RECENZIE SCRISĂ DE RĂZVAN ANTON. A apărut inițial pe Teoriile unui blogger. We are all well aware of the fact that, one day, each of us is going to die. The thing is that, I, for one, have not given any thought to the shape that Death might have. It's just a stage. We might be afraid of it, or accept it as natural, depending on a variety of external factors (the time when it happens, if it happens to us or to our loved ones e.t.c.); but I fail to believe that we have pictured Death as a person. As written on the back-cover of The Book Thief: 'This is a novel narrated by Death'. This is what makes it special. Take Death, give it the least common of [secondary] job (a narrator), give a historical context proper enough to keep the narrator busy enough with his primary job (World War II in Nazi Germany) and you're bound to catch the reader's attention. Add: - A girl who would suffer an incessant number of losses which only books would cure - A poor neighborhood in a Germany which was supposed to be Uber Alles - A Jew, to represent his people and picture their suffering - A foster family who always fought for real justice, against the Nazi justice and Heil Hilter-ed just enough to keep alive And you get: -A heartbreaking experience. The desire to read and read and read, almost run through a book of more than 500 pages, wanting to see the outcome, but also knowing that you wouldn't want it to end. - A demonstration of the power of words. Words connect Liesel to her foster family, especially to Hans Hubermann, her 'papa'. Words defeat nightmares of her dying brother. Books bring her close to Rudy, her one true friend. Books become stronger than bombs. Her reading becomes a soothing drug for all those hiding in a basement, praying for their lives during bombardments. - A proof of humanity as the utmost value of the living. A German feeding the Jews. Sheltering one in his home. Risking everything in the name of justice. - The importance of simple things. The importance of accordion music. Of a toy teddy-bear. Of a great library which is not even your own, but keeps you going in the direction of your dreams. Simple things build up hope in The Book Thief. Hope for the hopeless, love for the unloved. And in the end you are convinced that, even death has a heart. There are so many things to write about The Book Thief that even words seem poor. Markus Zusak managed to describe the events of Nazi Germany, which are common knowledge to most people, in such a way as to shed a new light on everything. Of course there is Hitler. And the Holocaust. And 'Mein Kampf', and the dream of the Third Reich. But above all that, there is the emotion that all of this triggered. There is tragedy and despair. But there is also hope, and innocence, and love. Because of Liesel. Because of Rudy. Because of Papa. Because of Max. Because of everything that happens on Himmel Street. I heard this before reading The Book Thief and now I can whole-heartedly confirm it. Markus Zusak's novel is a life changing experience and I cannot recommend it enough. This is a book that will run through your veins from the first page to the last, and well beyond that.