I absolutely love to read; it’s been one of my biggest passions and hobbies for as long as I can remember. I’ve read countless books spanning across many genres. Among all the books I’ve read, I can say with confidence that The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is my favorite to date. The Book Thief is a beautiful work of historical fiction, recounting the story of German girl Liesel Meminger amidst the calamity of the Holocaust. This novel offers a unique facet of this tragedy, documenting the difficult lives of the Germans themselves during this trying time. It is the common conception that the Germans lived in prosperity and sided with the Nazis during the Holocaust; however, this novel explains that such was not the case. The Germans themselves were often forced into Nazism, succumbing to it to avoid fines or death from the oppressive totalitarian government. Many families were starving, struggling through the cold winter, and sympathizing with the Jews their government intended to extirpate.

It is during this time that nine year-old Liesel Meminger is forced to leave her mother, who has been labeled as a communist, and live with foster parents. She steals her first book before relocating to her new family, and continues to steal books upon her arrival. Though she cannot read, she practices diligently with her foster father, and eventually develops a deep love for literature. As Liesel adjusts to her new life with her foster family, the political scene spins out of control as the Holocaust progresses and her Papa is drafted into the war. Her life is irrevocably changed when her parents decide to secretly allow a Jew named Max to hide in their basement. Max becomes one of Liesel’s best friends, teaching her invaluable lessons about life. However, these are precarious times, and Liesel worries about what will come of the war, her family, and herself.

In my opinion, The Book Thief was fantastic. It was engaging and fast-paced, and kept me intrigued throughout the course of the novel. It is distinctive in its omniscient chronicling; Death narrates the story, and speaks beautifully yet viciously, poetically yet austerely. I would definitely recommend this novel to any reader, especially those interested in World War II or Holocaust novels.

After finishing the novel on a Monday night, I could not wait to see the film adaptation of it and went promptly after finishing school on Tuesday. Although the film maintained the novel’s basic plot and quality of true emotion and selfless love, it was, unfortunately, a bit disappointing. Several characters were cut out or compromised in the film, and although these were characters with smaller roles, I think they would have contributed well to the overall movie. There were also several important scenes, like Max’s dream, which were integral pieces of the novel yet omitted from the movie. Overall, The Book Thief is most powerful and accurate in its original form as Zusak’s poignant novel.