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The Book Thief: TikTok made me buy it! The life-affirming international bestseller by [Markus Zusak]

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Markus Zusak

The Book Thief: TikTok made me buy it! The life-affirming international bestseller Kindle Edition

by Markus Zusak (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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'Life affirming, triumphant and tragic . . . masterfully told. . . but also a wonderful page-turner' Guardian
'Brilliant and hugely ambitious' New York Times
'Extraordinary' Telegraph
___
HERE IS A SMALL FACT - YOU ARE GOING TO DIE

1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier.
Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall.

SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION - THIS NOVEL IS NARRATED BY DEATH
___

What readers are saying about The Book Thief:

***** 'I loved every page of this book. So many great quotes, observations on humanity and images...I just didn't want it to end.
***** 'I loved this book. It is not only one of the best I've read this year, it is one of the best I've ever read.'
***** 'This is the sort of book the restores your faith in humanity and leaves you feeling uplifted, even when it makes you shed a tear.

Reading age

12+ years, from customers
Print length

499 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Transworld Digital
Publication date

8 Mar. 2016
Page Flip

Enabled
Word Wise

Enabled
Enhanced typesetting

Enabled
ISBN-13

978-1784162122
See all details

Product description

Amazon Review

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak was the best-selling debut literary novel of the year 2007, selling over 400,000 copies. The author is a prize-winning writer of children's books, and this, his first novel for adults, proved to be a triumphant success. The book is extraordinary on many levels: moving, yet restrained, angry yet balanced -- and written with the kind of elegance found all too rarely in fiction these days. The book's narrator is nothing less than Death itself, regaling us with a remarkable tale of book burnings, treachery and theft. The book never forgets the primary purpose of compelling the reader's attention, yet which nevertheless is able to impart a cogent message about the importance of words, particularly in those societies which regard the word as dangerous (the book is set during the Nazi regime, but this message is all too relevant in many places in the world today).

Nine-year-old Liesel lives with her foster family on Himmel Street during the dark days of the Third Reich. Her Communist parents have been transported to a concentration camp, and during the funeral for her brother, she manages to steal a macabre book: it is, in fact, a gravediggers’ instruction manual. This is the first of many books which will pass through her hands as the carnage of the Second World War begins to hungrily claim lives. Both Liesel and her fellow inhabitants of Himmel Street will find themselves changed by both words on the printed page and the horrendous events happening around them.

Despite its grim narrator, The Book Thief is, in fact, a life-affirming book, celebrating the power of words and their ability to provide sustenance to the soul. Interestingly, the Second World War setting of the novel does not limit its relevance: in the 20th century, totalitarian censorship throughout the world is as keen as ever at suppressing books (notably in countries where the suppression of human beings is also par for the course) and that other assault on words represented by the increasing dumbing-down of Western society as cheap celebrity replaces the appeal of books for many people, ensures that the message of Marcus Zusak’s book could not be more timely. It is, in fact, required reading -- or should be in any civilised country. --Barry Forshaw

--This text refers to the paperback edition.

About the Author

MARKUS ZUSAK’s bestselling novel The Book Thief was originally published in the UK in 2007. It has since become a modern classic, published around the world and turned into a film. Markus Zusak lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife and two children. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Synopsis

1939 - Nazi Germany - The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier. Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall. Some important information - this novel is narrated by death. It's a small story, about: a girl; an accordionist; some fanatical Germans; a Jewish fist fighter; and quite a lot of thievery. Another thing you should know - death will visit the book thief three times. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Book Description

The internationally bestselling story of a young German girl who steals books, of her family and the Jewish boxer hidden in their basement as they struggle to survive in Nazi Germany when the bombs begin to fall. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

'Brilliant and hugely ambitious' New York Times

'Extraordinary, resonant, beautiful and angry'
Sunday Telegraph

HERE IS A SMALL FACT

YOU ARE GOING TO DIE

1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier.

Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall.

SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION
THIS NOVEL IS NARRATED BY DEATH

It's a small story, about:

a girl

an accordionist

some fanatical Germans

a Jewish fist fighter

and quite a lot of thievery.

ANOTHER THING YOU SHOULD KNOW
DEATH WILL VISIT THE BOOK THIEF THREE TIMES --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Review

"Extraordinary, resonant and relevant, beautiful and angry." (Lisa Hilton Sunday Telegraph)

"...a beautifully balanced piece of storytelling...Unsettling, thought-provoking, life affirming, triumphant and tragic, this is a novel of breathtaking scope, masterfully told. It is an important piece of work, but also a wonderful page-turner." (Guardian)

"A moving work which will make many eyes brim." (Marianne Brace Independent on Sunday)

"This is a weighty novel worthy of universal acclaim. A sense of dread prevades this beautifully written novel. As The Book Thief draws to a close, Death says: "There's a multitude of stories that i allow to distract me as I work." The story of the Book Thief, who tried to change the world in her own small way, proves one formidable and inspiring distraction." (Lianne Kolirin The Daily Express)

"Brilliant and hugely ambitious ... the kind of book that could be life-changing" (New York Times Book Review) --This text refers to the paperback edition.

From the Inside Flap

*BRIDGE OF CLAY, the new novel by Markus Zusak, is coming this October 2018* The Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller, now a modern classic recommended by millions of readers. HERE IS A SMALL FACT - YOU ARE GOING TO DIE 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier. Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall. SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION - THIS NOVEL IS NARRATED BY DEATH --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01B2DJKHC
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Transworld Digital; 10th Anniversary edition (8 Mar. 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 14165 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 499 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0552773891

Best Sellers Rank: 3,507 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 11 in Historical German Fiction
- 12 in Historical Fantasy Fiction
- 12 in Women's Fantasy Fiction

Customer reviews:
13,131 ratings

About the author

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Markus Zusak

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Markus Zusak is the international bestselling author of six novels, including The Book Thief and most recently, Bridge of Clay. His work is translated into more than forty languages, and has spent more than a decade on the New York Times bestseller list, establishing Zusak as one of the most successful authors to come out of Australia.

All of Zusak’s books – including earlier titles, The Underdog, Fighting Ruben Wolfe, When Dogs Cry (also titled Getting the Girl), The Messenger (or I am the Messenger) – have been awarded numerous honours around the world, ranging from literary prizes to readers choice awards to prizes voted on by booksellers.

In 2013, The Book Thief was made into a major motion picture, and in 2018 was voted one of America’s all-time favourite books, achieving 14th position on the PBS Great American Read. Also in 2018, Bridge of Clay was selected as a best book of the year in publications ranging from Entertainment Weekly to the Wall Street Journal.

Markus Zusak grew up in Sydney, Australia, and still lives there with his wife and two children.

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Customer reviews

5 star		76%
4 star		15%
3 star		5%
2 star		2%
1 star		1%

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Jo Farr

Such a clever book!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 August 2018

Verified Purchase

The Book Thief is a very unique story, partly because it is narrated by death and partly because it is such a different plot to anything I have ever read before! The way this book is written is genius and I have to congratulate the author on making this such an interesting read : other reviews say it gets boring but I can assure you, it definitely doesn't.

I must admit it takes a little while to really get into the story and understand the way it's written, but after you get past the prologue, this book really gets going.

WARNING : *Do not read on if you don't want to discover anything about the story*

The story revolves around Liesel (the book thief) and where she lives with her foster parents, Himmel Street, which translates to Heaven Street. However, the funny thing is, it is the complete opposite to that and is considered not a very pleasant place to be.

As the story unravels, the Hubermann family become closer to each other and Liesel forms a special relationship with her father, Hans. When they discover something on their doorstep, they all work together to make sure they are not found out. Because if they were, it ma be fatal... Please read this book!

By Vivie Sleight age 11

38 people found this helpful

Helpful

Helen

Confused and broken style detracted from a wonderful story

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 August 2020

Verified Purchase

I have a feeling this opinion could be unpopular...I liked this book....but, honestly, I didn’t love it.

As a historical fiction book, the story is based in Nazi Germany, around the central character of a young girl, Liesel, and the relationships she holds dear. Zusak pulls on your heart-strings through his beautiful story-telling of the sadness, tragedies, loss and loneliness his characters face. And, through wonderful characterisation allows the reader to sense the vulnerability of, and feel the need to protect the characters he has created.

However, I felt some aspects of the novel were just not very well constructed, and interrupted the flow of the story and the level of engagement I had with it.

The concept of the personification of death is one that I like, and think worked incredibly well in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld so was quite excited at the start to see Zusak introduce Death as narrator. But quite quickly the colloquial style of narration jarred with me, and personally, I found it too light-hearted for the subject matter. I also felt that Zusak lost his way with this style, struggling to maintain it, moving in and out of Death’s informal, conversational narration into the more traditional story telling throughout the novel.

I also felt there were ideas that weren’t developed sufficiently, that either should have been left out...or taken more time over. An example of this is Death seeing colours associated with each passing of life, which is a brilliant concept, that was well introduced but given no more than a passing reference as the book progressed.

I feel that without these aspects distracting me, and detracting from the wonderful characterisation and plot, this book would have given a far greater impact, and could have been a 4 or even 5.

8 people found this helpful

Helpful

Tweedledum

Haunting

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 April 2016

Verified Purchase

I have absorbed this book slowly, a few pages at a time, putting it down and returning to it when I felt strong enough to read on. I came at it first via the film so the characters faces were clear in my mind. It's a harrowing, beautiful, terrible story. The Book Thief could in many ways be compared to All Quiet on the Western Front taking us into the heart of Germany as war rages around and challenging us to see people like us... People who are not monsters though their actions may appall. Real people who lived and loved and yearned for a future without war, but people living in extra-ordinary times, brainwashed, coerced, forced to act against every normal instinct in order to survive. Everything is turned upside down in such times and places. Acts of love and compassion are punished so what is left? For Rudi and Liesel Thievery becomes a small possible act of rebellion, a way of remaining honest or true to oneself, instinctive, perhaps even an act of sanity in an insane world.

Death is the narrator of the story, a clever device enabling an emotionally impartial and non-judgemental narration that cuts to the heart.

It is interesting that the narrator prepares the reader for what is to come on several occasions. Yet this preparation in no way diminishes the horror. In some ways it intensifies it... Or focuses the attention... Like preparing to visit the morgue to see a loved one... We need to be prepared to say goodbye properly... To be able to let go... To remember. The dead are honoured by our remembering.

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