Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
What we're reading

Find your new favourite book or recommend one on our Book forum.

Original poster

Is there anyone else on here who didn't love The Book Thief?

264 replies

TunipTheVegedude · 07/07/2013 20:54

I was told to persevere with it and I'm now 63% through and it's annoying me more than ever.
I'm finding it pretentious and dull and while some of the characters are fine, the girl is totally unconvincing - she reads like someone has sat down and decided on some interesting characteristics to give her ('I know! I'll make her good at fighting and football!') rather than the character growing naturally.
Is it going to get better in the last 37%?

OP posts:
juneau · 08/07/2013 17:59

I didn't love it either. It was okay. It passed the time. But I haven't recommended it to anyone else.

MadameDefarge · 08/07/2013 17:58

I think it should be like the Whitbread (or whatever it's called now)

I suggest a category entitled

"Best Refusal to be Amused on A Thread"

MadameDefarge · 08/07/2013 17:55

Those booker parties used to rock!!!!

MadameDefarge · 08/07/2013 17:54

hm, might be a conflict of interest to nominate oneself!

LRDLearningKnigaBook · 08/07/2013 17:52

I'm petitioning MNHQ to replace the Christmas appeal with a new-style Booker, current longlist BOF, Mintyy, Hully, MadameD and Cote, with possible newbie challenge from Kusak.

Who's with me?

MadameDefarge · 08/07/2013 17:51

I just go with Dick.

Hullygully · 08/07/2013 17:50

I'd go with just Richard

He always shows good judgment

greenhill · 08/07/2013 17:50

If it was recommended by Richard & Judy that would be good enough for me...

BOF · 08/07/2013 17:49

You lot are cracking me up Grin

MadameDefarge · 08/07/2013 17:49

Or should that be "ovarian' work?

Hullygully · 08/07/2013 17:48

I don't have no prizes

But I calls a spade a spade I do

Mintyy · 08/07/2013 17:48

Oh yes of course! I won that Smarties Prize when it really meant something

Hullygully · 08/07/2013 17:46

Cote

BOF WAS JOKING

MadameDefarge · 08/07/2013 17:46

Mintty, you forgot the Smarties Award when you were at school, the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, and of course, the Pulitzer, for your searing indictment of global cartels in your seminal work, "Where Have All the Artisans Gone?" It made me cry.

thaliablogs · 08/07/2013 17:46

didn't liike the book thief. Gave up at about 75% of the way through (same as you now). Don't feel bad about it at all even though I nEVER stop reading books. This was the one that proved me wrong.

greenhill · 08/07/2013 17:46

mintyy that's even better than Hilary Mantel and she always divides opinion...either her stuff is too long or people are hanging on her every word Wink

LRDLearningKnigaBook · 08/07/2013 17:44

Grin It's the Blue Peter badge that makes it.

Envy
LRDLearningKnigaBook · 08/07/2013 17:44

Fair enough, madame, very likely I'm overly keen to excuse bad writing when it's won awards. I think we all do it.

Mintyy · 08/07/2013 17:43

Sorry, should I have mentioned that I have won the Nobel Prize for Literature, The Booker (twice), The Orange in its inaugural year, and a Blue Peter Badge for writing a good story.

Mintyy · 08/07/2013 17:41

Cote - the Prof Bof was being ironic. You do know that?

CoteDAzur · 08/07/2013 17:41

greenhill - I agree with you, especially re your first two paragraphs.

MadameDefarge · 08/07/2013 17:38

I feel the YA is a red herring. Good writing, (in whatever genre) will hook you within paragraphs, I find.

MadameDefarge · 08/07/2013 17:37

cote, you are now impeding our narrative flow....

BOF · 08/07/2013 17:37

Cote-I was joking...

LRDLearningKnigaBook · 08/07/2013 17:36

Thanks madame.

Is it fair to say YA novels often have to hook readers more quickly? I did wonder about that bit as I know I will sometimes try to trawl through a duller introduction for a book that's just physically a bit longer.