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

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.

OP posts:
Penthesileia · 02/01/2009 21:48

Ah-ha. Why I've never joined a book club.

Shudder.

CoteDAzur · 02/01/2009 21:47

Not masochism. Book club.

Which is also how I came to read such examples of mediocrity as Memory Keeper's Daughter and 1000 Splendid Suns.

bagsforlife · 02/01/2009 21:40

Completely agree with you CoteDAzur.Found it dreadful and v badly written. Was not in the least surprised to see it was written by a youngish Australian.

Penthesileia · 02/01/2009 21:38

Why are you still reading this, Cote? Masochism?

CoteDAzur · 02/01/2009 21:29

Without meaning to be rude - How old are you people, and which other books are you comparing this to?

I'm at page 387 and it is still as superficial, dull, and childish as the first 10 pages.

Alice In Wonderland is a children's book, but it works on multiple levels and the adult reader takes something from it as well as the child. Same with Moby Dick, where a simple story carries complex themes.

Not here. The Book Thief is just a children's book. There is no complexity. Even death, a timeless entity that should be a source of penetrating wisdom and unique perspective, has nothing remotely interesting to say.

27 · 02/01/2009 17:28

I loved this book. I cried all the way through the last third of it.
I thought the ending was really good.

TotalChaos · 02/01/2009 17:27

Oh it was all right, not amazing, not the best book on the topic of childhood in Nazi Germany by any means.

dietstartstomorrow · 02/01/2009 17:26

Loved this book. Probably the best thing I read in 2008.

CoteDAzur · 01/01/2009 09:32

I'm at page 250 or so, and it is just the worst waste of time ever.

Bumperlicious · 28/12/2008 11:13

Someone at work has just lent this to me so I will give it a go, as soon as I have finished Freakanomics!

CoteDAzur · 28/12/2008 10:59

Why is it a "must read" for adults, though? It reads like a typical children's book so far - superficial, stereotypical, and heart-string tugging.

Penthesileia · 27/12/2008 22:49

Just kidding with you, expat! The book's about Germany during WWII, hence my aside.

If you want to read this book, I'll send you my copy.

expatinscotland · 27/12/2008 22:40

Penth, I haven't read The Book Thief. I came on this thread to find out what people thought about it.

Penthesileia · 27/12/2008 22:38

Would you be surprised to hear that the irascible Mama actually harbours a softer heart than she lets on? How, erm, original...

No, no really.

Expat: a bit tasteless to talk about burning books on this thread, no?

expatinscotland · 27/12/2008 22:34

i only give books 50 pages and if they still bore me, they go back to the library, donated to the charity shop or, for ones i find it sinful to impose on others, they become tender for the garden rubbish fires.

CoteDAzur · 27/12/2008 22:33

I've only read the first 100 pages so perhaps shouldn't judge, but it is just so... puerile.

If characters were any less developed, they would be one-dimensional. So far, the only thing I know about 'Mama' is that she calls everyone "swine", for example.

And will death stop rambling like an imbecile about colors? In the rest of the book, does he say anything remotely interesting about being an immortal predator?

expatinscotland · 27/12/2008 22:20

If it's in the library, maybe I'll check it out.

Penthesileia · 27/12/2008 22:17

The author seems to get more involved with his story as the book progresses, and less obsessed with proving how novel and clever his writing can be, so yes - to a certain extent - it does improve.

Penthesileia · 27/12/2008 22:14

Phew - CoteDAzur. I pretty much felt the same way about The Book Thief. Totally overwritten. The basic storyline was ok, but the writing was so self-indulgent. Drove me nuts. There are lots of good books out there about the German experience of WWII and the Holocaust. This is, IMHO, not one of them.

Haven't read A Thousand Splendid Suns. Was put off by all the hype...

CoteDAzur · 27/12/2008 22:11

Does it get better after page 100, though?

Frizbe · 27/12/2008 22:10

I loved this book, was randomly recommended to me by a woman in Tesco (shock horror at the shop) whilst I recommended a John Harvey book to her! (lots of pondering in the book aisle) I enjoyed this immensley, I hope she enjoyed her book too!

CoteDAzur · 27/12/2008 22:08

I hated 1000 Splendid Suns. Written in English by an American who knows little about Afghanistan. Everyone in the West knows two things about Afghanistan - (1) Buddha statues blown up by the Taliban and (2) women get beaten up there. And that is all this book talks about.

Like a book about the US, written in Arabic, by a Saudi guy, which talks only about everyone eating hamburgers and banging each other.

NancysGarden · 27/12/2008 21:44

Want to read it, recommended by most, but if this is, dear OP a parallel of heights with the kite runner then maybe I won't like it. KR could have been at least a third shorter, great story I love thousand splendid suns but lots of KR was overdone/ overexplained IMO

CoteDAzur · 26/12/2008 18:05

I'm 100 pages in, thinking you lot are smoking something.

If death ever talks, I would expect him to have something more interesting to say about the world, life, death, etc than rambling on about colors in the sky like a retard.

Does it get better? Or should I go back to my book club saying the dog ate it?

CalifraundingFathers · 28/11/2008 22:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.