The Book Thief
This is my second time through The Book Thief, which was just as poetic and heartbreaking as it was the first time I read it. Leslie's little life is tragic. The fact that it's narrated by Death, who has taken an interest in the young girl, makes the whole thing seem grander or more important than it really is. But that just adds to the tragedy and poetry captured in these pages.
I've ended up with quite a few WWII books on my shelf lately. It certainly wasn't by design. I just picked up what looked interesting at a couple of used book sales. It's been interesting and difficult to read about this historic rise of fascism given the current political climate, but it's been cathartic in some ways, too. This book in particular shows all the hidden ways Leslie and her foster parents find to resist the Nazis and brighten their lives in the midst of a war.
I also appreciated reading this as a physical book this time around. The last time I read it on my kindle, and you miss something. There's some lovely formatting, little details like the page numbers stood out to me this time through. And I was able to appreciate the artistry of Max painting over the pages of Mein Kampf to write his own book in a way that I don't think quite came across in my kindle edition.
More than that, this book is a love letter to books. They are hot and cold and heavy. Physical things that get ruined but retain their value or transformed into other things. Reading about this while holding a big, thick book helped drive some of that imagery home.
But really this story is great in any format. I read it faster this time but was no less affected by the impending disaster, but the lost potential of Leslie's life and her unrequited love with Rudy. And now that I've had a kid I was even more moved by the scenes of Leslie learning to read from her foster father at 2 in the morning. There's something about those early morning hours that really cements the parentel bond.
I've ended up with quite a few WWII books on my shelf lately. It certainly wasn't by design. I just picked up what looked interesting at a couple of used book sales. It's been interesting and difficult to read about this historic rise of fascism given the current political climate, but it's been cathartic in some ways, too. This book in particular shows all the hidden ways Leslie and her foster parents find to resist the Nazis and brighten their lives in the midst of a war.
I also appreciated reading this as a physical book this time around. The last time I read it on my kindle, and you miss something. There's some lovely formatting, little details like the page numbers stood out to me this time through. And I was able to appreciate the artistry of Max painting over the pages of Mein Kampf to write his own book in a way that I don't think quite came across in my kindle edition.
More than that, this book is a love letter to books. They are hot and cold and heavy. Physical things that get ruined but retain their value or transformed into other things. Reading about this while holding a big, thick book helped drive some of that imagery home.
But really this story is great in any format. I read it faster this time but was no less affected by the impending disaster, but the lost potential of Leslie's life and her unrequited love with Rudy. And now that I've had a kid I was even more moved by the scenes of Leslie learning to read from her foster father at 2 in the morning. There's something about those early morning hours that really cements the parentel bond.
Comments
Post a Comment