Reading for Intermediate and Advanced Learners, Fall, 2011

Our group has decided to read 236 pages (which is half of the book) by September 14th. We are all very excited about this book! We will be posting our blogs throughout each chapter to discuss our thoughts. At our next class (september 14th) we will set up a time and place to meet in order to prepare for our book talk.

This book is definitely different, yet very interesting. I'm only on page 36, but I couldnt wait to blog and let everyone know that I am loving this book. I am really curious to know what the rest of the girls in my group think about this book so far.

The beginning of the book is sad. This little girl's brother dies and her mom can't take care of her. She is given to foster parents, however the foster mom is very rude, hateful, and mean to her and everyone else. The little girl, Liesel, becomes attached to her foster dad who is more calm and nurturing.

I am about 180 pages into the book and it has been very interesting so far. It took me awhile to get used to the flow of the book because the author writes in a very distinct way. Throughout the book, he will be in the middle of explaining a scene and then he will insert a paragraph on what someone is thinking or the details of a battle. It is different but it has kept me on my toes, which I enjoy!

There is another interesting part of the book that I have noticed. Zusak is talented at keeping readers on the edge of their seat, wanting to read more. He inserts little comments about how the narrator "Death" will get to some particular detail soon. Without realizing it, I have read another 10 pages because I want to know what he is talking about.

I have enjoyed the book so far!

Just finished Part 1 (through page 80) and I finally feel like I am "hooked" and can't wait to read more. At first I thought the author's style of writing was a little distracting. The first few sections were a little hard for me to follow. Now I am actually finding the style of writing refreshing. It's nice to read something in a different style for a change, and Death definitely gives the part of the narrator an interesting perspective. I like how Death alludes to things that will happen in the future with Liesel. This definitely sparks my curiosity.

Liesel's character is very interesting. At the beginning of the book it seems she is so meek and lets fear control her. She knows "her place" and how to tolerate living with Mama/Rosa. Through her relationships with Papa and Rudy you see her gradually forming an independent streak. We see this some at home in her relationship with Mama, but most importantly at school. She becomes the heavyweight champ of the school-yard and beats up two boys pretty badly. I'm interested to see how this will change her in Part 2.

So far I am relly enjoying death as the narrator. He has a very interesting point of view and I would have never thought of telling a story as death would see it. I realized that I refered to death as "he". I guess to me death seems like a male. I feel so sorry for Liesel. She has lost her brother and been left by her mother all in such a short period of time.

I agree with you Whitney, it was a little hard to follow at first. It has definitely taken a little while to get used to the back-and-forth flow of the plot. I'm on pg. 240 now, and I finally think the story is starting to settle in. I have to admit; however, that I really don't have any idea what is going to happen. I think that they may get caught hiding Max, but that seems almost too predictable for this book. I do feel sorry for him and the way he has to live. The way he is described as "a Jewish rat going back to his hole" is an accurate description. I just can't figure out how he has resigned himself to such a fate. I guess the idea presented that "living is living" is true for Max. Max describes his Jewish heritage as "a ruinous piece of the dumbest luck around." Again, not the sentiment usually presented when reading about this time period. Most stories have the Jewish characters holding onto their faith proudly and using it as their strength to persevere.

I agree with Whitney. Zusak has a very distinct way of writing which makes the reader want more.

In Part Two of "The Book Thief" it is Hitler's birthday, in which a big celebration takes place. People are forced to "heil Hitler." Liesel realizes that her mom may have been a communist and the "Fuhrer" took her away. She screams out that she hates the Fuhrer and her father slaps her across the face telling her not to ever say that again because they would take her away as well. Liesel also stole a book from the book of fire and hid it under her clothes as it burned her skin.

I agree with you Whitney, it was a little hard to follow at first. It has definitely taken a little while to get used to the back-and-forth flow of the plot. I'm on pg. 240 now, and I finally think the story is starting to settle in. I have to admit; however, that I really don't have any idea what is going to happen. I think that they may get caught hiding Max, but that seems almost too predictable for this book. I do feel sorry for him and the way he has to live. The way he is described as "a Jewish rat going back to his hole" is a sad yet accurate description. I just can't figure out how he has resigned himself to such a fate. I guess the idea presented that "living is living" is true for Max. Max describes his Jewish heritage as "a ruinous piece of the dumbest luck around." Again, not the sentiment usually presented when reading about this time period. Most stories have the Jewish characters holding onto their faith proudly and using it as their strength to persevere.

Ashley, you're so right. He does do a great job inserting a little foreshadowing at the end of several of the chapters to keep you interested in reading more. Another aspect of the book that I like is his writing style. I love all the examples of figurative language that Zusak uses. They are so vivid and creative. For example; "Shaped like a broken arm, the road contained several houses with lacerated windows and bruised walls. The Star of David was painted on the doors. Those houses were like lepers. At the very least, they were infected sores on the injured German terrain." (pg. 51) I also like the imagery on pg. 175, "Cold sweat- that malignant little friend- outstaying its welcome in the armpits and trousers." The symbolism of the colors that Death uses to describe certain locations is really interesting and unique. For example, "The horizon the color of milk, cold and fresh. Poured out among the bodies." "The sky was bleached bed-sheet white in the morning. All day long I carried souls across it, and that sheet was splashed with blood, until it was full and bulging to the earth." These words create such vivid imagery- really amazing.

I have now read through page 236. The plotline and the characters are so intriguing and interesting to read about. Liesel befriends Max who is very similar to her. Max and Liesel share a lot of things in common. They both have nightmares and have family members whose health and whereabouts are unknown. Liesel does not know what has happened to her mother and Max does not know what happened to the family he left behind. At first Liesel is unsure about Max, but slowly their friendship blossoms until they are spending quite a lot of time together.

I like how the character of Papa continues to expand and evolve. He has always shown love, caring, and affection to Liesel, but he also finally showed a stern side of himself. When Max enters the Hubermann house, Papa explains to Liesel that she cannot say anything about Max. He knew that he had to be tough and Liesel actually cried during the conversation. The characters are developing in a lot of ways. Liesel is no longer the young girl who had to have Papa come in and read to her at night. Now she believes that she can take care of it herself. She is growing up. Rudy is also maturing. He stands up for his friend, Tommy, at the Hitler Youth meetings even though it causes a lot of trouble for him. The reader also sees a nurturing and loving side of Rosa.

I am excited to read the second half of this book even though I feel like it’s going to be pretty emotional.

I just completed Part 4 (through page 238) and I am finding the friendship between Liesel and Max to be fascinating. They are similar in so many ways, from living without a father from such a young age, nightmares, riding on trains to live with the Hubermanns, fighting, and living in a place without their biological families. The book that Max gives Liesel for her birthday was so kind. He gave her the best compliment possible, that she was his stand over man, letting her know that she is his best friend and that they share a common bond. I am really looking forward to where their relationship goes and what will happen to them.

Whitney- I really liked what you most recently posted about Papa and his character development. One very powerful scene that you mentioned is Papa having to show tough love to Liesel to help her understand the importance of keeping the secret about Max. He didn't want to do it, but he made her scared, and eventually even brought her to tears. I think there was very little doubt in his mind that she would keep the secret.

I read thru Part 4 of the book today, and immediately kept reading. I am so in to this book and I always want to know more. Reading this book doesn't seem like an assignment for school. I read it because I want to and because I like the book.

I am curious to find out what comes out Liesel and Max' friendship. I find it interesting that they have so much in common, but for them to actually have nightmares like they do is weird. And speaking of nightmares, it made me sad when Liesel told Papa that she was old enough to deal with her nightmares on her own now.

I also like how Papa's personality is unfolding. He has been a kind and gentle man throughout the book. He also seemed to be a little serious to me. In the 4th part of the book when he is talking to Max about Liesel being a good fistfighter, he laughs. Not to sound silly, but it made me happy that he was engaged in a "not so serious" conversation. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7B8ioiZz7M
This is a great interview with Markus Zusak about why he wrote The Book Thief and his thoughts on being an author.

I really like the story that Max wrote for Liesel. It is a very short little story, but a powerful one. Max realizes how alike he and Liesel are. They have both suffered through great events in their lives and they both have very real conections to books that they should hate. Liesel sees The Grave Digger's Handbook as a representation of the last time that she was with her brother and her mother. It represents the life that she had to leave behind. I can't even imagine what that might feel like. Max carries Mein Kampf with him to his new home with the Hubermanns. He should hate this book, but it did lead him to a safe place with a family that is willing to watch over him. I thought it was very clever that he painted over the pages of Mein Kampf to make his new book for Liesel. He turned an awful piece of literature into something beautiful and meaningful. I like that you can see the faint writing of the pages under Max's drawings. On page 237 it says,"There were the erased pages of Mein Kampf, gagging, suffocating under the paint as they turned." I want so badly for everything to work out for Max.

I have now read through part 7. The end of part 7 is definitely leaving me curious about Rudy’s future. The “coat men” have come to Rudy’s house for him. We already know that Rudy will die at some point, so I’m curious if these men coming to his house will play a part in his death. And what does the Nazi party want with a such a young boy? I also find myself wondering about Max. He’s gone, but Liesel’s family has no idea where he is. I feel sure that Max’s storyline doesn’t end here, and I can’t wait to see where the author takes us.

This post is through Part 6. I amazed by this book! I love the story, the characters, and how the author writes. I am beginning to see that Rudy is growing up. He does not go along with everything that Franz Deutscher says during Hitler Youth meetings and he eventually skipped the meetings all together. Rudy rescued Liesel’s book from the river and had the chance to finally kiss his best friend. The reader soon finds out that he will die before he ever gets the chance to kiss Liesel. Honestly, I became angry at Zusak throughout some parts of the book because of how he foreshadows events. He lets the reader know halfway through the book that Rudy will die. Even though I did not want him to know that information at that part of the book, I appreciate his amazing ability to write and keep his readers on the edge of their seats. One of my favorite parts of the book is when Liesel brings snow down to the basement for Max. They build a snowman, have a snowball fight, and the family has fun together. Liesel has a way of brightening up the family and bringing joy to Papa, Mama, and Max. She is a very special girl and helps Max endure the months of confinement in the basement.

This post is for part 5. It's so funny how sneaky and mischeivous Rudy and Liesel are. I can't believe they broke in the Mayor's house. I think they have a very sweet friendship though. Even though they pick and fuss at one another, at the same time they couldnt live without one another.

I feel so sorry for Rudy getting bullied by Franz Deutscher, even though he sometimes brings it on himself by not answering questions correctly. Rudy has too much pride to stand back and let someone walk completely all over him.

Whitney, I know how you feel about the foreshadowing of Rudy's death. I have become attached to him and I can't imagine him not being around to be Liesel's best friend. He was the one that decided to call her the book thief. Throughout most of the book I didn't mind the foreshadowing, but this part broke my heart. I had to keep reading to see what would happen to poor Rudy and find out how Liesel will react to his death.

Part 7 was so sad. The way those families have to live due to air raids absolutely breaks my heart. "Papa," once again, shows the type of man he is. He is always so kind and courageous even if he knows it may be a stupid idea. The way he helped the older Jew who was so weak and weary was such a selfless act. Papa has to pay the price for it by being whipped himself, which lead to Max having to flea. I only hope Max doesn't get caught. Also, I am curious to figure out what happens to Rudy since the guys knocked on his door. Will they be a part of his death? On to part 8 to figure out the rest of this story....

This post is through the end of the book. What an amazing story! The last few sections was so sad. I cannot even imagine the amount of sadness and loss Liesel must have felt after losing everyone she had ever loved. Not only her foster parents but her friends and her entire safety net of her home and street. As I read the section about the bombing, I grieved with her. Oh, what loss! Thank goodness that she had developed a relationship with the mayor's wife. And I'm sure the relationship with Rudy's father was strengthened after he came home from the war. The most emotional moment for me in the entire story was Max's return. Liesel likely spent everyday wondering if Max was still alive, and if he was where he might be. His return signaled to me that Liesel would be okay. At the end of the story we learn that she has lived a long life. It makes me wonder what that life was like, and how Max was involved in her life. I really enjoyed this story!

The ending was so sad and depressing. The only bright spot was that Max survived. I am upset that Rudy never got his kiss (until he was dead!) I liked the way Zusak brings up the idea of luck or fate. Was it fate or luck that Hans survived the car wreck? Was is fate or luck that took Liesel down to the basement to write the night of the bombing, and sent Alex Steiner off to war and saved him from the bombing? I guess you could even look at it from a religious point-of-view, too. I think either one would make for an interesting debate. As sad as the ending was, I did think it was realistic. Life is both beautiful and sorrowful, and that’s what Death is referring to on the last page. We first meet her after her brother dies, and her mother abandons her, yet, she is still able to find love and happiness with Papa and Mama. Leisel continued to find happiness even during one of the worst times in history. She was able to find the good in people, and she was willing to risk herself for those she cared about. When Leisel’s world was devastated by her unimaginable loss, she was able to carry on and find new love (husband, kids). I still wish she had gotten to marry Rudy….

I have finished the book and while I can say that it was one of my favorite book it is also one of the saddest books that I have ever read. This one did not come with a happy ending. I felt so sorry for Liesel. She had already experienced so much lose in her life and then had to go through loosing all the people she had left. I agree with Ashley Joyce I was so glad that Max returned and Liesel was able to see him again. I did wonder if they kept in touch over the years. I found it very interesting that she had lead a long happy life at the the book we are reading was pretty much the book that she had writen. Death seemed very human to me again at the end of the book. He has so intregued by Liesel that he kept her book and had read it over and over again. It can't imagine something that seems so horrible like death to be so compassionate toward a human. I loved the last few lines of the book "All I was able to do was turn to Liesel Meminger and tell her the only truth I truly know. I said it to the book theif and I say it now to you. I am haunted by humans."