This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the book thief by markus zusak. In 20, the book thief was made into a major motion picture, and in 2018 was voted one of americas alltime favorite books, achieving the 14th position on the pbs great american read. The lead of this film is a young girl named liesel played by sophie nelisse who is a young girl, seemingly, abandoned by her mother and now under the care of an old couple. Oct 09, 2018 critic, book world october 9, 2018 at 3. The book thief, starring geoffrey rush and emily watson, is perhaps the most vapid depiction of nazi germany that hollywood has yet cooked. Narrated by death, who over the course of the book. The novel focuses on the joys and sorrows of liesel, her foster family, and the jewish man they hide from the nazis.
Markus zusak is the international bestselling author of six novels, including the book thief and most recently, bridge of clay. Like the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime, which was initially targeted at young adults in britain but to adults in the usa, the book thief is one of those rare books that really does speak to both young and old alike. The book thief is narrated by death yup, you heard that right who tells us the story of liesel meminger. She stays in bed for three days, and every day rudy comes to ask for her. A summary of prologue and part one in markus zusaks the book thief.
It is the first in the queens thief series, the fifth book of which was published in 2017 it was a runnerup for the 1997 newbery medal and a newbery honor book in 2012, the thief was ranked number among the top 100 chapter. The excerpt that you can read at bookbrowse doesnt do this exceptionally readable, highly memorable book. The book thief movie tiein by markus zusak, paperback. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the book thief and what it means. The book thief part 1part 2 the other side of sandpaper book of fire summary the book thief part 3part 4 the way home the accordionist summary the book thief part i a good girl the floating book summary the book thief part ii the gamblers floating book summary the book thief part 6part 7 deaths diary. While some observers might say that line was crossed long ago, others may find that conclusive proof arrives in brian percivals the book thief, based on an international bestseller that the new york times jibed as harry potter and the holocaust. Liesel is shown the true stakes of the war when her father hides a young jewish man in thier basement. Death narrates this novel about liesel meminger, a nineyearold girl living in molching, germany.
The first time he saw the book thief, he says, was on a train. Set in germany in the years 19391943, the book thief tells the story of liesel, narrated by death who has in his possession the book she wrote about these years. Conversation starters the book thief by markus zusak by. Its january 1939, and ten year old liesel is traveling by train with her mother and her little brother werner. Get free homework help on markus zusaks the book thief. While subjected to the horrors of world war ii germany, young liesel finds solace by stealing books and sharing them with others. The book thief is an extraordinary, heartbreaking book. Title of book author publisher date stolenrecived place stolen from notes the grave diggers handbook. The book thief has the use of nazis in movies reached the point of being pornographic. The grave diggers handbook, a training book about grave digging, which liesel meminger protagonist found lying in the snow at werner memingers funeral. Her father is taken away under suspicion of being a communist, and her. On the fourth day, liesel goes with rudy to the woods where they once scattered bread for the jews.
Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. The book thief study guide contains a biography of markus zusak, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full. Said couple, hans played by geoffrey rush and rosa played by emily watson are complete opposites. Mar 17, 2014 the book thief is set in nazi germany, at the start of world war two. The thief overview megan whalen turner this study guide consists of approximately 14 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the thief. In its line of work, death tries to focus on colors as a way of distracting itself from the survivors of those who have died. It was a runnerup for the 1997 newbery medal and a newbery honor book. The novel gives a unique perspective on world war ii by telling the story from the nonjews of germany who remained in their country during the war. The majority of the novel takes place in the fictional town of molching, germany, near munich, between 1939 and 1943. The mayors wife invites liesel to read in her library. The book thief is about a young girl, liesel, growing up in germany amidst world war ii. Overview book thief frontier central school district.
This is a quick book summary and analysis of the book thief by markus zusak. The book begins when liesel is sent to live with a foster family. In the basement of her home, a jewish refugee is being protected by her adoptive parents. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. At the funeral liesel finds a book called the grave diggers handbook in the snow, but she doesnt know how to read.
The book thief tells the story of liesel meminger, a young german girl coming of age in nazi germany. The book thief is a story narrated by a compassionate death who tells us about liesel, a girl growing up in germany during world war ii. Death introduces himself as the narrator of the novel. Get the entire the book thief litchart as a printable pdf. It was adapted into a 20 feature film of the same name. Overview of book thief, the, 20, directed by brian percival, with rainer reiners, carina wiese, rafael gareisen, at turner classic movies. The next time he saw her was when he came for a pilot who had crashed his plane. The book thief summary from litcharts the creators of. This is absolutely the best teacher resource i have ever purchased.
This study guide and infographic for marcus zusaks the book thief offer summary and analysis on themes, symbols, and other literary devices found in the text. Markus zusaks fiction bestseller the book thief follows a young girl, liesel meminger, as she lives under hitlers rule. Hans is the usual silly dad you would find in a sitcom, though not slapstick silly, and rosa is the more serious of the two. Liesel and werner are being taken to the small town of molching, just outside of munich, germany, to. Deaths duty is to carry away the souls of the recently departed, which it has apparently done for millenia. Even though i stole, like, 3 books in total or something. Death narrates the story of liesel meminger, beginning when she is nine years old and suffering from the death of her brother and separation from her mother. The book thief is set in nazi germany, at the start of world war two. It was adapted into a 20 feature film of the same name plot. Rebellious in nature, liesel feeds her hunger for stories by stealing books from book burnings.
Narrated by death, the book thief is the story of liesel meminger, a nineyearold german girl who given up by her mother to live with hans and rosa hubermann in the small town of molching in 1939, shortly before world war ii. A summary of part three in markus zusaks the book thief. Liesel meminger is a young girl who has been placed in foster care by her mother. Confessions cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. I think backman does a bit worse with childs point of view. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the book thief, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of the book thief. Also in 2018, bridge of clay was selected as a best book of the year in publications ranging from entertainment weekly to the wall street journal. This newsletter was created with smore, an online tool for creating beautiful newsletters for educators, nonprofits, businesses and more. Book summary the majority of the novel takes place in the fictional town of molching, germany, near munich, between 1939 and 1943.
Please bear in mind that this book is a summary book of the book thief, not the full book. The book thief is a historical novel by australian author markus zusak and is his most popular work. Markus zusaks the book thief, set in germany during world war ii, follows young liesel meminger as she struggles with the loss of her mother and brother and must go to live with foster parents, hans and rosa hubermann. Based on the beloved international bestselling book, the book thief tells the story of an extraordinary, spirited young girl sent to live with a foster family in wwii germany. The book thief by markus zusak is a novel of cruelty, poverty, and hope. A metaphysical being, death serves as the dryly cynical narrator of the book thief. Feb 27, 2014 the book thief, starring geoffrey rush and emily watson, is perhaps the most vapid depiction of nazi germany that hollywood has yet cooked up 2.
The book thief is a novel by markus zusak that was first published in 2005. Observed by the mayors wife, liesel steals a book from the book burning. At the funeral liesel finds a book called the grave digger. Along her journey she witnesses the death of her younger brother. A stunning tale of adolescence in nazi germany, the book thief follows the life of liesel meminger as she grows up in the home of her adoptive parents. A young girl sophie nelisse living with foster parents geoffrey rush and emily watson in nazi germany begins collecting forbidden books and sharing them with the jewish refugee hiding in her home in this war drama adapted from markus zusaks book by screenwriter michael petroni the dangerous lives of altar boys and. Death introduces himself as the narrator and describes the three times he saw the book thief. See a complete list of the characters in the book thief and indepth analyses of liesel meminger, max vandenburg, hans hubermann, and rudy. The book thief summary from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. It is the first in the queens thief series, the fifth book of which was published in 2017. The thief is a young adult fantasy novel by megan whalen turner published in 1996 by greenwillow books, an imprint of william morrow later, of harpercollins.
His work is translated into more than forty languages, and has spent more than a decade on the new york times bestseller list, establishing zusak as one of the most successful authors to come out of australia. With sophie nelisse, geoffrey rush, emily watson, ben schnetzer. Narrated by death, the book is set in nazi germany, a place and time when the narrator notes he was extremely busy. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. Faust the dog, written by mattheus ottleberg, a christmas gift. Set in germany during world war two, the novel begins with its. Hans, rosa, and liesel hide max vandenburg in their cellar. The story begins with liesel, her mother, and her brother werner riding on a train. Published in 2005, the book thief became an international bestseller and was translated into 63 languages and sold 16 million copies. The book thief is a comingofage novel, so tracing the character development of liesel is practically a requirement. Use specific passages from the text liesels arrival to himmel street, liesels visions of her dead brother, etc. Her name is the book thief and i shall name her that for the rest of the book.
While its set during a historical time period, the book thief doesnt give us a dry, factbased history lesson. She steals books, learns to read, and finds comfort in words. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class. The book thief, is the fourth novel by author markus zusak.
826 1113 568 1282 29 124 708 645 788 893 853 1075 1604 1187 169 1028 1192 1606 619 283 252 1097 1245 902 1111 1040 532 223 1131 862 692 778 633 1547 20 213 393 1160 53 497 461 878 261