Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief first graced our shelves in 2005, and I am glad that the wonderful story will be rekindled once again with a film adaptation, from the studio that brought us Life of Pi, which will be released in late February. I am a huge fan of stories told from unusual perspectives, and The Book Thief’s narrator is possibly one of the strangest. It is set in Nazi Germany, at a time when the narrator, Death himself, was extremely busy.
We follow the emotional journey of Liesel, a young girl with hair a shade close enough to the ‘brand of German blonde’, but dangerously brown eyes, and her relationship with her new foster parents. A lover of books, but unable to read, Liesel is taught by Hans Hubermann, her new papa, to embrace literature and develop a passion for ‘borrowing’ books from the mayor’s impressive library. She learns to find solace in stories, as a method of escaping from the horrors unfolding in the world outside, the darkness of which she is only just beginning to understand.
The story soon takes a dangerous and exciting turn when the Hubermanns begin to hide a Jewish refugee, Max, in the basement of their home. Unable to leave for fear of his safety, Liesel and Max bond over their love of stories and fantasy.
A wonderful tale of danger, escapism and human affection, The Book Thief is undoubtedly one of my favourites. Unsurprisingly, it was listed on The New York Times Best Seller list for an impressive 230 weeks.
I am waiting with bated breath for the film adaptation, and fingers crossed it will portray this wonderful story well and do justice to a literary masterpiece.
*Bated breath.