The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Date started: 10 June 2016
Date finished: 25 July 2016
Title: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, New York
First published: 2005
Language:English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 550 pages
ISBN: 978-038-575-472-9
Price:
Rating: 5/5
First the colors.
Then the humans.
That’s usually how I see things.
Or at least, how I try. (page. 3)
It was January 1939, and Liesel was nine year old—soon to be ten—when she’s on the train along with her brother and her mother toward Munich to see their foster parents. Her brother, however, didn’t make it. Both of them were supposed to be at their foster parents’ house in Himmel Street by morning, living a new life, having a new home and family, but unfortunately Liesel had to see her brother buried by two gravediggers. And that was where Liesel start her first act of book-thievery. ‘The Grave Digger’s Handbook’ was a gate for her to understand the hidden power of words, even though she couldn’t read even a word back then, she kept the book that later will bring her to another book-thieving act and another story. It was her foster father, Hans Huberman, who helped her reading, and also writing, through the night in their basement after she’s awaken from her nightmare.
You wouldn’t think it, she wrote, but it was not so much the school who helped me to read. It was Papa. People think he’s not so smart, and it’s true that he doesn’t read too fast, but I would soon learn that words and writing actually saved his life once. Or at least, words and a man who taught him the accordion... (page 64)
Later, things went on pretty seriously. Nazi raided more region, bombing were everywhere, and they keep on hunting The Jews. Liesel had enough with hiding and keeping secrets of the books she had stolen, and now she had to keep a secret of another serious thing that risk the life of herself along with her foster parents’. A Jew came knocking on their door one day, looking for sanctuary, and Herr Huberman owe his life to the Jew’s father. Herr Huberman knew he had to help The Jew, named Max Vandenburg, since Max’s father left for war, hand over his life, and died, while Herr Huberman was left at the camp, alive, and completely fine.
Still no one stepped forward, but a voice stooped out and ambled toward the sergeant. It sat at his feet, waiting for a good kicking. It said, “Hubermann, Sir.” The voice belonged to Erik Vandenburg. (page 177)
First thing first, I am frequently checking on the internet about the list of books I should read—before I die. And as long as I can remember, this book is always on every list. I have no idea what is this book about, I haven’t watched the movie yet, and I wonder. Therefore when I saw this book on a ‘speciel price’ shelf of a bookstore, I quickly grabbed the book. And the other thing. Usually, after buying a or some books, those new books remain in my book shelf for a long time, still in a wrap, and remain unread for such a longer time. Like, really long time. But this book, well, it takes me—ONLY—a few months to finally open up the plastic wrap and read it and, yeay, finish it within a month.
