Product Description

The 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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01-01
• Binding: Paperback
• 560 pages

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.

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

About the Author
Markus Zusak, a prize-winning author, lives in Sydney with his wife and daughter. The Doubleday hardback of The Book Thief , published at the beginning of January 07, stayed in the top ten of the Sunday Times bestsellers for nine weeks. It was published to critical acclaim in Australia and in America where it reached No. 1 on the The New York Times bestsellers list. Film rights have been optioned by the makers of The Devil Wears Prada.

Customer Reviews

Stunning...
The first book to get me back into reading - extremely innovative, Zusak is an amazing writer; empathetically and very gracefully written, "The Book Thief" is easy to follow and will not fail to move you. Devastatingly beautiful.

hard to finish
usually i would read a book of this length in a couple of days. I have been trying to finish this book for three weeks but will not be defeated with just seventy pages to go. I was impressed by the reviews and was excited to receive this book but it has not been for me. It is long and very boring - very disappointing.

Death has a heart after all
A great idea for Death to be the narrator and one that works here. The insanity of the Second World War is captured in these pages brilliantly and the lives of ordinary Germans during this unforgettable moment in history is a story that is not often told. It's not always an enjoyable tale, but it's one that should be read - and not in a 'schoolbook-that-everyone-is-forced-to-get-through' kind of way, but in a 'this-will-add-another-key-dimension-to-an-epic-six years' sort of manner. The only reason that I didn't give the book 5 stars is I thought the ending was a litle unsatisfactory.