overall.
I have fallen utterly and extremely in love with this books, because of the narrative, the characters and the way this books draws that story. It does not need a big plot, her story was mesmerising to me and beautifully written. The book drew me in and I could not put it away. So far I have read it more than once in English and other languages
Hi!! As I commented when I saw that you were reading this book it was a 5 stars to me. I really appreciate your review. I get that for some 'spoilery death' represents mixed fellings. For me it was a relief, I needed to know what was going to happen cause it made me anxious the fact that it was not going to be pretty. At the same time it made me stay right at the edge of my seat cause I knew it was going to happen and it wasn't going to be pretty. I don't know if that does make any sense haha. So I guess it was mixed feeling for me to??? 🤔
“I have mixed feelings about Death”
me too Merphy me too
I absolutely loved The Book Thief but the reasons why people dislike it are so obvious. It all makes sense. When I reviewed it, I simply give three pros and three cons. And I ended up repeating the same things in both.
I feel the same about most of his books, but I really like I am the Messenger because it has a lot of the introspection and character stuff while still having a bit more of a plot
I’ll be honest, Death is my favourite part! Seeing her perspective was super interesting and I loved this very out of the norm point of view.
I loved the book theif. Death spooked me at first, but sets the tone of the book. I was really rooting for Liesel and Rudy.
The ending had me crying.
Death as the narrator constantly telling us who's going to die is the reason I did not enjoy the book. It took away the tension for me and made it hard for me to care what was coming next for the characters once I knew they were going to die. I, too, get that having Death as the narrator is to constantly remind the reader that death was very much a part of peoples' lives in Nazi Germany, in any wartorn country, but, personally, I don't think the reader needs to be constantly reminded by being told all through the book. Shame really as I remember enjoying it until I didn't.
Hi Merphy, it's Mike , thank you so much for your insightful thoughts on The Book Thief. I really appreciate you reading the book and taking the time to do a dedicated review and your comments are inspiring a lot of thought. Love talking books with you. May I suggest hanging on the the book and going back to it in a few years.
P.S. Tell me your favorite historical fiction so I can check it out.
I think it would be really interesting of u re-read the book knowing what its like and howd ud like it then
Damn I've read it years ago, but absoultely loved it and Death from this book inspired me to write my best thing yet. Talking about this makes me wanna re-read it... I love hisotry and even tho I'm not fan of ww2 or ww1 I loved how history was showed in this story. I'd recomend it for sure.
I have a lot of opinions about this book, but I SO agree with you about the Death thing. Totally missed the mark for me because I had my guard up the entire time.
I recently read this book for school and while I’m not a huge fan of historical fiction, I love this book. I actually ended up writing an essay about using Death as a narrator because I was just so fascinated with that concept and how Zusak used it.
Read this with my class back in 8th grade. We held discussions about each chapter which Really openedmy eyes to different perspectives on death at a very young age. I am 23 now, never stressed over death a day in my short life because of this. So thank you Mrs. B for making us read this
I have had it today, and I am feeling excited to read it. I am an eleven year old reader - who started reading last year. I completely love books and currently I am learning to speak and write British English.
Was it a useful review? Yes very much so. I think you managed to explain really well why some people might love it and others might hate it. And I am now intrigued enough to want to know which side of the divide I will find myself on. I do find that too much plot can get in the way of the story - but no plot at all? Will I love it, hate it or be mixed? - Only one way to find out :)
So... Did you find out?
I thought I would feel the same way as you at the end because I knew what was going to happen but boy was I wrong. I was sobbing in my bedroom at 1:00am. I just couldn’t handle it. It surprised me how connected I was to the characters and I just didn’t realize it until they were gone.
I have read this book more than 10 years ago and I remenber liking it. But, the more time passes, more I feel like Death narrating the histpry does not makes much sense and I don't know how I feel about the book now.
And I don't read a lot of historical fiction, but my favorite that I have read is "The Warlord Chronicles" by Bernard Cornwell. I freaking love the way he narrates the history of Arthur by the eyes of Derfel.
Yeeessss your no plot breakdown was me ! I kept waiting for it !
Hi I have to write about the first page and a bit for school and I’m confused about one of the questions for you having read the book do you think it being in first person has an affect on you? I’m not too good at describing how a book makes me feel and I need to pass this thanks in advance
Such a wholesome review 🤍
This is my favourite book in the entire world!!! It changed my life and the way take things into perspective
I loved this book. I gave it a 5/5. It was painful but so good.
Totally agreed all your points, and thats also my reason of not liking the book that much. I read it because of its popularity, which now proved an excellent point again that Reading is a very personal thing. People should respect others' opinions, but most importantly is our own opinion, own path of reading...otherwise, may end up wasting of my valuable time.
Is merphy a book thief? because she stole booktuber's hearts.
Yes she is. 🥰🥰🥰
sounds more like organ harvester to me :)
I cringed reading this
Oh wow your hair looks great :)
I thought I wouldn't cry because I knew that certain charakters would die but I did at the end. It's just like you know that your loved ones are going to die one day and it still crushes you when it happens. I loved the charakters so much at the end of the book that it felt like I lost them. :) I didn't ball my eyes out but there where some tears that I didn't expect.
Much love from Germany.
The name of the main charakter is pronounced (Lee-zl... both Ls are pronounced very light and soft)
:) Hope I could help.
I DNF'ed this one, it was so repetitive it made me want to scratch my eyeballs out of my skull.
Sassy Owl
If you're interested in how it ends at all, there is a really good movie.
@@tynakatroberts5117 Agree, loved the movie a lot.
I'm normally more into reading books that are very plot and action heavy, but this book is one of my favorites.
But I think that was the authors intention tho right? Death kept reminding u that someone would die and when it happens u didnt feel it that much..i feel like the ppl experienced the same thing right? If ur constantly afraid somethings gonna happen when it does happen it just feels normal??(for lack of better word) and you felt the same ways and i feel like that was intentional
Lol i dont even know if this makes sense sorry im rambling
No, I get it. I totally agree with you.
My favourite fiction is always "basically nothing happens, this is just about people talking/thinking/feeling" so I think I'm gonna love this book
I totally understand what you say about different types of readers and experiences. This one still remains one of my favorite books, definitely my favorite historical fiction. BUT, I enjoy more character driven stories than the action ones, so there you go. What I look for in a book it's not just a cool world, great plot or big battles; even when the story has all that, if I don't conect with the characters or there's no emotional punch, then it's a book that maybe I enjoy but I will forget after a while. The Book Thief has stuck with me till this day (I read it 6 years ago) and I think it's all the emotions that a book leaves you with what really matters to me, more than having a plot or action. Guess I like stories that bring on the FEELS (?
PD: Have you read Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys? It's also one of my favorites and has a lot more plot and action than TBT, maybe you'd like it.
I am currently reading this book for the first time. I love it so far. I watched the movie quite a few years ago and only recently acquired the book. The fact that it is historical fiction makes me happier. I find it easier to read. At first, I didn't think I would get into it because of it being told by the narrator (Death). But after the first two sentences, I was hooked. I found it almost impossible to set this book down. And I feel like I can envision what Leisel is going through.
Only watching because you hyped me up with all your thoughts leading up to this video🤣is it finally good/not good?!? I need to KNOW
I’m glad you said how there wasn’t a plot. I read the first 120 pages and put it down because I was pretty bored and was constantly waiting for the story to begin
Ah! This book has been on my TBR forever and I will get to it in 2020!! [I hope]
I enjoyed The Book Thief, but I didn't think it was heartbreaking. I'm sort of glad for that, since I disliked hard-hitting books at the time and still do to a certain degree (though it depends a lot on the circumstances). But I find it interesting how so many people see it as that kind of book.
I DNFd this book a few years ago, I was waiting to see what you thought about it before deciding whether or not to pick it back up again. I think I won't
For me I did feel the impact of the deaths of characters because even tho death was preparing me, it still hit me hard because that’s what death is and what it does. We are always aware of death but when someone dies we get hit hard even if we are prepared for it, did that make sense?
As someone who read this book and loved it, I wasn't sobbing by the end for the same reasons you weren't - I knew it was going to happen, and I prepared myself. However, I could really connect to the characters because I understand the main character, and I'm also a huge history buff, so that might've contributed to my enjoyment of the book. Granted, I'm not actually normally much of a historical fiction person, surprisingly due to my earlier comment, but I really enjoyed this one.
Hi I have to write about the first page and a bit for school and I’m confused about one of the questions for you having read the book do you think it being in first person has an affect on you? I’m not too good at describing how a book makes me feel and I need to pass this thanks in advance
@@musiccritic8467 I'm not sure what you mean by first person. It's told in first person of death, but since the actual sorry is being described by a narrator, technically it's in third. Either way, it did affect how I saw and enjoyed the book. If it had been in standard first person, the time humors would've felt more awkward, and I don't think knowing exactly what Liesel was thinking would've been a good choice, either. Being on the outside and having to guess based on her actions, as death does, made it more impactful, I think, because we weren't being told by the character what she was thinking and feeling, we SAW it. And that makes that much more of a difference. But the book being in first person by the narrator made him more relatable too, and personifying the narrator in this sense gave it a personal feel, and you can tell that this experience that happened decades ago still affects death, and that makes it affect you more, too.
You're welcome. I hope you do well on your project, essay, paper, whatever. Good luck.
I definitely enjoyed this book. One of my favourites.
Am I the only one who screamed when I saw the leatherbound edition of Mistborn in the background??? Great review by the way!
Had to read this for school it was good I liked his book I Am the Messenger a bit more
I was looking forward to reading this book. I really like historical fiction novels (especially WWII novels), but I don't think I'll read it. I really do not enjoy character driven stories. I need a plot.
Also, as a side note: have you read the Diary of Anne Frank?
Ditto. I’m about three hours in and... not a huge fan. And now that I know it’s not really changing, nope. You could try a sample of the Kindle version (you could use the app on your phone if you don’t have a kindle), see if you like the writing style. Or listen to the Audible sample (though that’s only five minutes or so). Or get it lent from a library or something. For me, this was a fail.
I also really like WWII historical fiction, and I’m happy it really works for some people. Just... if it’s not going to get a plot, I don’t want to spend 10-11 more hours on it. 🤷🏻♀️
@@SunflowerSpotlight I have it on hold at the library and have been waiting for it for a while, but I think I want to spend my time reading books that I know will work better for me
emmanlss Exactly! People keep telling me it pays off (I guess the emotional reaction to someone important dying), but... I don’t want to read a book (or listen in my case) for 14 hours and like 3-4 of them, and dislike around 10, when I could read a book I don’t hate 2/3s of! I know when someone loves a book they want to share it, but... people like different things!
Good luck working on your to read list! You can at least get a little farther slipping this title! I already gave the audiobook, so it’s kind of a lost cause for me. But I feel like instead of “getting my money’s worth,” reading the whole thing would be throwing time into the pit along with my money. No thanks, lol. 😅 To the next book!
emmanlss try 'A Gathering for Claudette' Character driven/huge plot
Really loved this book particularly with its choice of narration.
Hi I have to write about the first page and a bit for school and I’m confused about one of the questions for you having read the book do you think it being in first person has an affect on you? I’m not too good at describing how a book makes me feel and I need to pass this thanks in advance
I have a suggestion for you, Murphy. It is a book about characters, mainly, and it excels at making them feel like true human beings.
Not sure if it has a particular plot, though, but I'll let you decide that.
On Beauty, by Zadie Smith, about two families and... that's all I'm going to say. I think you will enjoy it more than The Book Thief.
One of my favorite books! This should be interesting
I feel exactly the same as you. And although I enjoyed parts of the book I think it’s not the strongest historical fiction I’ve ever read
I read this more than 10 years ago and I still have mixed feelings to this day. I definitely did not had such an emotional response many people do. Maybe I read too much of the genre.
I have the same mixed feelings so I'm really glad you posted a review. I usually love Death as a character but Zusak's interpretation of him as a narrator was grating at times. He didn't just interrupt the flow of the story for spoilers, he also had to define things and give his personal opinion about everything.
Talking about historical fiction I think you should read Ken Follet’s books, my favourite and probably the most popular is Pillars of the Earth, it has a miniseries with Eddie Redmayne if you wanna have a preview of the story 😉
I liked the book, even though I am not raving about it.
A really fine review (as always)!
Regarding the plot issue, this book most definitely has a plot but it's not "Dan Brown kind of 2 pages long chapter with lots of running around and jumping of the things, cliffhanger included".
I assume many readers are spoiled with such prose and storytelling that they cannot engage themselves with more subtle or nuanced narration.
Hi I have to write about the first page and a bit for school and I’m confused about one of the questions for you having read the book do you think it being in first person has an affect on you? I’m not too good at describing how a book makes me feel and I need to pass this thanks in advance
Even with the warnings I was hurt...I felt such dread the entire time, just waiting for the end. I didn’t expect it to happen the way it did.
I can see how some people would feel too spoiled by Death too though.
Which books did it better? I haven’t read a lot of historical fiction myself.
Are you going to post the rest of your harry potter review? I can't wait😊❤
I think reading it as an audiobook helps a lot. Feels like you're on a stroll through time with Death.