Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief: Brimmed with Secrets

Reviewed by Ellie Stoutt

The Holocaust is something we will never forget.  It was a time where an entire religion was being tortured and killed by their own country.  An extreme act of racism where there were victims, prosecutors, and people who just stood by and watched.  As Mosane Katsav said, “The Holocaust is not only a tragedy to the jewish people, it is a failure to humanity as a whole.”  The Book Thief by Markus Zusak takes place in this catastrophic time period.  

The Book Thief is a realistic fiction book that is centered around the main character Liesel Meminger, a nine year old german girl whose story is told by the voice of death. Liesel has had a sad life, she does not really remember her father, her mother gave her up and is assumed to be dead because her beliefs did not coincide with Hitler’s codes, and her brother died on the train ride to their new foster parents.  However, as the voice of death said, “You could argue that Liesel Meminger had it easy.  She did have it easy compared to Max Vandenburg.  Certainly, her brother practically died in her arms.  Her mother abandoned her.  But anything was better than being a Jew”(Zusak 161).  She is brought to Hans and Rosa Hubermann who are on the poorer side of the social pyramid.  Rosa is very strict where Hans is on the rather soft side but, they are both great parents to Liesel.  Liesel never learned how to read.  When she begins to go to school the other kids tease her for not being able to read and as a result she develops a great desire to read.  She has already stolen one book, The Grave Digger’s Handbook, from there she begins to steal more books from burnings and books she happens to find that others have left behind.  With the help of her foster father Hans who begins to secretly read with her and the mayor’s wife who is more than generous when sharing her books, Lisel begins to read one word at a time.  Then arrives Max who is a friend of Han’s son.  There’s something very dangerous about Max, he is Jewish.  This brings great risk to the Hubermanns and gives great responsibility to Liesel who is forced to keep all these secrets.

This book is very descriptive and has amazing imagery.  “A mountain range of rubble was written, designed, erected around her.  She was clutching a book”(Zusak 13). The Book Thief shows what it was truly like to live in the Holocaust time period.  Time Magazine said, “Zusak doesn’t sugarcoat anything…”  Focusing on Liesel gives a unique perspective on the book.  She is effected by the Holocaust blatantly but, is not necessarily harmed by it.  She is almost shielded by the harm of the Holocaust but ,as the book progresses the shade is slowly lifted.  The atrocity of the time is being described through her innocent eyes.  She also talks to people who are very pro Hitler and do not completely understand what he is doing to their country.  Liesel is growing up in a home where they are neutral.  Her parents do not really like Hitler but they do not speak out about it and this gives Liesel a different outlook on the way Hitler rules versus some of her other friends.  “‘Did the Füherer take her away?’... He said, ‘I think he might have, yes.’... ‘I knew it.’ ‘I hate Füherer,’ she said. ‘I hate him.’... He slapped Liesel Meminger squarely in the face”(Zusak 115). 

The story may have come across stronger if the Hubermanns themselves were Jewish then it would have shown what it is truly like for someone who is Jewish to live in these times.  However, the small parts about Max and what it is like for him living in the basement are very informative and helpful to the book.  Although I cannot relate to Liesel Meminger very well, you can really feel her sorrow and the way Death tells the story you can just picture how horrible it would be to be in her shoes.  Overall, The Book Thief is an outstanding novel that conveys a harsh but, true story about the Holocaust.  Even though it is a very deep subject the book flows nicely and is easy to follow.  It will have an extreme impact on anyone who picks it up. 

  

Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. New York: Random House Inc., 2006. Print