Author: Markus Zusak
Pages: 550
Audience: (adult/YA crossover)
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: Five Stars-I'll never forget this novel
Goodreads Summary It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . . Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau. This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.
Some books you can only read once, and for me this is one of them. I avoided it for as long as possible, but it was assigned for class so I couldn't avoid it. Holocaust fiction is not something I can really stand. It rehashes a subject I find too horrific to read about and I never come away with any sense of understanding or resolution. It makes me disgusted to be a human. In short, this is a punishing read, but it is well crafted and perhaps important to experience. It shows the suffering on all sides, in all ages.
Interesting aspects that you may like or dislike about this book are that A-it is narrated by death, and B-it has little "news bulletins" interspersed for emphasis. I didn't have any mental or emotional strength left to analyze the actual writing style for this story. It doesn't follow tradition arcs, probably it is not supposed to "entertain" the reader. I thought it held a mirror up to life and made me want to look away.
I understand how you feel about this one. It is a tough read, but I think it's important to not forget about the bad times in history. And I think this book does a good job of showing that with respect while also providing a kind of beauty in the words and imagery used. At least that's how I felt when I read it last year. :)
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This is a tough read, but we need to remember what humans are capable of and never forget. I think this gives a personal look at it.
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