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A review by thebakersbooks
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
3/5 stars
I don't think Markus Zusak was the right person to write a semi-whimsical fiction book based in Nazi Germany. While the story itself was interesting and the characters and events compelling, there's no getting around the fact that this ends up being a "not all Germans" narrative that spotlights (made up) people who did the bare minimum to be decent humans during Hitler's regime.
Further, I'll never be comfortable with a non-Jewish person writing, “The Jews preferred to simply stand and take things. Take the abuse quietly and then work their way back to the top," even with the foil of the Jewish character Max, who was portrayed as more willing to fight. It's an insult to the many real-life Jews, Romani, and other people who were targeted by the Nazis and fought back, resisted, and helped each other in the face of ultimate danger.
I also don't think it was appropriate to have a sympathetic (child) character cover himself in coal dust to emulate his hero, Jesse Owens. This is blackface and the incident is referenced throughout the book with fondness/humor.
If you're going to read this or The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, read this because the other is pure garbage. However, I'd recommend reading Maus and/or an actual Holocaust survivor's memoir instead.
I don't think Markus Zusak was the right person to write a semi-whimsical fiction book based in Nazi Germany. While the story itself was interesting and the characters and events compelling, there's no getting around the fact that this ends up being a "not all Germans" narrative that spotlights (made up) people who did the bare minimum to be decent humans during Hitler's regime.
Further, I'll never be comfortable with a non-Jewish person writing, “The Jews preferred to simply stand and take things. Take the abuse quietly and then work their way back to the top," even with the foil of the Jewish character Max, who was portrayed as more willing to fight. It's an insult to the many real-life Jews, Romani, and other people who were targeted by the Nazis and fought back, resisted, and helped each other in the face of ultimate danger.
I also don't think it was appropriate to have a sympathetic (child) character cover himself in coal dust to emulate his hero, Jesse Owens. This is blackface and the incident is referenced throughout the book with fondness/humor.
If you're going to read this or The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, read this because the other is pure garbage. However, I'd recommend reading Maus and/or an actual Holocaust survivor's memoir instead.