The Book Thief

By: Markus Zusak

Narrated by: Allan Corduner

Don’t miss Bridge of Clay, Markus Zusak’s first novel since The Book Thief.

The extraordinary number-one New York Times best seller that is now a major motion picture, Markus Zusak's unforgettable story is about the ability of books to feed the soul. Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.

When Death has a story to tell, you listen. It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still. Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist - books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak, author of I Am the Messenger, has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.

“The kind of book that can be life-changing.” (The New York Times)

“Deserves a place on the same shelf with The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.” (USA Today)

©2006 Markus Zusak (P)2006 Random House Inc. Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group

Critic reviews

• Book Sense Book of the Year Award, Children's Literature, 2007

"The astonishing characters, drawn without sentimentality, will grab readers." (Booklist)
"Zusak has created a work that deserves the attention of sophisticated teen and adult readers....An extraordinary narrative." (School Library Journal)
"The Book Thief will appeal both to sophisticated teens and adults with its engaging characters and heartbreaking story." (Bookmarks Magazine)

Will steal you!

Brilliant. Compelling. Categorized as "Young Adult" but perhaps more because the female protagonist is a child, this story will break your heart on one page and on the next give you comfort. You can't help but care about the characters.

The narrator, Allan Corduner, is truly amazing as he brings life to Death, the book's narrator. I took great pleasure in how his voice messaged the words and images. I've read reviews from those who read the written words and they all complain that it was slow getting into the story, but not true with Allan Corduner giving voice to Death.

Haunting

What made the experience of listening to The Book Thief the most enjoyable?

The use of "The angel of death" as the narrator of the story was very unique and interesting. The characters were all wonderful, but above all, Liesel and Max were my favourites.

What other book might you compare The Book Thief to and why?

The only other book that seemed a bit similar in feel to The book Thief was The Night Circus. It had a slightly surreal feel to it at times.

Which scene was your favorite?

This was not the type of book that would lead one to pick a favourite scene.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I found at times I needed a break from the disturbing events being recounted in the book. I found it interesting to view the events in Nazi Germany from a different perspective... from that of the Germans who lived through the war. However, I did want to keep reading because the author beautifully wove the events and characters into an irresistible read.

Any additional comments?

This is not your typical Word War II novel and I highly recommend the listening of this book. It will not disappoint.

What a book!

Any additional comments?

This is just a wonderful book. Don't miss it. The narration is wonderful and the German accent and translation is superb. Wonderfully written about a tragic and frightening time, with a completely unexpected voice telling the story. I'm so glad a friend recommended it to me!

A riveting story !!!

A brilliant rendition of a story centered around human emotions :) Brilliant plot beautifully conveyed.

I LOVE this book!

This is one of the best books I have ever read. Even my mom and dad loved it. My Dad listened to it and enjoyed it as much as we did.

Breathtaking...Poetic...Bittersweet

5 Stars is not enough...This wonderfully woven tale about a young girl's struggle to grasp, going as far as "thievery", in order to attain the true power of Words during a time that Words only belonged to an evil power and all others were silenced and burned into heaps of ashes. Liesel is my newest hero, although fictional, her Words cut deep as did Anne Frank's.

If you haven't heard it yet, then its a must...but beware because this book is not for the faint of heart...as only Liesel knows full well!

An all time favorite

The book is powerful and emotional. It is an incredibly sad story, but it is also very funny and often enough it inspired pride or frustration in the characters. I will definitely listen to it again and will likely buy the hardback book.

your child should read/ see / listen to this

So I was late to the party again with this title, and actually my initial assumptions about this being ‘yet another’ story of Nazi Era Germany. Honestly, the perspective and construct of this story is so unique and different, that it has been added to my list of ‘your child should read/ see’ this list of books and films that I believe provide a perspective on history that is often lacking in textbooks.

Firstly, the main narration is provided by death. Yes, Death. His retelling of the story, providing a perspective that ranges from ‘oh what fools these mortals be’ to actual moments where his occupation feels like a burden. A rather tricky narrator to be sure, but Zusak uses the character to full effect, giving a sense of foreboding without being maudlin. In the audio format, the narration of Allan Corduner is simply spectacular, as he adds the emotional component to Death’s character, a sense of ennui with a been-there-done-that touch of boredom, while never seeming to take delight in the harvesting.

When the blurb says it is just a ‘small story really’, that wholly discounts the joys within: From Liesel and her Papa’s relationship, her slow discovery of the joys within books and her covetous desire to have books, to her friend Rudy who is determined to become Jesse Owens: there is love and loss and innocence shattered. Focusing on just a small group of people who are surviving and existing despite horrible circumstances.

This combination of author and narrator is what all audio versions should strive to be: Zusak has bent, twisted, combined and placed words with such care that they seemingly could not have been used any other way. Adding Allan Corduner, a British actor to narrate the book was a genius move: his ability to massage the words and bring forth their meaning and subtext without overarching emotive emphasis, and his facility for accent and voice give each of the characters a distinct appearance that couldn’t be anything else. It is truly a treat to find narration that so perfectly suits the text, and brings the emotion of the moment to the forefront, enhancing the listen.

I am on my fifth listen of this story: each one brings a new element forward, making me see more of the story than I did the time before, and it never gets old. That is, for me, a signal that this is an important story: one suitable for high school aged readers, although some mature middle grade readers may find the story attractive. As always, with every book that deals with the more unsavory facts of human behavior, I would suggest that parents take a listen or a read of the title as well: surprisingly despite the setting, there is a solid hopeful thread that manages to follow the book from beginning to end.

I purchased an Audiobook copy of the title for my own library. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Awesome

This story is so good, it is hard to put down. Sometimes it would make me so angry, and then it would make me laugh out loud. The guy reading it is really really good. he is able to bring the characters to life. I felt as if I actually knew Liesl, and the Ubermans. As if Hans and Rosa lived down the street from me. Not that I can even imagine living during that time. I listened to it, and then listened to it again, and then a third time just to make sure that I would remember each and every character. They are all so real. It is a history lesson that should never be forgotten.

Kudos to the narrator

I can't add to the praise given by other readers for the writing in The Book Thief. It was truly great. I would like to add that this is the best narration that I've yet listened to. The reader of this book performs as though you are listening to an audio play with only one actor voicing all the roles. This is difficult given that the characters are German, there is plenty of German vocabulary and the narrator is English.