Okay, I'm going to be a little lazy because it's the summer holidays and my brain has gone to mush. This'll probably be short and it's a glorified review. Basically, a friend of mine would like to sell some things on Etsy (if it ever gets done I'll let you know) and so we've been racking our brains for quotes etc. One line in question is a line from The Book Thief - "I am haunted by humans". It gave me a chance to revisit this book, and I'll talk about it a little bit this week.
If you exist you've probably heard of this book, The Book Theif by Markus Zusak. It follows a little girl, named Liesel Meminger, who is growing up during WWII in Germany. She was "given up" by her mother as a little girl and lives with a loving, if poor, family on Himmel Street. On the train to meet this new family, her brother dies. It is then that Liesel steals The Gravedigger's Handbook. This is the first of many books she shall eventually steal.
What makes this book different is the fact it's narrated by Death. It's a piece of experimental literature, obviously. The chapters are littered with sub-titles and pictures, at one point the pages are taken up by a story that one character writes to Liesel with. Death comes across as a strange character. He often distances himself from the fact he has to collect the dead souls, talking of it as if it is nothing but a job. Yet other times he focuses on nothing but the fact he has to collect the dead souls, and will spend many pages talking about it. Death, in a way, acts exactly as you would expect him to.
The Book Thief is a rich book, one that I read like fluid yet took in every word. It's a beautiful one, a book that some might find to gimmicky and difficult to read. If you ever get the chance to read it, I'd advise it without a pause. See you in a fortnight.
If you exist you've probably heard of this book, The Book Theif by Markus Zusak. It follows a little girl, named Liesel Meminger, who is growing up during WWII in Germany. She was "given up" by her mother as a little girl and lives with a loving, if poor, family on Himmel Street. On the train to meet this new family, her brother dies. It is then that Liesel steals The Gravedigger's Handbook. This is the first of many books she shall eventually steal.
What makes this book different is the fact it's narrated by Death. It's a piece of experimental literature, obviously. The chapters are littered with sub-titles and pictures, at one point the pages are taken up by a story that one character writes to Liesel with. Death comes across as a strange character. He often distances himself from the fact he has to collect the dead souls, talking of it as if it is nothing but a job. Yet other times he focuses on nothing but the fact he has to collect the dead souls, and will spend many pages talking about it. Death, in a way, acts exactly as you would expect him to.
The Book Thief is a rich book, one that I read like fluid yet took in every word. It's a beautiful one, a book that some might find to gimmicky and difficult to read. If you ever get the chance to read it, I'd advise it without a pause. See you in a fortnight.
0 comments:
Post a Comment