The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

Feel free to answer any or all and interact with one another. As you wish...

taken and adapted from reading group guides:

1. What are your thoughts on Death as the narrator? What are Death’s feelings for each victim? Describe Death’s attempt to resist Liesel. Death states, “I’m always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both.” (p. 491) What is ugly and beautiful about Liesel, Rosa and Hans Hubermann, Max Vandenburg, Rudy Steiner, and Mrs. Hermann?

2. What is ironic about Liesel’s obsession with stealing books? Discuss other uses of irony in the novel.

3. The Grave Digger’s Handbook is the first book Liesel steals. Why did she take the book? What is significant about the titles of the books she steals?

4. Discuss Leisel's relationship with Hans and Ruby and how it changes.

5. Abandonment is a central theme in the novel. The reader knows that Liesel feels abandoned by her mother and by the death of her brother. How does she equate love with abandonment? At what point does she understand why she was abandoned by her mother? Who else abandons Liesel in the novel? Debate whether she was abandoned by circumstance or by the heart.

6. Compare and contrast the lives of Liesel and Max Vandenburg. How does Max’s life give Liesel purpose? At what point do Liesel and Max become friends? Max gives Liesel a story called “The Standover Man” for her birthday. What is the significance of this story?

7. Hans Junior, a Nazi soldier, calls his dad a coward because he doesn’t belong to the Nazi Party. He feels that you are either for Hitler or against him. How does it take courage to oppose Hitler? There isn’t one coward in the Hubermann household. Discuss how they demonstrate courage throughout the novel.

8. Describe Liesel’s friendship with Rudy. How does their friendship change and grow throughout the novel? Death says that Rudy doesn’t offer his friendship “for free.” (p. 51) What does Rudy want from Liesel? Discuss Death’s statement, “The only thing worse than a boy who hates you [is] a boy who loves you.” (p. 52) Why is it difficult for Liesel to love Rudy? Discuss why Liesel tells Mr. Steiner that she kissed Rudy’s dead body.

9. Liesel Meminger lived to be an old woman. Death says that he would like to tell the book thief about beauty and brutality, but those are things that she had lived. How does her life represent beauty in the wake of brutality?

and these are mine:

10. Which relationship in the book moved you the most? My favorite interaction was between Liesel and the Mayor's wife.

11. How does this compare with other WWII books or stories you may have read?

12. Would you recommend this book to someone else? How would you describe it to them?

13. Were there any other elements of the story you wanted to discuss or had questions about?

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Don't be afraid to chat amongst yourselves.

The End.

Comments

[jonipossin]

I just read through the questions... I think I need to read the book again as it feels like ages ago. Next time I'll take a few notes on thoughts as I move through the book.

I read a lot of WWII books about various parts of the world. This was the first book I've read that takes place in Germany and wasn't from the Jewish point-of-view. It was interesting seeing how the Germans lived their daily lives while war surrounded them.

I didn't like Death narrating the story when I began reading the book, but I changed as I saw signs of tenderness and caring. I kept thinking that being Death was a horrible job to have.

I need to go back and do some skimming. I'll return.
Joni

[jill]

Hi,
Not exactly an element of the story, but still a question I've wondered about:

This book is categorized as a young adult novel. Why do you think this is the case, and would you recommend it to young adults you know?

[mellymel]

Good question, J. Can it be as simple as having children as the main characters? That would seem too obvious, and I don't think it's appropriate without kids having some context. I know I don't want KWB (9.5) to read it until he knows something about that era. My minor in college was WW2 history, and was struck by the powerful & unique point of view this book brings to the wealth of WW2 books.

Is it me or is this subject a current literary trend? Or is it always a hot topic, and I'm just noticing?

[jill]

I think the holocaust was too painful immediately following WW2, and so less was written then. I can't remember the specifics, but Elie Weisel had a terrible time getting Night published.

As time has passed, the survivors aged, Berlin Wall fallen, communism crumbled, and more and more has come to light the topic has been written about more. I think there is a real fear that the holocaust will be forgotten.

Unfortunately, I am not sure that some of what's being written is of the necessary quality.

I had one other question, alluded to above, but not asked directly. What is it that makes Liesel likable?

[tara]

Interesting question about this being a young adult book. It made me think back to a project I did in the 7th or 8th grade (age 12-13) about the holocaust. I presented it at my school, and I don't remember the details but I was sent to a couple other schools to present there. I remember that most kids hadn't known of the holocaust at all, especially didn't realize how many people it affected. So yes, I think it is an appropriate book for that age- 12 and up - if they're willing to read it.

[Allison]

it's been a while since i've read it.

i enjoyed having death as the narrartor (that sounds so wierd). as soon as he talked about noticing colors in the sky- i knew that i had some sort of odd connection with him. he found a sadness in his job, which to me, made him likeable, considering.

i definatly think that kids in 7th grade+ should read this. i was in 7th grade when i visited the holocaust museum in d.c. and it was poweful, but i could handle it. i think that's an age where you need to start learning about what others have gone through, goodness knows kids need empathy these days.

i too loved the interaction between leisel and the mayor's wife. i loved how leisel was tenacious enough completely speak her mind to the mayor's wife. and i loved how the mayor's wife was smart enough to listen and how she came to leisel's rescue at the end.

max was definatly my favorite character. i loved how leisel took care of him even in the simple way of telling him the weather. maybe because i love books and minibook and all things handmade, i was touched that max wrote her a book, of his life, of his stories, of his dreams.

[Taya]

I read this book about the same time some of our friends went over to Germany for three weeks. Upon their return, she showed us many of the pictures from the Dachau concentration camp and told us the unimaginable things that went on there. It made the things I was reading seem even more realistic. Liesel is just one of the many stories that came from WWII and Nazi Germany. Before this book, I had read The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (another YA book). It is a simple, but beautiful story you should read sometime from the perspective of a child.

My most favorite relationship in the book was between Liesel and her papa. He was so patient and loving with this forlorn child he took in that grew up to be a strong young woman.