Why You Should Read The Book Thief

Why You Should Read The Book Thief

By Addie McClure

          This is one of my favorite novels I have read so far. The story is narrated by a personified version of death and it follows the main character Liesel Meminger as she lives through Nazi Germany. After being separated from her Mother and witnessing the death of her younger brother, she moves in with her new foster parents Hans and Rosa Hubermann. She struggles to adjust and has to learn to adapt to the chaos around her. Here are three reasons why you should read this book.  

1. While the fact that death narrates the story may make the novel seem dark, there are so many emotions represented. The characters are all living in a pretty horrific time period, but they still manage to form loving connections. For example, Hans and Liesel have a special relationship. Hans comes off as more kind then his wife and comforts Liesel when she first arrives. They also form a strong bond through Hans teaching her how to read. Liesel also develops strong friendships especially with a boy named Rudy. They end up becoming best friends which provides them both happiness in a dark time. 

2. The characters have great development. Liesel starts off quiet and struggling, but throughout the novel you get to see her develop new skills such as reading and writing. She also learns how to make friends and form new bonds. Another example of great character development can be seen in Rosa Hubermann. At the beginning of the book she seems cold and strict, but as the story develops you see that she can be caring and loving. Through each connection and relationship, it is clear that the characters show growth. 

3. It highlights the "us versus them mentality" which is still relevant today. One scene in particular is when a Jewish character fantasizes about having a boxing match with Hitler. Hilter begins beating him and he does not fight back. The second he defends himself though, Hilter tells the crowd about how the Jews are corrupted and the crowd comes into the ring and attacks along with Hitler. This scenario is so important because it shows how this toxic mentality is created. They take one incident, in this case an act of violence committed by one person, and apply it to a whole group of people making them the enemy. We continue to see this happening today especially with the Trump administration. It is important to understand how certain leaders are able to manipulate their followers into turning an entire group of people into the enemy.