A Book Thief and the power of words

“The words were on their way, and when they arrived, she would hold them in her hands like the clouds, and she would wring them out like the rain.”

― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

How can a story so ugly be so beautiful?

Last night, around 11 pm, I finished reading The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak.*

Yeah, it was one of those late night, under-the-covers kind of books. I grabbed the novel and my glasses, climbed up the stairs to my loft, tucked my head under the covers and arranged my flashlight beneath my chin.

Then I’d open the book and be transported.
Transported to a small house on a small street – a basement in the dark – a shadowed library with an open window. A room where a man plays an accordion with a cigarette in his mouth – a river where a boy stands triumphantly holding a book over his head – A sky filled with planes that drop bombs from their ribcages.

My dying flashlight lit up the last words of the novel and my eyes felt like they’d been in the presence of onions.
They burned and I was glad they did; a book like this deserves to be cried over.

This morning I’m still thinking about it. It was one of those stories that stabs me somewhere in my chest and makes me wonder how I didn’t see it coming. It was a beautiful story. This morning I wrote in my journal, “It wasn’t a flowery kind of beauty. It was a raw, earthy, gritty, REAL kind of beauty.”

When I first started reading the Book Thief, I wasn’t sure what to think of it. It’s set in Nazi Germany, 1939, and it’s narrated by Death. Yeah. I was skeptical. But don’t let it scare you off just yet. After the first few pages I was hooked. It’s brilliantly written – the characters are as real as they come – the story, profound.

Liesel Meminger is growing up in the midst of war, and as her foster father teaches her to read, she discovers the power of words and the human spirit even in the darkest of times.

If you ever see a copy of The Book Thief lying around, pick it up and give it a chance. You might just be glad you did.

*Please note, this story may not be appropriate for younger or sensitive readers. It’s got some violence, war scenes, and language.

**The movie is excellent. Highly recommend.

***image credits: wallpapercave