Amazon.ca describes this book as a "dark and powerfully absorbing novel, brilliantly executed". It's narrator calls it "just as small story, really." Jump in with both feet and surrender to one of the most gripping, unusual, hilarious books I've read in years. It's a book about books, about hate, about love, and about how words can be our most powerful weapons.
One thing that i thought is really different about the book is that we get a perspective from a german person suffering in the time of nazi germany instead of just a jewish person. by having both sides we get a perspective of both worlds and it has really made me have compassion on some of the germans from that time too. even though that they did not have to go through the concentration camps and the same torment that the jewish people did, they still had to follow what the nazi government said even if that meant betraying their friends or loved ones.
I completely agree. As bad as it was for the jewish people in that time, i almost think that in some ways it was worse for german people, especially those with hearts because they were forced into going along with something that not all of them necessarily agreed with and if they didn't do what they were told they would be basically disowned. I think it was also horrible that they had to watch jewish people suffer and there was not one thing they could do about it because that would be risking their own life. If i were in that situation i would be terrified to do anything besides what i was told but i would feel so much guilt for not being able to fix the horrible things that my own nationality caused.
I completely agree with Lynelle. It wouldn't be very easy as a German person during the Holocaust. Especially if they were against Hitler because if the Nazi's found out that you were against Hitler, they would kill you. So, it wasn't just bad for the Jewish people, it was hard for the German's and other people because if they were friends with Jewish people it would hurt them a lot.
There's a song that I really like that I was listening to the other day and thought that it relates to how Max Vandenburg must feel hiding in the basement. The first verse talks about how he woke up in the middle of the night from a nightmare, which happens to Max as well. One of the lines from the chorus is "someone come, someone come and save my life." It relates to Max because he can't do anything to help himself get out of Germany. He needs help from someone else to save him. Another one of the lines is "I'll sleep when I'm dead." Which soudnds like it could be written by Max Vandenburg too because he talks about being to afraid to sleep, for fear of who's going to wake him up.
Sleeping Sickness - Dallas Green & Gordon Downie (from City & Colour and The Tragically Hip)
I awoke Only to find my lungs empty And through the night So it seems I'm not breathing And now my dreams are nothing like they were meant to be And I'm breaking down, I think I'm breaking down
And I'm afraid To sleep because of what haunts me Such as living with the uncertainty That I'll never find the words to say Which would completely explain Just how I'm breaking down
Someone come and, someone come and save my life Maybe I'll sleep when I am dead But now it's like the night is taking sides With all the worries that occupy the back of my mind Could it be this misery will suffice?
I've become A simple souvenir of someone's kill And like the sea I'm constantly changing from calm to ill Madness fills my heart and soul as if the great divide could swallow me whole oh, how I'm breaking down
Someone come and, someone come and save my life Maybe I'll sleep when I am dead But now it's like the night is taking sides With all the worries that occupy the back of my mind Could it be this misery will suffice?
Yes I agree, those are really good points Lynelle and Veronica. I have always felt that this point of view is one that isn't heard enough when talking about the World Wars, and that 's one of my biggest reasons for liking the book. My Oma was a young girl living in Germany during WWII and she's told me some very disturbing stories about things she's had to suffer and experiences she's had. I find very important that everyone understands that not all German people at that time were so stupid and evil as the Nazis were, that it wasn't the Germans that were so evil, it was the Nazis. I beleive a good number of German citizens were just doing whatever they could to survive.
Also, I really like that song Wynona, it's pretty much perfect for Max.
When I read the lyrics of "Sleeping Sickness" that Wynona posted, I could not believe how precisely that matches what Max is probably feeling like, emotionally and physically. It is a song that is very moving and I really enjoy the band City and Colour because they are very pure and when I hear them sing their lyrics I feel like I'm living in that moment. I couldn't imagine being Max and having to hide away like that. He probably feels like he'll never see the light ever again.
I agree with Lynelle completely. It's interesting to hear from a Germans point of view because were always hearing about what happened to the Jewish people while they were in those camps. When reading you notice that not all Germans were rude to the Jews. Some Germans would hide them in their household just like Liesel's family did. Also giving them food as they walk on the street etc. And if you were a German in that time you would have to participate in the burning of the books and having to "heil hitler" even if you wanted to or not, also having to be supportive over everything that hitler was doing. And if you didn't like what he was doing you were unable to voice your opinion because the other Germans would yell at you, Nazi's would search your home for Jews etc. etc.
I really like that point you made Wynona, and the song lyrics go perfect with what Max must be feeling. I think for Max it's always a constant fear and worry, and it is really difficult for him to deal with everything that is happening. I also think that song is perfect because the lyrics sound like a cry for help, and that's basically what he wants, someone to hear him.
On the back of the book, it says that The Book Thief belongs on the same shelf as The Diary of Anne Frank, and I see that as an insult, The Diary of Anne Frank is merely written as a children’s book. Yes, maybe, the times seem similar but the outline of the stories and the characters are completely different. Liesel as a character is much more involved and insightful. The fact that Anne Frank was a real human being and Liesel is a fictional character is what is a so great about The Book Thief. Anne Frank describes what she saw and had happened for real, but we can’t really use our imagination to create a fictional land or a certain scenario because it’s given. The Book Thief gives room for the reader to grow as well As the character. I’m sure all the readers imagine Liesel one way or another, creating their own point of view of each character, but when it comes to The Diary of Anne Frank it’s sort of boring. The diary has great value in the world of history but very little value in the literature world when it comes to comparing these two books.
I really like that throughout the book there are the bolded sections because if you don't understand something that you read just before it, it usually gives you a good explanation or indication of what is going on.
I agree with you, Natalia, in the way that the Diary of Anne Frank is more important to our society as a historical book rather than a literary book, but I don't really understand the link between a young Jewish girl, in constant danger of death, and a children's story.
I agree with you Nicole it does make the book much easier to understand I also like how it gives different opinions and gives great examples of foreshadowing and can help answer questions people might have about what is going on.
I agree with what you said about the Book Thief being more advanced, literary wise, than The Diary of Anne Frank. I disagree with The Diary of Anne Frank and the Book Thief being compared, because they are two completely different types of books. The Book Thief may be more appealing to read because of its descriptiveness, but that's because that's how it was meant to be written (as an entertaining story). The diary is just a girl's perspective and observations of her surroundings and current situation. I don't agree with your opinion that the diary is a children's book. Sure, it can get dry at times (it has more of a historical than literary value), but it's the diary of a teenage girl in constant danger of being taken from hiding and killed. I don't see the link to a children's story from that.
I was curious as to why Markus Zusak had written this book and where he had got his information from. I did some searching and found on one website, that his mother had always told him stories as a child about how she witnessed the bombings and specifically the Jew's being marched through the street's of her town. He wanted to write his own book about this,and must have been inspired by his mom's stories.
In the Book Thief I found as I was reading that it was very different from other books in many ways. This is the first novel which I have come across that is a Holocaust story from a German perspective. Having said that however, this book does not go completely the other side of the war. This is becuase it is in the view of a german couple and a foster child, but they are against the Nazi ways and are actually hiding a Jewish person in their own basement and want to help other Jewish people. The narrative form of this book was different because it was told from Death that actually does play a role in the story picking up souls, however he sometimes tells events he has witnessed ands others are read from a book called "The Book Thief", by Liesel. Death adds in some unexpected hints and other bolded facts throughout the story. The hints foreshadows that plainly identify events that are coming up in the novel with no mystery, as Death says in the novel that he does not like mystery. Here is one of the foreshadows; "The roof was flat and there was a shallow basement for storage. It was supposedly not a basement of adequate depth. In 1939, this wasn't a problem. Later, in '42 and'43 it was. (Pg. 32)" Considering the scene of this story I figured it would have something to do with the bombings in the war. The bolded parts that Death puts into the novel are his own pieces of information that he thinks we may find useful. I liked these bolded parts because they made explanations of different things very clear and easy to understand and sometimes included flashbacks or foreshadows. Here is a bold section I found useful while reading the book; "*** Some Crunched Numbers *** In 1933, 90 percent of Germans showed unflinching support for Adolf Hitler. That leaves 10 percent who didn't. Hans Hubermann belonged to the 10 percent. There was a reason for that. (Pg. 63)" I found this very useful because at this point in the story I was just starting to sense Hans' dislike for Hitler, but this bold section cleared it up for me.
One thing that i thought is really different about the book is that we get a perspective from a german person suffering in the time of nazi germany instead of just a jewish person. by having both sides we get a perspective of both worlds and it has really made me have compassion on some of the germans from that time too. even though that they did not have to go through the concentration camps and the same torment that the jewish people did, they still had to follow what the nazi government said even if that meant betraying their friends or loved ones.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. As bad as it was for the jewish people in that time, i almost think that in some ways it was worse for german people, especially those with hearts because they were forced into going along with something that not all of them necessarily agreed with and if they didn't do what they were told they would be basically disowned. I think it was also horrible that they had to watch jewish people suffer and there was not one thing they could do about it because that would be risking their own life. If i were in that situation i would be terrified to do anything besides what i was told but i would feel so much guilt for not being able to fix the horrible things that my own nationality caused.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Lynelle. It wouldn't be very easy as a German person during the Holocaust. Especially if they were against Hitler because if the Nazi's found out that you were against Hitler, they would kill you. So, it wasn't just bad for the Jewish people, it was hard for the German's and other people because if they were friends with Jewish people it would hurt them a lot.
ReplyDeleteThere's a song that I really like that I was listening to the other day and thought that it relates to how Max Vandenburg must feel hiding in the basement. The first verse talks about how he woke up in the middle of the night from a nightmare, which happens to Max as well. One of the lines from the chorus is "someone come, someone come and save my life." It relates to Max because he can't do anything to help himself get out of Germany. He needs help from someone else to save him. Another one of the lines is "I'll sleep when I'm dead." Which soudnds like it could be written by Max Vandenburg too because he talks about being to afraid to sleep, for fear of who's going to wake him up.
ReplyDeleteSleeping Sickness - Dallas Green & Gordon Downie
(from City & Colour and The Tragically Hip)
I awoke
Only to find my lungs empty
And through the night
So it seems I'm not breathing
And now my dreams are nothing like they were meant to be
And I'm breaking down, I think I'm breaking down
And I'm afraid
To sleep because of what haunts me
Such as living with the uncertainty
That I'll never find the words to say
Which would completely explain
Just how I'm breaking down
Someone come and, someone come and save my life
Maybe I'll sleep when I am dead
But now it's like the night is taking sides
With all the worries that occupy the back of my mind
Could it be this misery will suffice?
I've become
A simple souvenir of someone's kill
And like the sea
I'm constantly changing from calm to ill
Madness fills my heart and soul as if the great divide could swallow me whole
oh, how I'm breaking down
Someone come and, someone come and save my life
Maybe I'll sleep when I am dead
But now it's like the night is taking sides
With all the worries that occupy the back of my mind
Could it be this misery will suffice?
Yes I agree, those are really good points Lynelle and Veronica. I have always felt that this point of view is one that isn't heard enough when talking about the World Wars, and that 's one of my biggest reasons for liking the book. My Oma was a young girl living in Germany during WWII and she's told me some very disturbing stories about things she's had to suffer and experiences she's had. I find very important that everyone understands that not all German people at that time were so stupid and evil as the Nazis were, that it wasn't the Germans that were so evil, it was the Nazis. I beleive a good number of German citizens were just doing whatever they could to survive.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I really like that song Wynona, it's pretty much perfect for Max.
Wow, Wynona! This song is like the perfect representation of the character, and how Max is developed.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read the lyrics of "Sleeping Sickness" that Wynona posted, I could not believe how precisely that matches what Max is probably feeling like, emotionally and physically. It is a song that is very moving and I really enjoy the band City and Colour because they are very pure and when I hear them sing their lyrics I feel like I'm living in that moment. I couldn't imagine being Max and having to hide away like that. He probably feels like he'll never see the light ever again.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lynelle completely. It's interesting to hear from a Germans point of view because were always hearing about what happened to the Jewish people while they were in those camps. When reading you notice that not all Germans were rude to the Jews. Some Germans would hide them in their household just like Liesel's family did. Also giving them food as they walk on the street etc. And if you were a German in that time you would have to participate in the burning of the books and having to "heil hitler" even if you wanted to or not, also having to be supportive over everything that hitler was doing. And if you didn't like what he was doing you were unable to voice your opinion because the other Germans would yell at you, Nazi's would search your home for Jews etc. etc.
ReplyDeleteI really like that point you made Wynona, and the song lyrics go perfect with what Max must be feeling. I think for Max it's always a constant fear and worry, and it is really difficult for him to deal with everything that is happening. I also think that song is perfect because the lyrics sound like a cry for help, and that's basically what he wants, someone to hear him.
ReplyDeleteOn the back of the book, it says that The Book Thief belongs on the same shelf as The Diary of Anne Frank, and I see that as an insult, The Diary of Anne Frank is merely written as a children’s book. Yes, maybe, the times seem similar but the outline of the stories and the characters are completely different. Liesel as a character is much more involved and insightful. The fact that Anne Frank was a real human being and Liesel is a fictional character is what is a so great about The Book Thief. Anne Frank describes what she saw and had happened for real, but we can’t really use our imagination to create a fictional land or a certain scenario because it’s given. The Book Thief gives room for the reader to grow as well As the character. I’m sure all the readers imagine Liesel one way or another, creating their own point of view of each character, but when it comes to The Diary of Anne Frank it’s sort of boring. The diary has great value in the world of history but very little value in the literature world when it comes to comparing these two books.
ReplyDeleteI really like that throughout the book there are the bolded sections because if you don't understand something that you read just before it, it usually gives you a good explanation or indication of what is going on.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Natalia, in the way that the Diary of Anne Frank is more important to our society as a historical book rather than a literary book, but I don't really understand the link between a young Jewish girl, in constant danger of death, and a children's story.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Nicole it does make the book much easier to understand I also like how it gives different opinions and gives great examples of foreshadowing and can help answer questions people might have about what is going on.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said about the Book Thief being more advanced, literary wise, than The Diary of Anne Frank. I disagree with The Diary of Anne Frank and the Book Thief being compared, because they are two completely different types of books. The Book Thief may be more appealing to read because of its descriptiveness, but that's because that's how it was meant to be written (as an entertaining story). The diary is just a girl's perspective and observations of her surroundings and current situation. I don't agree with your opinion that the diary is a children's book. Sure, it can get dry at times (it has more of a historical than literary value), but it's the diary of a teenage girl in constant danger of being taken from hiding and killed. I don't see the link to a children's story from that.
ReplyDeleteI was curious as to why Markus Zusak had written this book and where he had got his information from. I did some searching and found on one website, that his mother had always told him stories as a child about how she witnessed the bombings and specifically the Jew's being marched through the street's of her town. He wanted to write his own book about this,and must have been inspired by his mom's stories.
ReplyDeleteIn the Book Thief I found as I was reading that it was very different from other books in many ways. This is the first novel which I have come across that is a Holocaust story from a German perspective. Having said that however, this book does not go completely the other side of the war. This is becuase it is in the view of a german couple and a foster child, but they are against the Nazi ways and are actually hiding a Jewish person in their own basement and want to help other Jewish people. The narrative form of this book was different because it was told from Death that actually does play a role in the story picking up souls, however he sometimes tells events he has witnessed ands others are read from a book called "The Book Thief", by Liesel. Death adds in some unexpected hints and other bolded facts throughout the story. The hints foreshadows that plainly identify events that are coming up in the novel with no mystery, as Death says in the novel that he does not like mystery. Here is one of the foreshadows; "The roof was flat and there was a shallow basement for storage. It was supposedly not a basement of adequate depth. In 1939, this wasn't a problem. Later, in '42 and'43 it was. (Pg. 32)" Considering the scene of this story I figured it would have something to do with the bombings in the war. The bolded parts that Death puts into the novel are his own pieces of information that he thinks we may find useful. I liked these bolded parts because they made explanations of different things very clear and easy to understand and sometimes included flashbacks or foreshadows. Here is a bold section I found useful while reading the book; "*** Some Crunched Numbers *** In 1933, 90 percent of Germans showed unflinching support for Adolf Hitler. That leaves 10 percent who didn't. Hans Hubermann belonged to the 10 percent. There was a reason for that. (Pg. 63)" I found this very useful because at this point in the story I was just starting to sense Hans' dislike for Hitler, but this bold section cleared it up for me.
ReplyDelete