Last of The Book Thief (from me)

Last on The Book Thief
I finished the Book Thief and I can honestly say that the WHOLE book is fantastic! Really! It’s a great way to remember history, and look at how the Holocaust affected not only Jews, and Gypsies, but also every single German person. Also, it affected humans all around the world. You just simply can’t escape the drama of the terrible event.
As sad as I know it sounds, everyone but Liesel dies at the end of the book. The thing is, it is important to express the devastation of the time. How else would a book narrated by death end? Honestly, if you don’t expect the story ending in his work, I can’t imagine what you were thinking.
Near the end of the story, Liesel happens upon a group of captive Jews that goes through her town. She sees Max, and it kills her inside. To keep herself and family alive, she can’t do anything. Can you imagine how many children during this horrific even must have faced the same problem?
Often, I think it is a common misconception that only Jews were hurt during the holocaust, but as Markus Zusak points, that is VERY wrong. I wonder, "where would my family be if they were in Europe during the time?" I can’t imagine how devastating it would have been to say goodbye to my father who was called to war, and to have to pretend to conform to Hitler’s ideas. (Assuming I didn’t fit into the category of people who were so scared for themselves that they supported Hitler).
I truly admire the people like Liesel’s family, who stretched everything they had to bring some justice to the world. Their sacrificed their own protection for someone else who was being tortured. These acts are HONEST forms of courage that many wouldn’t be able to accomplish. Though this is a very sad piece, Markus Zusak inspired me through it.

The Book Thief Continued....

More on The Book Thief
As MEA has just passed, I’ve had some extra time and therefore I have gotten quite a bit farther in The Book Thief. So, far I REALLY recommend this book!
From the last post, we are aware of Max, Liesel, Papa and Mama (the foster mother). Also, you have been introduced to Liesel’s light fingers and desire for books.
Another very important character in this story is Rudy. Rudy is Liesel’s best friend and the boy obsesses over Jessie Owens. The two make for quite a strange pair, but nonetheless they really have a “story book” relationship. Rudy follows Liesel on her trips to the mayor’s house. He lifts her through the open window on the side of the large house; she sneaks in and picks a book that she thinks wouldn’t be missed too badly. After she picks her piece and hops back out the window they take off down the dusty road.
Rudy’s father was sent to fight in the war, along side Papa. Both children and their families suffer from the war and loss of a father figure. Eventually, the children get so hungry that they start stealing from local farms. To them, a handful of apples looks just as appealing as a birthday cake.
Another developing character is Max Vandenburg. Liesel starts spending quite a bit of time with the man in hiding. She realizes that he needs some outside stimulation. She gives him weather reports, which he enjoys quite a bit. We learn that Max was quite a fighter when he wasn’t in hiding and we also see that he is quite educated. He starts painting with Papa’s paint. The walls get covered with his inner frustrations.

Book Thief cont.

Book Thief Cont.
Last post, I gave an overview of what I remembered of the story, because I wasn’t very far into the book and didn’t have too much to say. Now I’m about ¼ of the way done, and have a little more insight.
One of the main aspects of this story is how Liesel “steals” books. This desire took hold of her when her brother died. At the funeral, the grave-digger had a manual that explained the proper way to bury a corpse. He dropped it, and Liesel picked it up. Since the family was on a train to the Liesel’s foster parents, they boy was buried in a remote place that would never be visited by Liesel again. She had nothing to remember her brother by, except a silly manual (that she couldn’t even read!)
So all in all, the theft began because Liesel was trying to hold on to her brother.
The first few nights that Liesel spent at her foster parents’ home were terrible. She would wake up in the middle of the night, screaming for her mom and brother. Papa (the new parent) would come in and sit by her bed, reading to her. Eventually, during these episodes of extreme awakedness, Papa would start teaching Liesel to read. She really wanted to read the digger’s manual, and in a strange way, Papa thought it would help her to say goodbye to her brother, and end these nightmares.
Along with Liesel’s story is the story of Mr. Max Vandenburg. Max is a Jew, and is fleeing. His father faught with Papa in the last war, so Papa agrees to let the boy come to the house on Himmel Street. The family takes in the Jew. Max hides in the basement.
We’ll have to wait to see what happens next….