Anyone read The Book Thief?

[Spaceman]

Read it, loved it, but not sure I understood it on all levels.

If you have read it what did you get out of it?

[LurkerOfTheUniverse]

I thought it was 'young adult' fiction

[Cammelia]

Is there a children's edition?

Dd read the adult book.

[roisin]

I got it for Christmas, I think. Tried it and didn't get on with it.

I picked it up again yesterday and have read the first 100 or so pages, but I'm still not gripped by it.

I guess you're all telling me to persevere.

Is it right that the children's edition is actually a significantly different/edited book, not just a re-cover?

[Cammelia]

My dd (11) has just read it and loved it.

[aaaarrrgh]

aww, I LOVED it. Is now in my TOP 5 books ever!

[Imnotok]

I cried so much when I read it especially when he described taking souls from the concentration camp .
I also liked how death was quite a nice guy really .
Some bits I didn't totally get but I rushed it because I just couldn't put it down but it is on my reread list.
I think it maybe my favourite book this year .

[Imnotok]

I cried so much when I read it especially when he described taking souls from the concentration camp .
I also liked how death was quite a nice guy really .
Some bits I didn't totally get but I rushed it because I just couldn't put it down but it is on my reread list.
I think it maybe my favourite book this year .

[hifi]

agree love2, we always think we had it bad.
finished the last 30 pages on the plane home and had a wet wipe to my face.
the imagery is amazing, squeezes every ounce out of every sentence.

[mammyofET]

Yes I just finished it last night and this book raises emotions.

I cried at various points throughout at the depth of human evil and kindness. Brilliant.

[Love2bake]

Yes I loved it.

It was interesting to hear about the war from a german families perspective.

[KTP]

Yup, I'm another lover of this book. It was my book of the year last year I think. Cried buckets. Loved death as the narrator. Loved so many aspects of it. Learn lots too - which is always handy!

[littlepinkpixie]

I loved this book. It was my book groups favorite book to date too.

[BeachBunni]

Glad I'm not the only one turniphead. I'd bought it because I'd heard so many people saying they loved it. That's exactly what I thought - interesting concept but not enough to keep me going.

[fryalot]

I really enjoyed it, but I have known people who couldn't get on with it at all.

I don't know whether I would class it as a work of great literary genius, but it kept me interested and I liked it.

[Turniphead1]

beachbunni - our book group's reaction to it was on the whole largely negative. Loads of people rave about it though.
I found the "death" narrator interesting to start with but rather hackneyed by the end.

[BeachBunni]

Think I'm about the only person who didn't like this book. It was a struggle for me to finish it as it bored me to tears.

[Wisp]

Loved it, best book I've read in ages
Oh how I bawled though!

[MrsTiddles]

I have just received a copy from amazon. The whole concept of Death as character/ narrator really appeals. Will now see if it pays off!

[TwoIfBySea]

I enjoyed it, packed full of metaphors and similies though, almost to distraction from the story but as a style I liked it. And having Death as a character, considering the time it was set, was quite effective.

See, I managed that and didn't put any spoilers in for anyone who hasn't read it.