The Power in Prose: A Book Review of The Book Thief

There are some novels that sit on your bookshelf for ages without you ever understanding why. These books beg to be read, yet instead collect dust for years until one day you finally decide to flip through their pages. 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak was one of these novels – and I desperately wish I had given it a chance sooner. Every page is beautifully woven with prose, providing both sorrow and hope in a story that will stay with me for the rest of my life. 

Set during World War II, we follow the adolescent years of foster girl Liesel Meminger as she grapples with existence in Nazi Germany. Though Liesel’s specific narrative is historical fiction, this book feels as gut-punching and haunting as real life during the Holocaust. Liesel herself is not Jewish, but her circumstances soon intersect with 1940s Jewish reality when her foster family decides to hide Max Vanderburg in her basement.  

Max Vanderburg is twenty-four years old when he’s forced to sacrifice everything, leaving his home and the people he loves in an attempt to survive. His Jewish identity makes every action dangerous – even walking outside could mean the end of his existence. When Liesel and her foster family hide Max, we witness a striking narrative of love and loss.  

Death himself acts as the narrator of this novel, taking us through each scene and giving us a solemn glimpse of the world he has seen. Yet in this tale, Death is not some malevolent creature. Instead, he is someone who wishes the pain of humanity could subside, yet is helpless in the face of war’s horrors. In spite of his anguish, he is forced to complete his job of carrying souls away from this realm. 

Zusak expertly balances the tough subject matter with shining moments of hope. With characters you root for and scenes that make the heart warm, this book affirms that there will always be kind people, even when forces of evil try to drown them out. Though I sobbed more times than I could count, I left this book finding faith in the goodness of human nature. 

A key part of this book focuses on the power of literature. Liesel transforms into the titular Book Thief, stealing books that Nazi Germany has outlawed to nourish her soul. With book bannings once again on the rise, Liesel reminds us that combating bigotry starts with gaining knowledge and empathy, two key traits that can be cultivated through reading a story. 

For both Jewish and non-Jewish individuals alike, The Book Thief should be at the top of your reading list. It will make you feel through soaring prose and engaging characters. It will help you understand the past so that such atrocities will never be repeated in the future. And it will offer you a story that will nestle close to your heart and transform your world.   

Don’t make the same mistake as I did and let this suggestion collect dust: read The Book Thief as soon as you can. It may just change your life forever.