This month’s meeting was held in Middelburg, the choice this time was The Book Thief by Marcus Zusack.
Having thought we had exhausted the English language book bargain finding possibilities it was a pleasant surprise to hear of yet another source, namely boekenbeurzen, or boekenmarkten. These are held as yearly or half yearly events all over The Netherlands. English language books are no longer confined to a clutch of dog- eared paperbacks stuffed into a cardboard box underneath the stall. Breda has a large book market and The Ahoy in Rotterdam hosts one of the largest in Europe, ideal for the patient browser.
We were in general agreement about the book choice for this meeting, a very enjoyable read written in an unconventional manner, making us all at one point laugh, or cry or both. It is the story of a young girl, Liesel, the book thief of the title, and her experience of WW2 spent as a refugee in a small German town.
The book explores the power of words and is narrated by Death.
The discussion points were as follows:
1. What did you think of the way Zusak structured the book – the short notes, summaries and lists of facts?
We thought that the very beginning of the book was made less accessible than a more conventionally written book but that the structure made perfect sense on reading further.
2. Did the foreshadowing spoil the story for you?
The foreshadowing, rather than being a spoiler, increased the appeal of the book.
3. Did you enjoy Death as the narrator? Has it changed your image of Death if you had one?
We had some sympathy with Death and his heavy work load, we thought he showed compassion where appropriate and that it was his lot was to continually witness but not judge the best and worst of humanity.
4. The Grave Digger's Handbook is the first book Liesel steals. Why did she take the book?
We were of mixed opinions, did she take the book to save it or was this a stress related theft?
5. Who was your favourite character and why?
We all, of course, had different answers to this question - Rosa, Rudy and of course Hans. What was strange was that no-one chose Liesel.
6. They are making the book into a film – the book thief is all about WORDs, the power of words, the use of words to destroy and save lives, the escapism of stories. Can such a wordy book make a decent movie and would you go see it?
We rather thought a film may be a bit pointless, the book is a stonker, why translate it into a lesser medium?
We inevitably discussed how civilian Germans reacted to the regime during the war, how some conformed and others didn’t, how some enthusiastically embraced the whole ideology and adopted its symbols and how others defied it with acts of courage and compassion.
We gave the book 4/5
If you have read the book and would like to express your opinions on any of the above points, or any other aspect of the book, please post your comments below.
We’d love to hear from you.
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