The Book Thief
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S 100 BEST YA BOOKS OF ALL TIME • A NEW YORK TIMES READER TOP 100 PICK FOR BEST BOOKS OF THE 21ST CENTURY • A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF THE CENTURY
The extraordinary, beloved novel about the ability of books to feed the soul even in the darkest of times.
When Death has a story to tell, you listen.
It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.
Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.
In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak, author of I Am the Messenger, has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.
“The kind of book that can be life-changing.” —The New York Times
“Deserves a place on the same shelf with The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.” —USA Today
DON’T MISS BRIDGE OF CLAY, MARKUS ZUSAK’S FIRST NOVEL SINCE THE BOOK THIEF.
The extraordinary, beloved novel about the ability of books to feed the soul even in the darkest of times.
When Death has a story to tell, you listen.
It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.
Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.
In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak, author of I Am the Messenger, has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.
“The kind of book that can be life-changing.” —The New York Times
“Deserves a place on the same shelf with The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.” —USA Today
DON’T MISS BRIDGE OF CLAY, MARKUS ZUSAK’S FIRST NOVEL SINCE THE BOOK THIEF.
BUY THE BOOK
These clubs recently read this book...
Community Reviews
What Bookclubbers are saying about this book
✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI
Readers say *The Book Thief* is a beautifully written, emotionally gripping story set in Nazi Germany that explores the power of words and humanity am...
I was excited to discover this book is being made into a movie. Reading it painted very vivid pictures and I hope it's done well. The Book Thief isn't a quick or easy read. It's a long book and it has a very difficult subject matter. But, while it deals with some of the worse atrocities humans are capable of, it doesn't go into too much specific detail. The book is about the characters and their experiences during the second world war. And while it is a book of fiction it is based around actual historical events. I found myself googling the dates and places to learn more, which just added to the horrificness of the story. By the end I had a hard time reading through my tears. This one will haunt me for a long time.
This is, without a doubt, one of the best books I've ever read. Here's what I knew about it going in: it takes place during WWII and has Nazis in it. Not a lot to go on. It had been on my TBR list for a long time but I kept passing it by, just not sure what it was about or if I was in the right frame of mind. If you've been doing the same thing, I urge you to stop doing that! Pick it next.
Did I cry? Yes, but not in the way I expected. Instead of one or two big sob sessions, I experienced many small heartbreaks. Some were larger than others but there was no individual scene or occurrence that devastated me. The cumulative effect, however, is that I felt a larger, deeper sense of loss and sadness and hope.
And the writing - gorgeous. I've not highlighted or shared so many passages from a single book in years - maybe ever. There were passages that required that I read them over and over until they had a chance to really sink in and become a part of me.
This book made me want to review every other book I've given five stars to and reduce most of them just to ensure that this one stands above the rest. As soon as I read the final word, I was so tempted to start all over again. Not only to experience it again but to see what nuances I'd missed the first time.
I can't recommend this book enough.
Did I cry? Yes, but not in the way I expected. Instead of one or two big sob sessions, I experienced many small heartbreaks. Some were larger than others but there was no individual scene or occurrence that devastated me. The cumulative effect, however, is that I felt a larger, deeper sense of loss and sadness and hope.
And the writing - gorgeous. I've not highlighted or shared so many passages from a single book in years - maybe ever. There were passages that required that I read them over and over until they had a chance to really sink in and become a part of me.
This book made me want to review every other book I've given five stars to and reduce most of them just to ensure that this one stands above the rest. As soon as I read the final word, I was so tempted to start all over again. Not only to experience it again but to see what nuances I'd missed the first time.
I can't recommend this book enough.
i took my time reading this because i didnt want it to end. i knew it would make me cry and the last few pages had me in tears. i can only describe this book as perfect.
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.