The Book Thief
The unforgettable and heart-rending modern classic beloved by over 17 million readers
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- 8,99 €
Publisher Description
OVER 17 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE
The international bestseller that has captivated millions of readers worldwide, with over 2.9 million Goodreads ratings.
'The writing is so vivid you'll remember it for the rest of your life.' James Patterson
'Life affirming, triumphant and tragic... masterfully told... a wonderful page-turner.' Guardian
'Brilliant and hugely ambitious.' New York Times
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HERE IS A SMALL FACT: YOU ARE GOING TO DIE.
It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The world is on the brink of war, and Death has never been busier.
Nine-year-old Liesel Meminger has lost everything. Sent to live with a foster family on Himmel Street after her parents are taken away, she discovers an extraordinary refuge in books. She steals them whenever she can, learning that words have the power to comfort, to unite and to defy tyranny.
As war closes in and bombs begin to fall, Liesel's world is transformed by friendship, love, sacrifice and one dangerous secret hidden in her family's basement.
One more thing. This unforgettable story is narrated by Death.
A timeless novel about the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of stories, perfect for readers of Babel by R. F. Kuang, The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah and All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.
Readers love The Book Thief:
*****'I loved every page of this book. So many unforgettable observations about humanity... I just didn't want it to end.'
***** 'Not only one of the best books I've read this year, it is one of the best I've ever read.'
***** 'A book that restores your faith in humanity and leaves you uplifted, even through the tears.'
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This hefty volume is an achievement a challenging book in both length and subject, and best suited to sophisticated older readers. The narrator is Death himself, a companionable if sarcastic fellow, who travels the globe "handing souls to the conveyor belt of eternity." Death keeps plenty busy during the course of this WWII tale, even though Zusak (I Am the Messenger) works in miniature, focusing on the lives of ordinary Germans in a small town outside Munich. Liesel Meminger, the book thief, is nine when she pockets The Gravedigger's Handbook, found in a snowy cemetery after her little brother's funeral. Liesel's father a "Kommunist" is already missing when her mother hands her into the care of the Hubermanns. Rosa Hubermann has a sharp tongue, but Hans has eyes "made of kindness." He helps Liesel overcome her nightmares by teaching her to read late at night. Hans is haunted himself, by the Jewish soldier who saved his life during WWI. His promise to repay that debt comes due when the man's son, Max, shows up on his doorstep. This "small story," as Death calls it, threads together gem-like scenes of the fates of families in this tight community, and is punctuated by Max's affecting, primitive artwork rendered on painted-over pages from Mein Kampf. Death also directly addresses readers in frequent asides; Zusak's playfulness with language leavens the horror and makes the theme even more resonant words can save your life. As a storyteller, Death has a bad habit of forecasting ("I'm spoiling the ending," he admits halfway through his tale). It's a measure of how successfully Zusak has humanized these characters that even though we know they are doomed, it's no less devastating when Death finally reaches them. Ages 12-up.
