So it's Friday again, and that means another exciting Friday Recommends!This is an exciting book blog hop that book bloggers can take part in once a week to share with their followers, the books that they most recommend reading!
The rules for Friday Recommends are:
- Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
- Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
- Pick a book that you've read, and have enjoyed enough to recommend to other readers. It can be a book you've read recently, or a book you read years ago - it's up to you - but make sure you tell us why you love the book (like a mini review). You make the post as long or as short as you like.
- Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post after posting your blog post.
- Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
- Visit the other blogs and enjoy!
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Waterstones synopsis:
HERE IS A SMALL FACT - YOU ARE GOING TO DIE. 1939. Nazi Germany. The
country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier. Liesel, a
nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her
parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals
books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street
when the bombs begin to fall. SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION - THIS NOVEL IS
NARRATED BY DEATH. It's a small story, about: a girl, an accordionist,
some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist fighter, and quite a lot of
thievery. ANOTHER THING YOU SHOULD KNOW - DEATH WILL VISIT THE BOOK
THIEF THREE TIMES
This story is intelligent, gripping and well-written, but the best thing about it - by far - for me, is the narrative style. Death is literally personified in this book. He is bought to life as the narrative character, the authorial voice, and it works so incredibly well, that he just strolls off the pages. But he is not a frightening character, but a friendly one - soul collecting is simply his day job. He is, by a long way, one of my favourite fictional characters, which does seem to be a rather odd thing to say about Death.
The story itself is intriguing. It's a wonderful, potent mixture of the fantasy that arrises from the narrator, and the terrible realities & effects of war and destruction that we see both through his eyes, and through the eyes of the Book Thief, Liesel, a young German girl.
It's a beautiful, horrowing, poignant tale that shows us World War II from a completely different perspective.
I couldn't recommend this book more highly! It's giving me goosebumps just thinking about it again!
What do you recommend this week? Join in with Friday Recommends and let us know!
Add your link below in the linky!
19 comments:
I bought this book a few days before for my fiancee. I thought after he reads, I could read it too. But, I think I have to read first and torture him then to read it, LOL.
Vidya @ Books Are Magic
I thought this was an excellent book Dani. Well done for recommending it :D xx
There isn't anyone I wouldn't recommend this book to. It's one of my favourites! I loved the narrative in this one, too. :)
Sam @ Realm of Ficton
This is definitely one I would recommend and my review is popular if my stats are anything to go by.
Oh em gees, I LOVE this book!
I want to read this so much! It sounds like such a good book, and every review I have read loves not only the plot but how it is written.
Hopefully I can get my hands on this soon!
Thanks for the review :)
I loved this book...great review!
"But he is not a frightening character, but a friendly one - soul collecting is simply his day job."
I love the line. Such a good review. :)
my goodness, the synopsis is pretty scary. lol
This sounds a really unusual and interesting story. I shall have to add it to my list of books I want to read.
This really is one of the best books ever. Markus Zusak is so incredibly talented. I Am the Messenger was great too. Also, I really love that cover!
Bought this book a couple months ago after hearing that it was absolutely amazing, but haven't had the time to read it yet. I will definitely have to pick it up and read it soon because after reading your review it sounds super good and interesting! Great review!
this book has been on my wishlist for so long!! I have to get it now!!
Have heard a lot about this one!! But my TBR list is sooooooooooo long that I have no idea when I'll be able to get my hands on it!!
Wow this book sounds incredible, really! Thanks for the review.
Great Review!
I also loved this book!! :)
Oohhh sounds so interesting! I have this on my bookshelf to read - I actually got it as part of the free "World Book Night" thing. :) This review makes me even more excited for it! Can't wait to read it this summer.
First of all, I'm so glad that you have an eclectic range of books reviewed on this blog site. I kind of tire when reviewers/bloggers stick to the same kind of books over and over again. So kudos!
That being said, this book is one of my all-time favorite books...EVER! One of the things that intrigues me the most (which your review mentions) is how the author wrote from the perspective of death. It is both morbid, and infinitely interesting as well. Another such wonderful (and wonderfully complex) book is "My Name is Red" by Orhan Pamuk, in which one of the chapters is narrated by the corpse of one of the characters who is murdered! :)
Excellent review - comprehensive, thoughtful...does this book justice! Two thumbs up! :D
Name: Hira Hasnain
Email: Enamoredsoul(at)gmail(dot)com
I really loved this book as well. Death as an overlying narrator was such an odd and interesting way to tell a story and I was so moved by this book. Saying soul collecting was simply death's day job is a perfect explaination of the character and I loved you review!
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