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.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Q&A
What questions do you have about the book? What do you not understand? What are you wondering about? How can you help your classmates?
Has anybody else found it interesting to have little bits of knowledge of future events that you hear about later in the book? I find myself flipping back and rereading some of Death's comments and hints to remind myself what he said and to see how it fits in.
I agree, i do find it interesting because it helps clarify somethings that are said in the story and i also just plain agree that its nice to have his hints along the way through the book.
I was reading the chapter called "The Gamblers (A seven-Sided die)" on page 243, and I had no idea with what was going on that whole entire chapter. It seemed like a random part in the book that was making no sense at all to me. If you would be able to clarify what was going on in that chapter that would be great!
Does anybody know in what chapter someone explains why they need to get rid of the Jews? Something along the lines of
"Eventually they'll be the ones running your stores instead of working at the counter. They'll be so rich, they wont be able to move because of the weight in their pockets."+
I'm not entirely sure if I'm correct about what was going on in The Gamblers (A Seven-Sided Die) chapter, but my interperatation of it was that it was just the authors way of skipping over some time in Leisel's story while highlighting and sneaking in bits of the story that he wanted to incorporate because he found them important, but couldn't find places to do so in other parts of the book. Zusak was doing this through the weird descriptions and explanations that death makes, and I think that's what made it so confusing. Having Death call the Hubermann's life "A Seven-Sided Die" I beleive was a metaphor for the delicacy of the Hubermann's current state of security and how their life was so unpredictable and unstable at that moment that it was almost like a seven-sided die in the way that just when they got comfortable risking their life for a jew, or gambling with a regular six-sided die, something blindsided them that they couldn't see coming but knew had to come because things were going just too well. So naturally, the last people they were doing laundry for and were making extra money from had to fire Rosa and Leisel's access to the library had to stop, because otherwise things would have been going just too good for the Hubermann family.
Oh Thank you so much Kelsey, I was so confused when I was reading that chapter it made no sense to me at all. It now makes sense but when you still read it, its slightly confusing. But then again I haven't finished the book. Thank you very much!
I have found it interesting the way death explains that he goes all over the place to collect souls and that he never has a vacation. However, I have wondered this; if he never gets a break, then how does he have time to witness all of the the events he tells that make up the story?
Good point matt, I remember once reading a statistic that about 70000 people die a day! So, where would he find the time to tell a story? Because of this, I kind of always always imagined Death quickly moving around and collecting souls, while telling the story. Also, as a side note, that bit about how he never gets a vacation made me feel a sort of pity for him because he's in a job with little recognition and thanks, and, to make matters worse, he never gets a break.
I wasn't to sure of what was actually happening when the men in the coats came to the Steiners home and were talking to Rudy's parents about him going to some school? Can someone clarify?
I believe they were talking about sending him to a different school for superior German students and or athletes. I think they were doing this because they wanted to try and make the German race as superior as possible and putting these athletes and students together would push them to become even better.
When im reading the book i sometimes get confused because it feels like Liesel is narrating the story when death is and i have to read over everything twice is anyone else having this problem?
I agree with you Matt and Reid, I was thinking about why death focuses so much on that one family even though he is suppose to be around the world collecting souls but he's able to tell a whole story about one person, her family and friends. I also picture death moving around very quickly everywhere collecting souls, but I just find it very interesting he focused so much on that family.
kelsey this is what i found about the books The Gravediggers Handbook she finds it at the cemetery, on the ground in the snow. The Shoulder Shrug she steals from a Hitler youth rally when they were burning books. Then she steals and is given a couple more books from the governors house, because she becomes sort of friends with the governors wife.
Thanks Reid, that makes about death quickly going around to pick up souls but also tell the story at the same time. Since I just finished reading the book, I figured out that death was reading most of the story from "The Book Theif", that Leisel wrote.
I was a bit confused on page 307 when death has a little note in bold that says "You want to know what I truly look like? I'll help you out. Find yourself a mirror while I continue." I wasn't sure if he meant that when a person dies and death comes for them, they see themselves where death is standing, or if he meant that he doesn't actually have a body or cloak or face at all, and that he just kind of finds his way onto a person's face and then they're gone. Or maybe we're not supposed to understand what exactly that comment meant? Just wondering, what did somebody else interpret from those words?
That's actually a good point. When I read that I only thought about the fact that he wants people to know that he doesn't actually have a body or cloak or face at all, but I didn't consider that maybe he meant that when a person dies and death comes for them, they see themselves where death is standing. It makes more sense than him explaining the cloak and face, because he had already stated that he doesn't have a cloak. I'm leaning towards maybe we're not supposed to understand what he meant by that exactly, because for a lot of things I don't think we're actually suppposed to understand him. It gives it more of a mysterious feel to what he tries to say when we don't.
The way I thought of it was that Death was explaining to us that he just looks like a regular person. No fog around him, no cloak or scythe, just another person, only with a different view/experience in life. I hadn't thought about it the way either of you had, but those are all valid points! It's quite interesting to think that maybe he didn't want us to know exactly what he meant, or that he comes from within us. I'm going to keep that in mind when I analyze other comments that Death makes!
Tyler when the Germans went to Rudy's House I believe they were trying to recruit him to a school for only the best German students and or athletes. They do this because they are trying to show the world that the German people are the best in the world and by having the athletes and students compete against one another it pushes them to be better.
The men in coats sort of confused me as well, Tyler. After thinking about it though, I think there is a connection to when Rudy moved from Deutzcher's Hitler Youth Group to a different group, and Rudy's performance at the Hitler Youth carnival. With this, I agree with Kyle's comment about the German's trying to get the best atheletes and students. Rudy's performances and wanted to take him to a different level of training school to prepare him for the army. This is why Rudy was examined the week before the men in coats came to the Steiners.
Thank you for reply Carmen and Kelsey. I hadn't even thought about the fact that maybe death just meant he looks like a normal person without a cloak or scythe before. The more I think about it, the more I think we probably weren't supposed to completely understand that comment, it would make death much to easy to understand.. or too easy to think we understand. You both made very good points!
The way that the German people speak is interesting to me, but I still don't really understand their strange obsession with insults regarding pigs? The narrator (Death) even commented on it once. Is this how Germans still speak, or was it just popular in the 40s?
Matt I was also wondering how Death managed to tell the story. I didn't realize that he was telling the story from a book that Liesel wrote the story makes a lot more sense now thanks.
I always wondered why Rosa Hubberman is such a grumpy person? They did show a nice side of her and how she is so caring and helping Max, but what causes her to call everyone a saukerl?
Has anyone gotten confused with the narrating part. At some points in the novel i think leisel is narrating but it is really death is anyone having this problem?
Yes I totally got the same thing form the book, and it gets confusing when you think about it but death is reading or rather, reciting Liesel's own thoughts so it does seem like she is the narrator, even though she doesn't tell any of the story until the end of the book when she gets her book back, the one that death had taken or saved i guess would be quite a bit more efficient.
Has anybody else found it interesting to have little bits of knowledge of future events that you hear about later in the book? I find myself flipping back and rereading some of Death's comments and hints to remind myself what he said and to see how it fits in.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with that! It helps to clarify things later on or of what just happened. It is a nice switch from other books!
ReplyDeleteI agree, i do find it interesting because it helps clarify somethings that are said in the story and i also just plain agree that its nice to have his hints along the way through the book.
ReplyDeleteI was reading the chapter called "The Gamblers (A seven-Sided die)" on page 243, and I had no idea with what was going on that whole entire chapter. It seemed like a random part in the book that was making no sense at all to me. If you would be able to clarify what was going on in that chapter that would be great!
ReplyDeleteDoes anybody know in what chapter someone explains why they need to get rid of the Jews? Something along the lines of
ReplyDelete"Eventually they'll be the ones running your stores instead of working at the counter. They'll be so rich, they wont be able to move because of the weight in their pockets."+
I agree with Brittany I had no idea what was going on in The Gamblers (A Seven- Sided Die), I found it very confusing.
ReplyDeleteI'm not entirely sure if I'm correct about what was going on in The Gamblers (A Seven-Sided Die) chapter, but my interperatation of it was that it was just the authors way of skipping over some time in Leisel's story while highlighting and sneaking in bits of the story that he wanted to incorporate because he found them important, but couldn't find places to do so in other parts of the book. Zusak was doing this through the weird descriptions and explanations that death makes, and I think that's what made it so confusing. Having Death call the Hubermann's life "A Seven-Sided Die" I beleive was a metaphor for the delicacy of the Hubermann's current state of security and how their life was so unpredictable and unstable at that moment that it was almost like a seven-sided die in the way that just when they got comfortable risking their life for a jew, or gambling with a regular six-sided die, something blindsided them that they couldn't see coming but knew had to come because things were going just too well. So naturally, the last people they were doing laundry for and were making extra money from had to fire Rosa and Leisel's access to the library had to stop, because otherwise things would have been going just too good for the Hubermann family.
ReplyDeleteGreat explanation Kelsey! reading that made me see the chapter in a way i didnt before
ReplyDeleteOh Thank you so much Kelsey, I was so confused when I was reading that chapter it made no sense to me at all. It now makes sense but when you still read it, its slightly confusing. But then again I haven't finished the book. Thank you very much!
ReplyDeleteI have found it interesting the way death explains that he goes all over the place to collect souls and that he never has a vacation. However, I have wondered this; if he never gets a break, then how does he have time to witness all of the the events he tells that make up the story?
ReplyDeleteGood point matt, I remember once reading a statistic that about 70000 people die a day! So, where would he find the time to tell a story? Because of this, I kind of always always imagined Death quickly moving around and collecting souls, while telling the story. Also, as a side note, that bit about how he never gets a vacation made me feel a sort of pity for him because he's in a job with little recognition and thanks, and, to make matters worse, he never gets a break.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't to sure of what was actually happening when the men in the coats came to the Steiners home and were talking to Rudy's parents about him going to some school? Can someone clarify?
ReplyDeleteI believe they were talking about sending him to a different school for superior German students and or athletes. I think they were doing this because they wanted to try and make the German race as superior as possible and putting these athletes and students together would push them to become even better.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know where it says how many books Liesel ends up with and how she gets them? Or just what it says at that part?
ReplyDeleteWhen im reading the book i sometimes get confused because it feels like Liesel is narrating the story when death is and i have to read over everything twice is anyone else having this problem?
ReplyDeleteLiesel steals books from the mayor's library, I'm not really sure how many books she took though.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Matt and Reid, I was thinking about why death focuses so much on that one family even though he is suppose to be around the world collecting souls but he's able to tell a whole story about one person, her family and friends. I also picture death moving around very quickly everywhere collecting souls, but I just find it very interesting he focused so much on that family.
ReplyDeletekelsey this is what i found about the books The Gravediggers Handbook she finds it at the cemetery, on the ground in the snow.
ReplyDeleteThe Shoulder Shrug she steals from a Hitler youth rally when they were burning books.
Then she steals and is given a couple more books from the governors house, because she becomes sort of friends with the governors wife.
Thanks Reid, that makes about death quickly going around to pick up souls but also tell the story at the same time. Since I just finished reading the book, I figured out that death was reading most of the story from "The Book Theif", that Leisel wrote.
ReplyDeleteI was a bit confused on page 307 when death has a little note in bold that says "You want to know what I truly look like? I'll help you out. Find yourself a mirror while I continue." I wasn't sure if he meant that when a person dies and death comes for them, they see themselves where death is standing, or if he meant that he doesn't actually have a body or cloak or face at all, and that he just kind of finds his way onto a person's face and then they're gone. Or maybe we're not supposed to understand what exactly that comment meant? Just wondering, what did somebody else interpret from those words?
ReplyDeleteThat's actually a good point. When I read that I only thought about the fact that he wants people to know that he doesn't actually have a body or cloak or face at all, but I didn't consider that maybe he meant that when a person dies and death comes for them, they see themselves where death is standing. It makes more sense than him explaining the cloak and face, because he had already stated that he doesn't have a cloak. I'm leaning towards maybe we're not supposed to understand what he meant by that exactly, because for a lot of things I don't think we're actually suppposed to understand him. It gives it more of a mysterious feel to what he tries to say when we don't.
ReplyDeleteThe way I thought of it was that Death was explaining to us that he just looks like a regular person. No fog around him, no cloak or scythe, just another person, only with a different view/experience in life. I hadn't thought about it the way either of you had, but those are all valid points! It's quite interesting to think that maybe he didn't want us to know exactly what he meant, or that he comes from within us. I'm going to keep that in mind when I analyze other comments that Death makes!
ReplyDeleteTyler when the Germans went to Rudy's House I believe they were trying to recruit him to a school for only the best German students and or athletes. They do this because they are trying to show the world that the German people are the best in the world and by having the athletes and students compete against one another it pushes them to be better.
ReplyDeleteThe men in coats sort of confused me as well, Tyler. After thinking about it though, I think there is a connection to when Rudy moved from Deutzcher's Hitler Youth Group to a different group, and Rudy's performance at the Hitler Youth carnival. With this, I agree with Kyle's comment about the German's trying to get the best atheletes and students. Rudy's performances and wanted to take him to a different level of training school to prepare him for the army. This is why Rudy was examined the week before the men in coats came to the Steiners.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reply Carmen and Kelsey. I hadn't even thought about the fact that maybe death just meant he looks like a normal person without a cloak or scythe before. The more I think about it, the more I think we probably weren't supposed to completely understand that comment, it would make death much to easy to understand.. or too easy to think we understand. You both made very good points!
ReplyDeleteThe way that the German people speak is interesting to me, but I still don't really understand their strange obsession with insults regarding pigs? The narrator (Death) even commented on it once. Is this how Germans still speak, or was it just popular in the 40s?
ReplyDeleteMatt I was also wondering how Death managed to tell the story. I didn't realize that he was telling the story from a book that Liesel wrote the story makes a lot more sense now thanks.
ReplyDeleteSay what! death was telling the story from a book that Liesel wrote? Everything makes a lot more sense now, thank you very much!
ReplyDeleteI always wondered why Rosa Hubberman is such a grumpy person? They did show a nice side of her and how she is so caring and helping Max, but what causes her to call everyone a saukerl?
ReplyDeleteHas anyone gotten confused with the narrating part. At some points in the novel i think leisel is narrating but it is really death is anyone having this problem?
ReplyDeleteYes I totally got the same thing form the book, and it gets confusing when you think about it but death is reading or rather, reciting Liesel's own thoughts so it does seem like she is the narrator, even though she doesn't tell any of the story until the end of the book when she gets her book back, the one that death had taken or saved i guess would be quite a bit more efficient.
ReplyDelete