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Original poster

The Book Thief - MUST read

130 replies

katiekittlemouse · 05/11/2008 21:05

I have just finished this book - it's brilliant! Well written, unusual, harrowing, sad, and in parts funny....
Everyone should read it!! What did you think?
It sits now on my shelf of the best books I've ever read with The Secret History, Shantaram and The Kite Runner.

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Thomcat · 05/01/2009 19:50

Interesting.
Feel better about not being able to connect with it now

CoteDAzur · 05/01/2009 19:41

Well, Amazon calls it a "young adult book".

Thomcat · 05/01/2009 19:39

Oh I can't get on with The Book Thief at all. Have tried but oh no. Is it really written for teenagers? That would explain a lot.

CoteDAzur · 05/01/2009 19:39

The Alchemist was better than The Book Thief, imho. At least it was written for an adult audience and had a few layers of meaning.

CoteDAzur · 05/01/2009 19:37

I read The Alchemist when it first came out about 15 years ago, so don't remember it in detail. A bit allegorical especially re Freemasonry, so it was a bit more interesting than the average sentimental fairy tale of the moment. From what I recall, it was full of truisms, simple words of wisdom, etc so yes it did bore me to death as well.

ilovelovemydog · 05/01/2009 14:54

Cote, did you like The Alchemist? Because I heard it was great, but must be the only person who hated it. I mean hated it...

Heard they are similar, that's all.

CoteDAzur · 05/01/2009 13:03

Just finished The Book Thief.

Worst
Book
Ever

I know it is written for teenagers, but still...

blackrock · 04/01/2009 09:58

Talking in Whispers by Watson, James

Great book

bagsforlife · 03/01/2009 22:20

Still agree with Cote D'Azur, 'tis a dreadfully badly written book. Utter rubbish.

multitasker · 03/01/2009 21:34

Jan - I am enjoying it and have no idea how it will all pan out.

janeite · 03/01/2009 21:29

I loved "The Tennant of Wildfell Hall". You got yourself a bragain there!

preggydonuts · 03/01/2009 21:26

I really liked the book thief and recommend it to everyone.

multitasker · 03/01/2009 21:25

Is The Blind Assasin good - I've had it on my pile to read for ages now, am in the middle of The Tennant of Wildfell Hall - got it in a library clear out for 20p!!

TotalChaos · 03/01/2009 21:22

I thought that the "sky is the color of Jews" was reasonably clever writing - as referring to the smoke that came from concentration camp crematoria and would have been visible to residents of nearby areas.

expatinscotland · 03/01/2009 21:10

Yikes. I would find this juvenile and extremely annoying, too, Cote.

CoteDAzur · 03/01/2009 21:07

There are only about 10,000 other novels based in Nazi Germany, so I assume you didn't feel the setting was that unique

Those "funny bits" really annoy me, because they make Death sound like a particularly dim 8 year old. All those lists. Here is the definition of this and that. Sky is the color of Jews. I like this color and that color. Wth? You are the immortal predator, the timeless spectator of all history. And that is all you have to say?

ahfeckit · 03/01/2009 20:47

there instead of their. oops

ahfeckit · 03/01/2009 20:45

it was set during the war, related to Nazi Germany and was beautifully written in a unique style. I liked the funny bits at the start of each chapter or throughout the chapters, written by death. it was rather amusing at times, even if the story itself was rather sad. poor Liesel was just doomed losing her mother and then her foster parents. At least Max was their for her in the end.

CoteDAzur · 03/01/2009 20:41

I'm genuinely curious. What did you think was so "amazing" about The Book Thief?

ahfeckit · 03/01/2009 20:39

t'was a tad boring at Christmas but reading that amazing book made it little less boring

expatinscotland · 03/01/2009 19:53

Snap, Cote. I loved Empire of the Sun and Crash.

I'll reserve this one in the library when I go next week if I don't find it on the shelves.

I couldn't agree more with your philosophy, btw.

I really like Ransom, for example, because it was an intriguing and different story.

Others, the writing is just so good, it can't help win you over - The Blind Assassin, for example.

A lot of what's on the bestseller list, nowadays, however, I liken to the latest 'feel good' movie.

And I just ain't feelin' it .

CoteDAzur · 03/01/2009 19:40

expat - I think you would like this book:
Miracles Of Life
J. G. Ballard

(He is the author of Empire Of The Sun and the controversial Crash and this is his autobiography)

CoteDAzur · 03/01/2009 19:25

ahfeckit - Boring Xmas family get-together, eh?

CoteDAzur · 03/01/2009 19:24

Atonement was another book chosen by our book club. I didn't mind it, because Ian McEwan is a first rate author. Or possibly because previous choices were so badly written and dull.

If the writer is not great, he should have a great story. Ian McEwan doesn't have good stories (and sometimes even has no story at all, like in Saturday) but has singular insight into the human psyche. Some other authors I have read and loved are not terribly gifted, but have amazing stories to tell (like Neal Stephenson) that blow you away.

What pisses me off with pea-brained "bestseller" books like 1000 Splendid Suns and The Book Thief is that there is nothing special about the story and there is nothing special about the author. Just a lot of heart string tugging.

ahfeckit · 03/01/2009 19:10

couldn't put the book down, it was so bloody good. and when i wasn't reading about it i was fantasising about how it would end.

will read the book again in a year's time to remind myself of how amazing a read it was!!!!