The Book Thief

So with this blog, the only thing I ever seem to think to write about is books that I have read.  This week I just finished a great one - "The Book Thief."  So, with that in mind, I am going to write about this fantastic book.

"The Book Thief" is officially on my list of fiction books that you have to read before you die.  This book takes place in Nazi Germany during World War II from the perspective of death.  There are two great points that I about this book that I especially enjoyed.

1) Not everyone in Germany supported the fuhrer and was anti-semantic.  To often everyone who lived in Germany at that times is viewed as evil and of the same opinion as Hitler.  They risked their lives protecting some of the Jewish people they were being forced to destroy.  This story showed that side within Germany, with citizens who did what they could to protect themselves as well as those who they would encounter.  Sometimes that would include total strangers.  It really brings to light the humanity that we sometimes forget to view from such a dark time in world history.

2) They way that death is portrayed.  As a character, death is always envisioned as such a dark, scary being.  It's easy to understand why that is, because to a lot of people, death is scary.  This story also provided a more real and even peaceful connection with "death." In our family we recently experienced the loss of our little girl Ethne (prayersforthefamily.blogspot.com) and death has taken on a very different meaning in my life.  Even though I miss my little girl terribly and wish she was still here more than anything in the world, I have certainly grown to view death with more reverence and sacredness.  I feel that allowing death to narrate this story allows him to be more understood.

When it comes down to it, "The Book Thief" needs to be read by everyone.  I give it a 5 star rating (out of 5 stars).  I'm usually to stingy to give anything such a great rating, but I loved this book so much I have to.  It will bring into play all of your emotions.  For me, as someone who recently lost a close loved one, it was especially hard to read at some points, but I'm glad I finished it and plan on reading it again in the future.