My Overall Response
Overall, The Book Thief is an outstanding novel. Reading this novel was an extremely positive experience for me because I got to see a different viewpoint of Nazi Germany through the eyes of a non - Jewish family. I have only seen Nazi Germany through the hatred and mean things that happened during that time period, through the eyes of Jews. Although, I only read when it is mandatory, this book was hard for me to put down. When our class was first assigned this five hundred page novel, I was stressed to the max. After I read the book and began to understand it, I found myself constantly wanting to read more. If I could find more books like The Book Thief, I feel as though I would definitely read more often.
The themes and motifs can be prominently found in this book and they truly bring the story together. Everyone and everything throughout this story is connected in one way or another. The themes and motifs create a link to the story that continues from the beginning until the end. The themes are motifs are portrayed excellently and are easy for readers to pick up on. The characters in The Book Thief are also easily related to and interesting to read about. They are all so different but, the same. No character is too unrealistic to give the idea that this is not a fictional novel but, they at the same time they are continuously facing new challenges and keeping the readers interested. Hans Hubermann made the biggest impact on me as a reader because of his relationship and connection with Liesel. Without Hans in the story, Liesel would not have been the same character Zusak intended her to be. Hans made the biggest impact on me because he was such a loving character who did not single out or discriminate against anyone. This book would have not been the same without the themes, motifs, and characters that pulled it all together.
There is not a thing I would change about this book. The ending was disappointing and saddening, but I believe that the readers saw it coming all along. The foreshadowing chapters that Death adds give away major parts and it somewhat ruined the story because I found myself trying to predict what Death meant. I found it hard to enjoy the book at times because my mind was wondering to places that he took me.
After reading The Book Thief, I realized how detrimental one person's actions can be to a story. In the beginning, Liesel's part seems to be insignificant and unimportant but, it ended up being the most important part in the story. I can see myself recommending this book to my friends because I know they would enjoy it just as much as I did. I believe this story is valuable for students to read because it will give them a more in-depth understanding of a character's role in a story and I believe they should get the experience of reading such a well written story.
The themes and motifs can be prominently found in this book and they truly bring the story together. Everyone and everything throughout this story is connected in one way or another. The themes and motifs create a link to the story that continues from the beginning until the end. The themes are motifs are portrayed excellently and are easy for readers to pick up on. The characters in The Book Thief are also easily related to and interesting to read about. They are all so different but, the same. No character is too unrealistic to give the idea that this is not a fictional novel but, they at the same time they are continuously facing new challenges and keeping the readers interested. Hans Hubermann made the biggest impact on me as a reader because of his relationship and connection with Liesel. Without Hans in the story, Liesel would not have been the same character Zusak intended her to be. Hans made the biggest impact on me because he was such a loving character who did not single out or discriminate against anyone. This book would have not been the same without the themes, motifs, and characters that pulled it all together.
There is not a thing I would change about this book. The ending was disappointing and saddening, but I believe that the readers saw it coming all along. The foreshadowing chapters that Death adds give away major parts and it somewhat ruined the story because I found myself trying to predict what Death meant. I found it hard to enjoy the book at times because my mind was wondering to places that he took me.
After reading The Book Thief, I realized how detrimental one person's actions can be to a story. In the beginning, Liesel's part seems to be insignificant and unimportant but, it ended up being the most important part in the story. I can see myself recommending this book to my friends because I know they would enjoy it just as much as I did. I believe this story is valuable for students to read because it will give them a more in-depth understanding of a character's role in a story and I believe they should get the experience of reading such a well written story.