Second book, second report. Since my last blog post was kind
of...well...weird, I went online to find out "How to Write a Book
Report." Wow! There are lots of different opinions on how to write book
reports! Who knew? Anyway, that was kind of a wash, so I'll just tell it my own
way.
Upshot? Written from a very unique point of view, this book
tells the story of a girl's experiences in Germany during World War II.
<<This is the boring explanation.
This is one of those kinds of books that grabs you by the lapels
and demands to be read. I had a hard time putting it down: sneaking reads when
I should have been doing something else. It's THAT kind of book. I can't
exactly say that I "enjoyed" it because it was dark and dealt with
some of history's most difficult-to-process subjects, but it was very well written mainly because of the
point of view - which I won't spoil for you - and the way the author plays with
language.
What do I want to say about the main character Liesel? We
are taken by the hand and led through her adventures. She's first an
"orphan" and then is placed with a foster family that is actually
beyond my capability to adequately describe. (Spoilers, darling!) She has
friends, plays soccer, steals books, and her family hides a Jewish guy in the
basement. (ACK!) Her Papa is especially endearing and I enjoyed the character a
great deal. And Mama too. Sometimes.
I'm not sure what this book is about or for. It could be
about death, kindred spirits, fate, ultimate loss and despair, or friendship. Or
all of them. I really don't know. I found the topics to be edgy and depressing,
but the book is actually quite funny in some ways.
Should you read it? If you're in a dark place, probably not.
If you're doing fine, READ THIS.
What about you? Have you read it? What did you think? Any
other WWII books you'd recommend as "must reads"?
About 120 pages in - I'm enjoying the story, the layout of the book, the omnipotent narration (from an omnipotent character, no doubt)... but what really grabbed me and makes me want to keep reading is the writing style - I especially enjoyed the descriptions at the fire/book burning such as this passage: "Although something inside told her that this was a crime - after all, her three books were the most precious items she owned - she was compelled to see the thing lit. She couldn't help it. I guess humans like to watch a little destruction. Sand castles, houses of cards, that's where they begin. Their great skill is their capacity to escalate."
ReplyDeleteThe above passage can be seen as a microcosm for one of the bigger themes in this book. Other passages are just poetic, like "The orange flames waved at the crowd as paper and print dissolved inside them. Burning words were torn from their sentences."
Thanks for the suggestion. Looking forward to the last 3/4ths of the book.
-oo-