Lauren's Blog on "The Book Thief"

  1)        I would highly recommend this book because I would have to say it is one of the most captivating books I have ever read. This book is written in such a way that it will hold your attention, and you won’t want to put it down. This is a unique piece of writing that depicts the importance of words and their power in such a dark time as Nazi Germany.  Zusak’s character development was exquisite, as you read this novel you will be compelled to laugh, cry, and fear with Liesel, Max, Rudy, and the Hubermann’s, as you emerge deep into their relationships, conflicts, and personalities.

Another interesting aspect of this book is the narrator. Death is the narrator of this novel and this provides a very interesting point of view and a different kind of insight into the events that occur on Himmel Street. Zusak's personification of Death allows one to see Death as being a job. He appears to be an intelligent and thoughtful being who goes about doing what needs to be done. As well, Death refers to the colours of situations rather than focusing on the people, this shows something familiar to human beings (us), a coping mechanism to deal with tragedy.

I would highly recommend this book for the symbolism of the colours alone. There is great value to “Death’s” colours as it is an amazingly creative way to describe emotions of a person and the feeling of an event. The colours are a means of escape and one can definitely relate to the need to cope and flee from such horrid events. This book is written based upon what Death has witnessed and what he has read in Leisel's book to tell this brilliant personalized account. Zusak's writing has beautiful fluidity, which allowed me to get lost in this book. AMAZING READ!!!!!

 

2)        The first scene I would choose a song for is the one in which Liesel finds the body of her best friend, Rudy.

There were shocked pajamas and torn faces. It was the boy’s hair she saw first.

…

“Rudy, please.” The tears grappled with her face. “Rudy, please, wake up, Goddamn it, wake up, I love you, wake up, wake up, wake up…”

But nothing cared.

The rubble just climbed higher. Concrete hills with caps of red. A beautiful, tear-stomped girl, shaking the dead.

…

She leaned down and looked at his lifeless face and Leisel kissed her best friend, Rudy Steiner, soft and true on his lips. He tasted dusty and sweet. He tasted like regret in the shadows of trees and in the glow of the anarchists suit collection.

…

She did not say goodbye. She was incapable, and after a few more minutes at his side, she was able to tear herself from the ground.

In this moment I would play the song “Almost Lover” by A Fine Frenzy because of the emotions I personally feel from reading this passage and from hearing this song. The connection between these two pieces of art are that in both, someone has lost a loved one but not only that but a ”lover” and though Liesel and Rudy were never together, as she kisses his dusty dead lips I would find it a perfect time to have the chorus begin as it says,

“Goodbye, my almost lover

Goodbye, my hopeless dream

I'm trying not to think about you

Can't you just let me be?”

The song “Almost Lover” and this passage are both beautiful yet haunting. I believe this song is appropriate because in my opinion both are about a romance that never got the chance to begin. I believe the singer never took full advantage of her opportunities until it was too late just as Leisel did.

 

Almost Lover

Your fingertips across my skin

The palm trees swaying in the wind

Images

You sang me Spanish lullabies

The sweetest sadness in your eyes

Clever trick

 

Well, I never want to see you unhappy

I thought you'd want the same for me

 

Goodbye, my almost lover

Goodbye, my hopeless dream

I'm trying not to think about you

Can't you just let me be?

So long, my luckless romance

My back is turned on you

Should've known you'd bring me heartache

Almost lovers always do

 

We walked along a crowded street

You took my hand and danced with me

Images

And when you left, you kissed my lips

You told me you would never, ever forget

These images

 

Well, I'd never want to see you unhappy

I thought you'd want the same for me

 

Goodbye, my almost lover

Goodbye, my hopeless dream

I'm trying not to think about you

Can't you just let me be?

So long, my luckless romance

My back is turned on you

Should've known you'd bring me heartache

Almost lovers always do

 

I cannot go to the ocean

I cannot drive the streets at night

I cannot wake up in the morning

Without you on my mind

So you're gone and I'm haunted

And I bet you are just fine

 

Did I make it that easy

To walk right in and out of my life?

 

Goodbye, my almost lover

Goodbye, my hopeless dream

I'm trying not to think about you

Can't you just let me be?

So long, my luckless romance

My back is turned on you

Should've known you'd bring me heartache

Almost lovers always do

 

The second scene I would choose would be the last passage of the book in which Death says his final remarks.        

I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn’t already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race – that rarely do I ever just estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant.

            None of those things, however, came out of my mouth.

            All I was able to do was to turn to Leisel Meminger and tell her the only truth I truly know. I said it to the book thief and I say it now to you.

            I am haunted by humans.

The song I would play for this passage would be “Going Going Gone” by Stars because I found a relationship between the two pieces to be very apparent. Various lines relate to the way Death ends this novel. First, in lines 5,6,7,and 8 in relation to this passage, it is talking about how death has continually followed Leisel and read her novel only to see the various things that happened to her hat weren’t right such as all the pain and heartache she endured. As well, this passage also refers back to the point that death has feelings as it says, “I watched in fear and doubt.” Also, the chorus is obviously talking about Leisel dying, and as it later comes up in lines 25, 26, 27 and 28 that Death has no where to move on, and he has to live with his job eternally, forever being “haunted by humans”. Finally, the last two lines “All I see, yeah yeah, is me everywhere, It's me” shows the fact that at this time in Germany as he says early on in the novel, he was literally everywhere picking up souls left and right, as if he was the only one still there/alive.

Going Going Gone

Going going going going going going going going

Going going going going going going going gone

 

Still hooked on cellophane,

Hanging 'round the mall, and all.

Each penny numbs the pain.

Sends you gently for the fall.

I followed you last night,

I saw you turn your lights out.

I know it wasn't right,

I watched in fear and doubt.

 

It's gotten to be that way,

(Going, going, gone.)

What did you do today?

(Going, going, gone.)

 

Look good in that red dress,

I bet the boyfriend's happy,

Your face is scarred with age,

You're twenty-three but, how can that be?

Still hooked on cellophane,

Killing time with Gin and lime.

Each second numbs the pain,

Love's just another rhyme.

 

It's gotten to be that way,

(Going, going, gone.)

I'm scared but I'm okay,

(Going, going, gone.)

 

There's nowhere,

To move on.

There's nowhere,

To move on.

 

All I see, yeah yeah, all I see.

All I see, yeah yeah, all I see.

All I see, yeah yeah, all I see.

All I see, yeah yeah, is me everywhere,

It's me