The Book Thief by Markus ZusakMy review
It has taken me two months to get 3/4 of the way through this book - and not for the reason you'd think! I am literally savoring every word.
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I remember a decade ago when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone came out. There was a lot of hooplah, and I was determined not to "be a sheep" and join the masses reading it. On a whim, I caved and listened to the book on tape. And fell in love!
I'd heard about The Book Thief from many of my writing friends, some of whom share the same agent with Markus Zusak. They raved about it. It was a huge bestseller! Again, I was determined not to join the masses. When The Book Thief was reviewed by my local book club (and not very well liked, I might add) I had to know what all the fuss was about.
I borrowed the book and began to read it. The way I read books changed forever.
I savored every sentence. Seriously. Markus Zusak is a literary genius; I have no doubt this book will go down in time as a classic, and I feel honored to have read it in its infancy.
When will I finish it? No idea! I have to return the borrowed copy tonight, which means I will have to buy a copy.
There is no other book I would rather own.
What books have changed you forever?
21 comments:
Wow, I may have to read that book now!
As for books that have changed my life...Harry Potter. I read Sorcerer's Stone back in '02, towards the end of second grade. I'd always been a reader, but HP was the first "big" book that I read. I had all four finished in about a month and a half. Everybody talks about how odd it was to see a tiny second grader carrying around a huge book like GoF! Haha.
Other than that, I don't know...I like a lot of books. I don't know how many have actually changed my life. Hm.
I'm convinced that I must read this book. My friend Lois raved about it, too. She read me a few lines. Wow. It's this kind of stuff that makes me feel very inferior... so I'll have to wait and read it when I'm not working on a WIP or I'll get Isuckitis really bad. :)
In my library TA job at my school, I remember that that was the last book I put away today. Coincidences are strange.
Suz! I'm reading this book right this second! I have to say that it is wonderful (I have a blog post next Monday about it. How funny is that?), but I find I'm a bit bored. *hides* The writing is very, very good. Right up my alley. I wish it moved a bit faster though. Do you feel like that?
Jen, did you know that The Book Thief is YA?
Lady G, this book is so stinking good you'll forget about feeling inferior. :)
Brian, what's that quote? "There's no such thing as coincidence"? I think you should read it and let me know what you think.
Elana, Usually when I read a book I am dying to get to the end to see how it all turns out. (Plot-driven, I think is the term.) With this book I find myself reading it as slowly as possible because I truly enjoy the writing. I used to be a very fast reader, but something happened to me 1.5 years ago that changed that. Maybe that has something to do with my tolerance for less-exciting books. I'm also a much better line editor now, possibly because I read so slowly. I look forward to your post on Monday!
I could list myriad religious works, but books that weren't of a spiritual nature would be harder to list. I think the first series I ever fell in love with was Lloyd Alexander's Book of Three series. It was the beginning of my love of fantasy. I read it when I was around 8 or 9 and haven't stop reading fantasy since! Other books that have had strong impact on my life include Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera and Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
Oh, I just read this book a few weeks back and LOVED IT! I know what you mean about wanting to savor every word, however, for me about halfway through the plot grabbed hold of me and I couldn't finish it fast enough.
Oh when i saw your post on my blogger i thought you were going to say you hated the book, i couldn't believe anyone could
phew!
i read this book about a year ago, and only recently i got my friend to read it - she text me as soon as she read it and thanked me!! (this girl never keeps in contact)
I wish i could write like that (i think we all would)
Janyece, can you believe I've never read a Lloyd Alexander? I need to add him to my list.
LOL, Kate! I love it when a book does that. ;)
Emily, how I wish I could write like that! I expected Markus Zusak to be old with a lifetime of experiences under his belt. Who would have guessed he was a 33yo hottie?
now I HAVE to read it!
something to change your perspective forever
Suzette, i know what you mean!!! i couldn't believe it when i saw his picture, i was expecting a white bearded old man with eyes of wisdom lol, - i was 'pleasantly' surprised ;)
Hi Suze!
How've you been?
Book that changed me: The Thief of Always by Clive Barker.
It's sort of a middle grade book, but sort of an adult book, too. A must read. Just amazing. Has one or two cliches (the mirror character description, for one) but it's one of those books that transports you, gets you thinking, gets you imagining, and scares the heck out of you at the same time. It's just lovely. I highly recommend it.
Liz
I LOVED this book. Laura recommended it to me and at first I was skeptical, but the writing just blew me away. Just gorgeously written.
Have you ever read any Marisa de los Santos? Her writing is just AMAZING. Love Walked In is one of my favorite books of all time.
I also love Beach Music by Pat Conroy. There's something so lyrical about his writing.
Those books have changed me because they make me want to be a better writer. My writing will never even be on the same playing field as these authors, but it's just incredible to read their work. Gives a new meaning to the word "craft."
This is wonderful! I appreciate you all sharing your favorites with me. I think I'll head over to GoodReads and add them to my list.
It's great to hear from you, Liz. And congrats Lisa (and Laura) on your exciting news!!!
I've never heard of this book, but the title sounds interesting. A friend recommended The Thirteenth Tale and I was blown away by the writing. Not only that, the story hooked me. That was a cool book.
Hmmm, books that changed me? I have to say most of them were read when I was a kid. The Color Purple, The Outsiders, those kind of books.
I saw your face on my blog so headed over. :-) Cool post.
Hiya Sue. I found that you just joined my book blog, so I decided to check you out. I like your review for The Book Thief. I've been a little hesitant about reading it, because I didn't like the cover, but I guess I should've remembered the age-old saying... about judging books ^,^... so I'll probably give it a try in the near future, thanks to you.
I've known how to read since I was 3 or something, but I'd definitely say I turned into a rabid reader when I got introduced to the Harry Potter universe. I can remember thinking at that time that every other book or series was inferior to J.K. Rowling's words. Then, when I finished #5 and had to be patient for the next couple books to arrive, my literary taste expanded. I enjoyed ASOUE largely.
Presently though, the series that has changed me forever is the Twilight Saga. I am enamored by the characters and the story and Stephanie's entire world. I am so unbelievably close to finishing Breaking Dawn that I wish I'd taken a leaf out of your book and stretch the story out for a couple months. But I don't think I'm capable of that. I just have to find out what happens next.
I'll probably review BD tomorrow or something. Hope you'll check it out.
Jessica, if you liked the The Thirteenth Tale, then you will probably like The Book Thief. I would love to know what you think of it. I've never read Outsiders; I will have to add it to my list.
Magenta, I'm glad you stopped by my blog. It's so fun to meet new people. I'll head on over to your blog as I am very curious to read your Breaking Dawn review!
On The Beach by Nevil Shute. Very haunting. Made me really stop and think about what's important in life and how I make the choices I make.
Checking out other posts here and at Query Tracker.
Thanks, Sarah! I will definitely have to read that one.
Hey, I was looking for something new to read. Thanks for the recommendation! :)
You're welcome, Wendy. :) Let me know what you think of it!
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