OurBookClub
If you would like to be kept up to date with all our latest news, you can subscribe to our Monthly Newsletter or if you have any suggestions or books that you would like us to review, please feel free to Contact Us. Still searching for some inspirational reading, look through our complete Index by Book Name or Author Name.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
This was Natalie's Our Book Club book pick for June 2010 and also her book club pick. Natalie enjoyed the different style of writing about the Holocaust, a view from death's side and the sadness that his job involved. It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel 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 before he is marched to Dachau. It should be noted that in the US this is listed as a children's book, but we both agree that it would be a difficult book for children under 16-18 to understand the concepts of. This provided some fantastic discussion at the book club with everyone have different impressions and opinions (these comments are from the Publisher). Click here to read the full book review.
| 1. | What did you think of Death as the narrator? Did it add to the story? What did you think of Death's random comments and thoughts spread throughout the book? |
| 2. | Why do you think Liesel and Max's relationship is left open at the end of the book? Do you think Max became Liesel's husband? |
| 3. | In the US, this is considered a children's book. Would you agree with this or do you think the concepts are more adult? |
| 4. | What is the relevance of Max using Hitler's Mein Kampf to tell his own story in? |
| 5. | Were you surprised by Rosa's compassion when they took in Max? Do you think she was a loving and caring person? What was the reasoning for her name calling? |
| 6. | What did you think of Papa's stance against the Nazi's - was he a brave man? Was this a smart move? |
| 7. | What is the relevance of Rudy's obsession with Jesse Owens? Is this ironic given the Nazi party wanting to select Rudy for further training? |
| 8. | What is ironic about Liesel’s obsession with stealing books? Discuss other uses of irony in the novel. |
| 9. | The Grave Digger’s Handbook is the first book Liesel steals. Why did she take the book? What is signifi cant about the titles of the books she steals? Discuss why she hides The Grave Digger’s Handbook under her mattress. Describe Hans Hubermann’s reaction when he discovers the book. What does the act of book thievery teach Liesel about life and death? Explain Rudy’s reaction when he discovers that Liesel isa book thief. How does stealing books from the mayor’s house lead to a friendship with the mayor’s wife? Explain how Liesel’s own attempt to write a book saves her life. |
| 10. | Liesel believes that Hans Hubermann’s eyes show kindness, and from the beginning she feels closer to him than to Rosa Hubermann. How does Hans gain Liesel’s love and trust? Decide whether Liesel is a substitute for Hans’s children, who have strayed from the family. Why is it so difficult for Rosa to demonstrate the same warmth toward Liesel? Discuss how Diesel’s relationship with Rosa changes by the end of the novel. |
| 11. | Abandonment is a central theme in the novel. The reader knows that Liesel feels abandoned by her mother and by the death of her brother. How does she equate love with abandonment? At what point does she understand why she was abandoned by her mother? Who else abandons Liesel in the novel? Decide whether she was abandoned by circumstance or by the heart. |
| 12. | Guilt is another recurring theme in the novel. Hans Hubermann’s life was spared in France during World War I, and Erik Vandenburg’s life was taken. Explain why Hans feels guilty about Erik’s death. Guilt is a powerful emotion that may cause a person to become unhappy and despondent. Discuss how Hans channels his guilt into helping others. Explain Max Vandenburg’s thought, “Living was living. The price was guilt and shame.” (p. 208) Why does he feel guilt and shame? |
| 13. | Death says that Liesel was a girl “with a mountain to climb.” (p. 86) What is her mountain? Who are her climbing partners? What is her greatest obstacle? At what point does she reach the summit of her mountain? Describe her descent. What does she discover at the foot of her mountain? |
| 14. | Hans Junior, a Nazi soldier, calls his dad a coward because he doesn’t belong to the Nazi Party. He feels that you are either for Hitler or against him. How does it take courage to oppose Hitler? There isn’t one coward in the Hubermann household. Discuss how they demonstrate courage throughout the novel. |
| 15. | Describe Liesel’s friendship with Rudy. How does their friendship change and grow throughout the novel? Death says that Rudy doesn’t offer his friendship “for free.” (p. 51) What does Rudy want from Liesel? Discuss Death’s statement, “The only thing worse than a boy who hates you [is] a boy who loves you.” (p. 52) Why is it diffi cult for Liesel to love Rudy? Discuss why Liesel tells Mr. Steiner that she kissed Rudy’s dead body. |
| 16. | How does Zusak use the literary device of foreshadowing to pull the reader into the story? |
| 17. | Liesel Meminger lived to be an old woman. Death says that he would like to tell the book thief about beauty and brutality, but those are things that she had lived. How does her life represent beauty in the wake of brutality? Discuss how Zusak’s poetic writing style enhances the beauty of Liesel’s story. |
These questions are a compilation by Natalie, Reading Group Guides and the Publisher.
