The Book Thief

“Here is a small fact: you are going to die.”

That’s how The Book Thief, written by Markus Zusak, begins. And right from the start you can feel this is not a normal read. It’s a warning that stays with you the whole time, even when the story feels lighter.

The story is set in Nazi Germany, starting in 1939, and it’s narrated by Death. Yes, Death. This could easily go wrong, but it doesn’t. Actually, it works really well. I honestly loved this choice. Death has personality. He is ironic, tired, sometimes almost kind. He looks at humans with a mix of curiosity and sadness, trying to understand how people can be so good and so cruel at the same time.

We follow Liesel Meminger, a girl who loses her brother at the beginning of the story and is sent to live with foster parents. There she creates a deep bond with her foster father, Hans, probably one of the most kind and lovable characters in the whole book, and with Rudy, her best friend. Loyal, impulsive, and impossible not to like.

Books enter Liesel’s life almost by accident. She steals her first book without even knowing how to read. Over time, learning to read becomes a way to survive. Maybe even a way to escape the life she is living.

At some point, the family hides Max, a Jewish man, in the basement. From there, the book becomes much heavier. The constant fear, the silence, the inspections, the feeling that any small mistake could cost everyone their lives. All of this is shown through the eyes of a child, who doesn’t fully understand the political context, but feels all the anguish and injustice of what is happening.

One of the things that marked me the most is the theme of words. Their power. Hitler controls people through words, propaganda, speeches, symbols. Liesel and Max also resist with words. Through reading, stories, and writing. It’s beautiful and cruel at the same time, because we know how it ends, even when the book pretends we don’t.

The reading in the shelter during the bombings really stayed with me. Just like the marches of Jews through the town. Hans offering bread and being beaten for it. These scenes are simple, but very strong.

The ending… well, the ending I was already expecting. Death warned us at the beginning. Dark times that the world lived through, and if we stop to think, some places still live through today.

After finishing the book, I watched the movie with my wife, and I was really glad I had read the book first. I thought the movie was quite weak, far from what the book delivers. If I had started with the movie, I would probably have lost the impact that only reading can give.

The book is not perfect. Far from being the best book I’ve ever read. Even so, it’s very good. A book about death that, deep down, talks about humanity. About how even in one of the worst periods of history, there were still small acts of kindness, friendship, and courage.

I recommend it.