The Book Thief

I love love loved it, I loved that it was written simply and childishly and most of all I found the book written forvthe book thief really beautiful.

I haven't heard of it. I looked now, and it is about Tudor England. Not really a subject I'm interested in, I'm afraid. Actually, I wouldn't have read Drood if it weren't written by Dan Simmons.

Another one on the list, then. Really enjoy Ballard - he's missed, for sure.

Have you read "Wolf Hall"? I loved it, but my friends seem divided....

I don't read much non-fiction. One great book I read was "Miracles Of Life", J. G. Ballard's autobiography. I can't praise it highly enough. What a life he has had, starting with his childhood in Shanghai, then internment at a Japanese prisoner camp. that he won't be writing any more books as he passed away shortly after this book was printed.

Now that's the 2nd recommendation I've had for Drood - must add it to my list.

Funny, isn't it, how you re-read things you loved from an earlier age and don't get anymore. Catcher in the Rye was one of those for me, as was The Secret History. I think I fancied myself as some misunderstood dark type back in the day!

Do you do non-fiction as well? I've just finished Berlin by Anthony Beevor - superb read.

I read Interview in my 20s (~15 yrs ago) so might not think so highly of it if I read it now, I suppose. At the time, I found the vampire's take on immortality quite interesting.

And if I had been 20 when I read "The Book Thief", I may have liked it. If it wasn't the 100th book I read on the subject of WWII and the holocaust, I may have liked it, too.

Death's moronic ramblings just killed the book for me. Here's a list and there's a list. Sky was the color of this and that. I like the color yellow. Wtf? Grow up and say something interesting, dammit. I would have thrown The Book Thief out the window if I didn't have to read it for book club. Those ladies all like "vanilla" books so I don't expect them to hate all the books I hate, but everybody was with me on this one.

I just finished Dan Simmons' "Drood" which is about the last year of Charles Dickens' life, written from the pen of his friend and BIL Wilkie Collins. It is a brick of a book and a bit hard to get into, but goes into London's catacombs, opium dens, "underworld" of people living there, Dickens' fascination with "mesmerism" and a mysterious character called "Drood" who was apparently the namesake for his last and unfinished book.

Ah well, different tastes - I wasn't an Interview fan, found it ridiculously self-indulgent and overblown. I quite liked the childlike take on Death - a change from the usual cliche.

What are you reading now? Need some inspiration....

What... that Death is an idiot? I doubt that.

Those little bits at the beginning of each part make Death sound like a particularly dim 6 year old. All those lists. 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?

You know what would make this book interesting? If the eternal, preternatural predator Death was more like Lestat in the book "Interview With The Vampire". He is just a vampire, but the subject of eternal life, witnessing the deaths of mortals, caring for humans but being above it all, etc was narrated with interesting depth and beauty in that book.

Cote D'Azur - re death. Isn't that rather the point?

A "masterpiece"? Without meaning to be rude, how old are you people and which books are you comparing The Book Thief to?

It is a book written for teenagers (or "young adults", as Amazon puts it) - childish, superficial, and incredibly dull.

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.

I saw the author give a talk at writers week here in Adelaide. He was fabulous, really funny and unassuming. And SO young! I have a lot of admiration for him.

Yes agree. I took a bit to get into it, but once i was, just loved it. Think it is a masterpiece.

It is a wonderful, strange, magical book. Keep going.

I liked it, so worth going on IMO

An excellent book but yes takes time to get going. Stick with it though

Wonderful book. The beginning is a bit dry but it gets better and by the end you will be singing its praises. If you like more 'literary' fiction rather than 'mainstream' stuff that is ...

Oh, I love this book - do persevere because if you stick with it, it really sticks with you.

Same as janeite.

Was unsure at first but stuck with it. So glad I did, it is one of my favourite books. ever. An amazing read.

Keep going as the relationships with her adoptive family and boy next door really develop. Also there are lots of hints throughout the book on upcoming events which make you want to keep reading. I read somewhere that it was a book written for teenagers which is why it can seem a bit simplistic at first but once you are used to the style its really gripping.

Ironically, I stole this from our timeshare villa a couple of years ago. It did draw me in and I loved it by the end.

I was unsure for about 30 pages then got totally gripped and ended up loving it.

I was told how good it was and couldn't see it at first. About half way before I could understand the bloody thing.

I didn't - sorry. Got about half way through.