The Book Thief Unabridged (Audio Download): Amazon.co.uk: Markus Zusak, Allan Corduner: Books

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Audio Download
Listening Length: 14 hours
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Random House AudioBooks
Audible Release Date: 29 Dec 2006
Language: English
ASIN: B002SQ677Y

Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (786 customer reviews)

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Product Description

Shortlisted for the British Book Awards, Newcomer of the Year, 2008.

"It's just a small story, really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, a Jewish fist fighter, and quite a lot of thievery...."

This novel is narrated in the all-knowing, matter-of-fact voice of Death, who witnesses the story of the citizens of Molching.

When nine-year-old Liesel arrives outside the boxlike house of her new foster parents at 33 Himmel Street, she refuses to get out of the car. Liesel has been separated from her parents, "Kommunists", forever, and at the burial of her little brother, she steals a gravedigger's instruction manual, which she can't read. It is the beginning of her illustrious career.

In the care of the Hubermans, Liesel befriends blond-haired Rudy Steiner, a neighbour obsessed with Jesse Owens, and the mayor's wife, who hides from despair in her library. Together, Liesel and Rudy steal books - from Nazi book-burning piles, from the mayor's library, from the rich people for whom her foster mother does the ironing. In time, they take in a Jewish boxer, Max, who reads with Liesel in the basement.

By 1943, the Allied bombs are falling, and the sirens begin to wail. Liesel shares her books in the air-raid shelters. But one day in the life of Himmel Street, the wail of the sirens comes too late.

A life-changing tale of the cruel twists of fate and the coincidences on which all our lives hinge, this is also a joyous look at how books can nourish the soul. Its uplifting ending will make listeners weep.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

116 of 121 people found the following review helpful

Another humdinger 14 Mar 2008

By Mr. Peter Steward

Format:Paperback

I really can't believe that in the first three months of the year I have come across three gems in "A Thousand Splendid Suns," "A Quiet Belief in Angels" and now "The Book Thief." Each of these books is different but they are all stunning in their own individual way.

The Book Thief is highly original, although it did remind me somewhat of my book of the year for 2007 "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas." The subject matter for both books is the Nazification of Germany. Both books look at things from the perspective of a child growing up in the most turbulent of times and both have a child-like simplicity that just adds to their powers.

The Book Thief is a beautiful book from start to finish. Indeed at times it is more of a scrapbook of a life than a novel. It has a strangeness that only enhances the subject matter. For a start it is narrated by death. But this never detracts from the shape or power of the novel as young lives are slowly ripped apart in a German Town where poverty is rife.

The central character Liesel has a beautiful calmness of spirit. She always seems to be on the verge of re-alisation whilst still retaining the fragility of childhood. Slowly and gradually the evil unfolds before her as she becomes aware of the fate of the Jews in a town where she is thrust as an unwilling refugee.

In her adopted father Hans Hubermann, Zusak has created one of those unforgettable men of strength and kindness. At first when Liesel is thrust into the Hubermann household I was expecting a hard-hearted couple keen to take the small amount of money that Lisel brings with her but not so keen to give her the love that she craves. Nothing could be more from the truth. Hans is open with his love and support whilst is wife is softer than she would ever want anybody to know.

There are passages where the book appears to be meandering and nothing much seems to be happening. There is a war on, but it isn't hugely affecting those involved in the story. But then you realise, almost by chance, that it is affecting every character, sometime directly and sometimes in a rather subtler way (if war can be subtle). Then comes a cataclysmic climax that is both sad and uplifting.

This is a very unusual book. It is a delight to read and never stodgy and once again I can only highly recommend it.

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191 of 202 people found the following review helpful

Just read it!!! 22 Feb 2008

By A. Hope

Format:Paperback

I am not sure how to describe this book - without either giving too much away - or making it sound depressing and grisely which it is not at all. Suffice to say this is a novel narrated by death. It is the story of a young girl living in Nazi Germany, who goes to live with a foster family,and learns to read, and falls in love with: books, her new Papa, a boy called Rudy, and a Jew hiding in a basement. It is also a story of WW2 - from a persepective we don't often see - ordinaary Germans - some of whom were members of "The Party."

Death takes the reader by the hand, and leads us through the lives and deaths of people in Liesel's world, he kind of "gives the game away" a few times - and yet that never spoils it - it prepares the reader for what's ahead.
This is an astonishing book - the writing is great - an unusual style - but one that fits perfectly somehow with the voice of Death - and that of the unforgettable Liesel.

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

Pure Class 22 Mar 2007

By Frank

Format:Hardcover

I'm sure you have read some of the other reviews which give a good summary of the story so to avoid repetition I'll refrain. What I will share however is how I became immersed in this book just a few pages in. I grew to love Himmel Street and its many characters. Strangely though the inevitable ending which is foretold in the book does nothing to ease the emotion felt when the story is finally concluded. Normally this type of book would not be my cup of tea but there is just something indefinably special about it.

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4.5 out of 5 stars

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

A True 'Must Read'

Once in a while you come across a book that will leave an impression on you for a very long-term, and possibly change the way you view things. Read more

Published 1 day ago by Ajay Clare

Failed to keep me turning the pages

I found this book hard to keep turning the pages but I persevered.
After about 100 pages I gave up. Read more

Published 1 day ago by Book Review

Atmospheric writing

A good read. The characters are realistic and easy to repond to. The book gives you a realistic look into the times of Hitler youth and how children were brainwashed. Read more

Published 1 day ago by C. Wilkinson

Amazing narrative and perspective!

Last week, having finished my last book of the current stockpile, I walked in the book store with a list containing 6 names. 'The Book Thief' wasn't one of them. Read more

Published 1 day ago by Karl Jonckheere

Book thief

Well written book that keeps the interest in what is a very difficult subject to read about. Gives a whole new perspective to the holocaust in Germany during world war II.

Published 2 days ago by Gaffer

Good book

Good book but I found some of it disappointing, there were illustrations and a "book within a book" which I felt was the writers way of filling up space. Read more

Published 3 days ago by MISS KEWISH

Fantastic!!!

This book has already so many great reviews, i thought why write one more? Well, because i could not stop myself! BOOK THIEF is FANTASTIC!! Read more

Published 5 days ago by Maria.f

Life amongst death; Death amongst life. Beautifully written - read...

You might think that a book narrated by Death, whose subject is a fostered girl - Liesel Meminger - wrenched from her birth family, growing up in Nazi Germany between 1939 and 1943... Read more

Published 8 days ago by David Herdson

Just didn't like it that much

I read many reviews and people's "top books to read" lists, and this book just didn't meet my expectations. Read more

Published 9 days ago by Robb Cayford

A FANTASTIC BOOK AND A MUST READ!

Review 7 out of 5

I will start by saying that I had never heard of The Book Thief before I was given a copy to read for World Book Night. Read more

Published 10 days ago by Lynn Worton


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The Book Thief (Unabridged) [Audio Download]

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