The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Death Tells A Story

     

The untimely death of her brother gripped Liesel Meminger with sorrow and fear. But hope was not elusive; she found love from her foster parents. They were poor and hungry, living in Nazi Germany. Through the bitterness of war, Liesel was nourished with words, her foster father's understanding, love from Rudy, friendship from a hidden Jew and some book-thieving. And despite his indescribable interest with Liesel, Death travels on, relieving souls, through the war.

"Here is a small fact:  You are going to die." 

Now, there is nothing much more interesting than a story narrated by Death himself. Through his eyes, we've seen the putrid colors of war and felt the oppression, deprivation, and hopelessness brought by it. World War 2 is a picture of destruction and hate, a subject matter that is emotionally hard. It would take a very talented poet to bring something good out of that. Such is Markus Zusak. He has a sharp imagination and outstanding talent with words. A very powerful storyteller in my opinion.

Book Details:
Title: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Genre: Fiction
Rating: ★★★★★

  

THE BOOK THIEF was the book chosen for the March F2F book discussion.  We met at Café Breton Greenfield District in Mandaluyong last March 23.  The questions were in the bag... literally. I hope I can say the same with the answers, most of them were thought-provoking.  Yet Beejay, the moderator, was able to keep the discussion on a lighter tone. 

I've read this book twice and rated it with 5 stars on both occasions. Meanwhile, most of the members present did not expect to like the book beforehand.  Who likes reading about sufferings and death, anyway?  Words, I believe, have certain magic with them.  It carries us beyond our bounds and limits. Authors just needed to wield them right, which I believe Markus Zusak has achieved with this book.There were plenty of things we did agree on, the most common was our affiliation with the characters. They grew on us -falling for them, hoping for them- even though we knew how their story will end.

Beejay outdid himself by making  DIY refrigerator magnets for everyone to take home. Cute right?  I hoarded and took two.  

Since it was all about book thieving, we had a White Elephant for a post-discussion activity. Saying that it was fun was an understatement.  The game required a lot of cunning and scheming, very much like stealing.  Most of us hate letting go of the book we're holding, so there was intimidation as well.  We're apparently experts on intimidation...LOL. Did I say it was fun?

As always, it did not end with just that... we have to hang out together some more, and the park upfront was perfect.  Mamang Guard was even sweet enough to volunteer to take our group photo, too. He probably encounters a lot of groups like us, the noisy bunch.

BTW, this April, it's my turn to moderate, and you are invited.