Un libro che non dimentichero' facilmente. Mentre a volte il linguaggio e' artificiosamente costruito, con immagini volutamente inconsuete, e una ricerca dell'effetto, in altri, piu' frequenti casi la freschezza e la immediatezza delle immagini, la umanita' dei personaggi, e la crudelta' della storia ti lasciano trafitto. I personaggi sono indimenticabili, e il narratore - la morte - ha pieta e grandezza. I bombardamenti delle citta' tedesche sono descritti senza veli. E' il punto di vista della morte, che viene chiamata a raccogliere amorevolmente l'anima delle vittime, a darcene lo spessore umano. Alcune anime sono piu leggere delle altre, perche' si sono spese in vita...

Negli Stati Uniti questo e' definito come "YA" (young adult), e la cosa mi inorridisce. con utti i miei anni, ho trovato difficile da accettare la durezza (dolce, si, ma implacabile) di questo libro. Esito prima di darlo a mia figlia quindicenne. ( )

Moving story about a young girl's experience of WW2 - immaculately expressed as she embarks on her own journey. ( )

I listened to the audio version and if I could, would give Allan Corduner 5 stars for his reading, as well. This book worms it's way into your mind and soul. The characters were alive to me and affected me as if they were. It's a tribute to Zusak's writing ability that this was so. The story is also told from just a little different angle and opens your eyes to all those who were affected by WWII. I can't recommend this book highly enough......despite the fact that I am faaarrrr from being a juvenile!!!!:-) ( )

From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 9 Up–Zusak has created a work that deserves the attention of sophisticated teen and adult readers. Death himself narrates the World War II-era story of Liesel Meminger from the time she is taken, at age nine, to live in Molching, Germany, with a foster family in a working-class neighborhood of tough kids, acid-tongued mothers, and loving fathers who earn their living by the work of their hands. The child arrives having just stolen her first book–although she has not yet learned how to read–and her foster father uses it, The Gravediggers Handbook, to lull her to sleep when shes roused by regular nightmares about her younger brothers death. Across the ensuing years of the late 1930s and into the 1940s, Liesel collects more stolen books as well as a peculiar set of friends: the boy Rudy, the Jewish refugee Max, the mayors reclusive wife (who has a whole library from which she allows Liesel to steal), and especially her foster parents. Zusak not only creates a mesmerizing and original story but also writes with poetic syntax, causing readers to deliberate over phrases and lines, even as the action impels them forward. Death is not a sentimental storyteller, but he does attend to an array of satisfying details, giving Liesels story all the nuances of chance, folly, and fulfilled expectation that it deserves. An extraordinary narrative. ( )

I am at a loss for words. I began reading The Book Thief on Sunday and finished it on Monday. Admittedly I was motivated to try and squeeze it in before the end of the year as my last pick for the War Through the Generations: World War II Challenge, but I truly was swept away by the book from the very first page. After I finished the book, I told my husband there was no way I could review it. What could I say besides that it's brilliant? The writing, the characters, the presentation of the story--every word of it is just plain brilliant. I suddenly understand why so many people gush over this book. And now it's my turn.

The novel is narrated by an unusual character, that of Death. Death offers a different perspective than a human would have. He is straight forward with his insights into the human condition, sometimes to the point of being blunt; and while his position offers him some detachment, he is at the same time drawn to humans and their stories, as he is in the case of Liesel Meminger.

Death is telling a story that happened in the past and as such offers spoilers along the way. This may be disconcerting to some, but I found the foreshadowing comforting in this case. It seems fitting given how omnipresent Death is. And like Death, I have always been more interested in the process, the chain of events leading up to something, than the ending itself (hence my enjoying a mystery even though I can see the ending coming a mile away). Death is not impartial despite what he wants the reader to believe, however. There is a hint of bitterness behind some of his statements, but he also has a heart, even if he is himself not human.

The characters are fully fleshed out, even the minor characters. The author makes their weaknesses and strengths clear. And these come out all the more fully in their interactions with one another and their relationships. The main character, Liesel, has suffered much loss in her young life. She is nine when she comes to live with her foster parents. Her foster mother is a bit rough around the edges and takes a little getting used to, but she has a big heart. Liesel takes to her foster father right away; he teaches her almost immediately how to roll a cigarette. He also is the one who teaches her to read and encourages her interest in books. Also among my favorites are the neighbor boy, Rudy, who becomes Liesel's best friend, the mayor's wife with the big library, and Max, the Jewish man hiding from the Nazis.

While a heartbreaking and brutal story at times, this is also a novel of hope and resilience. It demonstrates the ugly side of humanity as well as the beautiful. The evil of the Holocaust and the actions of the Nazis during World War II are well known. Set in a German town outside of Munich, The Book Thief offers the reader a glimpse of what life was like for the average (non-Jewish) German during that time in history. Liesel and her friends are members of the Hitler Youth, a requirement for children her age. There are book burnings, war rations and air raids. As the Jewish prisoners are paraded through the town on their way to the concentration camp Dachau, the town folk flock to the main street to watch. Complacency was all too common during that time period, whether out of fear or hate. Those who did intervene were beaten and often punished for reaching out to help.

The power of words is a strong theme throughout the novel. The first book Liesel steals is one she finds in a graveyard after the death of her brother. She has no idea what the book is about, being that she is unable to read. Somehow she knows, however, that the book is a treasure worth keeping close. It would be the first of many books that she would steal, earning her the title of the book thief.

It was through words that Adolf Hitler and his followers perpetuated the prejudice and hate against the Jewish people, spurring the violence on. It was with words that Liesel left marks on the mayor's wife out of anger. But it was also words that comforted during the air raids and soothed the injured soul. Words brought friends together and words that empowered a little girl, giving her courage and strength.

The writing is beautiful, almost poetic. There is a certain rhythm to Death's narration. The book may be long but I savored every word. I even found myself rereading passages not because I didn't understand them, but because I wanted to re-experience the words, feel them in my mind and taste them on my tongue.

This is one of those books that will haunt me for a long while. So much for being at a loss for words, eh? ( )