The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Review from Amazon
From The Washington Post's Book World/washingtonpost.com
Death, it turns out, is not proud. The narrator of The Book Thief is many things -- sardonic, wry, darkly humorous, compassionate -- but not especially proud. As author Marcus Zusak channels him, Death -- who doesn't carry a scythe but gets a kick out of the idea -- is as afraid of humans as humans are of him.

Knopf is blitz-marketing this 550-page book set in Nazi Germany as a young-adult novel, though it was published in the author's native Australia for grown-ups. (Zusak, 30, has written several books for kids, including the award-winning I Am the Messenger.) The book's length, subject matter and approach might give early teen readers pause, but those who can get beyond the rather confusing first pages will find an absorbing and searing narrative.

Death meets the book thief, a 9-year-old girl named Liesel Meminger, when he comes to take her little brother, and she becomes an enduring force in his life, despite his efforts to resist her. "I traveled the globe . . . handing souls to the conveyor belt of eternity," Death writes. "I warned myself that I should keep a good distance from the burial of Liesel Meminger's brother. I did not heed my advice." As Death lingers at the burial, he watches the girl, who can't yet read, steal a gravedigger's instruction manual. Thus Liesel is touched first by Death, then by words, as if she knows she'll need their comfort during the hardships ahead.

And there are plenty to come. Liesel's father has already been carted off for being a communist and soon her mother disappears, too, leaving her in the care of foster parents: the accordion-playing, silver-eyed Hans Hubermann and his wife, Rosa, who has a face like "creased-up cardboard." Liesel's new family lives on the unfortunately named Himmel (Heaven) Street, in a small town on the outskirts of Munich populated by vivid characters: from the blond-haired boy who relates to Jesse Owens to the mayor's wife who hides from despair in her library. They are, for the most part, foul-spoken but good-hearted folks, some of whom have the strength to stand up to the Nazis in small but telling ways.

Stolen books form the spine of the story. Though Liesel's foster father realizes the subject matter isn't ideal, he uses "The Grave Digger's Handbook" to teach her to read. "If I die anytime soon, you make sure they bury me right," he tells her, and she solemnly agrees. Reading opens new worlds to her; soon she is looking for other material for distraction. She rescues a book from a pile being burned by the Nazis, then begins stealing more books from the mayor's wife. After a Jewish fist-fighter hides behind a copy of Mein Kampf as he makes his way to the relative safety of the Hubermanns' basement, he then literally whitewashes the pages to create his own book for Liesel, which sustains her through her darkest times. Other books come in handy as diversions during bombing raids or hedges against grief. And it is the book she is writing herself that, ultimately, will save Liesel's life.

Death recounts all this mostly dispassionately -- you can tell he almost hates to be involved. His language is spare but evocative, and he's fond of emphasizing points with bold type and centered pronouncements, just to make sure you get them (how almost endearing that is, that Death feels a need to emphasize anything). "A NICE THOUGHT," Death will suddenly announce, or "A KEY WORD." He's also full of deft descriptions: "Pimples were gathered in peer groups on his face."

Death, like Liesel, has a way with words. And he recognizes them not only for the good they can do, but for the evil as well. What would Hitler have been, after all, without words? As this book reminds us, what would any of us be?

Reviewed by Elizabeth Chang

Tortilla Curtain by T. C. Boyle

Amazon Review By historyfuzz (San Jose, California)

Mr. Boyle's book attempts to raise discussion over the immigration debate in a creative and effective manner. With the introduction of four main characters in very different circumstances, he vividly develops their individual personalities, feelings, pains and desires through a series of challenges that ultimately depict the unavoidable reality: that they are each deeply affected by the actions of the others. Boyle attempts to get readers to take a fresh look at the aging, yet unresolved debate over illegal immigration in the Southwest. By developing his characters and their exploits so thoroughly, Mr. Boyle firmly places the reader into each character's shoes, and makes it a little easier to see some of the unspoken realities of this issue; not the least of which are the human struggles and the unavoidable ethical dilemas that cannot be resolved by taking one extreme position or the other. The obvious question is whether Boyle has created fair characterizations without resorting to the gratuitous use of shallow stereotypes.

While many may feel diferently, I believe that his representations of each character (while at times redundant) were accurate. Hailing from California myself and having been frequently and directly affected by issues raised in this book throughout my own life, I don't feel that Mr. Boyle relied on unrealistic generalizations. In fact, it was apparent to me that Mr. Boyle must have had some personal experiences (or engaged in some extensive research)to have provided the details and descriptions appearing in the book. Since my family originates from both sides of the border, I can confortably say that one would have to be hyper-sensative to be offended by any characterizations in the book.

My primary concern with the book rests with the ending. Without providing any details, I must say that Mr. Boyle owes me either another chapter or a new edition with an ending that measures up to the rest of the book. In the end, I was actually left speculating that my copy was missing some pages. To Mr. Boyle's credit, the reader is drawn closer, into an intimate relationship with each character. Chapter after chapter I became completely invested in the story. As the book builds, one cannot help but hope for some resolve, not necessarily in the immigration debate, but of the personal struggles of the characters who almost seem to deserve it after all the trials they've undergone throughout the book. This sense of satisfaction never comes. And while Mr. Boyle's ending message is thoughtful and profound, the ending's simplicity overshadows its intended impact. Throughout this book, Mr. Boyle effectively avoids opining directly on the topic (or possible solutions) of illegal immigration and chooses to allow the reader the opportunity to form their own conclusions by personally experiencing it through each character's eyes. The author clearly wanted to be consistent by choosing such a safe path to an ending, but it is shallow and abrupt, and lacking the creativity found throughout the book. I suppose if closure is not a prerequisite in your choice of a novel, this book is a great read. The journey is gripping. But if a thoughtful and creative ending is important, it might not be a good investment of time if you end up experiencing the same disappointment I did. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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