Journal Entry 3: The Book Thief (which I read by candle light due to the psychotic windstorm)

So who knew that Death had such a good sense of humor, or such a sensitive outlook on life (and death)? I LOVED this book. The manner in which it was written, with a very witty Death as narrator, really allowed me to experience the story from a unique angle. It is something that I think students would thoroughly enjoy, too. The only bad thing about Death as a narrator is that the reader discovers the fates of several key characters in advance, causing me to have to put down the book for awhile. For instance, when I found out about Rudy's imminent death I was devastated even before it transpired, and while I thought I had braced myself and prepared myself for the event I was still deeply touched.

This is a book that really made me love the characters, and the deaths of many of them, namely Hans Huberman, really shook me up. When I first finished the book I was miserable- heartbroken, really- I hate books that leave me feeling so depressed. After a few days had passed I started thinking about the book more, though, and I have decided that life, like the book, is not always pretty, and this is a prime example of how literature can be used to generate some serious and productive discussion in the classroom. There is room for discussion about the historical aspect of the text, as well as the severely human experience in the text. I think it is critical to realize the extent to which Liesel Meminger was touched by the state of affairs in Germany, and also to think about how a nation can get to that point. There is a section in the book (and had I been able to see properly I am sure I would have highlighted it!) where Death is talking about how wars can bring out the best and the worst in people, and I think that is an interesting observation that has plenty of room for exploration. Wilhelm talks about storying as defining humanity, and this novel is a supreme example of that.

Also, I loved the way that Hans taught Leisel to read. The fact that her love of reading comes from a need to cope with some sort of trauma speaks volumes about the power of literature. Liesel learns to cope with her nightmares through reading. This is illustrated again when all of Himmel Street gathers in a basement during air raids, and Liesel reads to the group. Her reading has a cathartic and calming effect on the group, even while they seek shelter from the possible destruction above them, in fact from death itself. Love is also illustrated to Liesel through the act of reading in the form of Max Vandenburg and his book for Liesel (and how appropriate is it that his words and story of love is literally written over the words of Mein Kampf at a time when love and humanity are taking place despite the reign of Hitler?????).
Reading is an escape for Liesel, and reading literally saves her life in the end of the book, because she is only saved from the destruction by reading and writing in the basement where Max once sought refuge.And the idea of a book thief intrigues me, because Liesel isn't merely stealing a book or some words; rather, she is stealing happiness and refuge at a time when both were sparse, and I find that to be such a lovely notion.

Another, thought, and this may be entirely unrelated, are the colors that Death mentions in the very beginning. Each time that Death spies Liesel Meminger he sees a color. Spotting her three times he sees first white, then black, and finally red. This stood out to me for several reasons. First and most obvious could be the fact that those three colors come together to comprise the flag of Nazi Germany. And so perhaps this is not just the experience of Liesel Meminger in Nazi Germany, but the collective experience of Nazi Germany itself. The death and destruction, the love coupled with the hate: these are certainly found in Liesel's life, but could her experience be indicative of the country's experience, as well? Secondly, and this may be a little farther off the beaten path, those three colors are traditionally associated with death. I kept thinking about this one passage from the myth about Deirdre and the Sons of Usiliu (either Irish or Welsh mythology, I can't recall) when Deirdre sees a black bird eating a carcass on the snow and she talks about how she could love a man with those three colors; black, red, and white. Throughout the myths there are references about these colors in relation to death, so that was just something that was in the back of my mind when reading this book.