“The Book Thief”

Several weeks ago, I saw the movie “The Book Thief” and was very impressed with how the director captured the mood and theme of the story.  I had always intended to read the book, and even though I had seen the movie, I decided now was the time to read the story.

As I read “The Book Thief,” I pictured the main actors in the roles of the important characters.  This visualization helped me picture Mama, Papa, Liesel, Rudy and Max, as well as the small Germany town where most of the action took place.  The movie did not spoil the book for me.  With a few exceptions, the movie and the screenplay were the same.  The movie enriched the reading of the book.

There are probably hundreds of fiction books that have been written about the Holocaust.  “The Book Thief” stands out from the crowd. Focusing on Germans, their lives and loses, the author enables the reader to see how devastating and cruel war is for everyone.  The use of “Death” as a character, who gathers the souls of those who have died, is very moving.  Death’s observations about those who have left their earthly bodies behind and his observations about mankind add another dimension to the story.

Although the “Book Thief” is classified as YA, this is definitely a story to be appreciated by both adults and teens.

See the movie, or read the book or do both.