The Book Thief



"It's just a small story really, about, amongst other things: I saw the book thief three times."
 * a girl,
 * an accordionist,
 * some fanatical Germans,
 * a Jewish fist fighter,
 * and quite a lot of thievery.

- Death, from the prologue

""Here is a small fact. You are going to die." --Death on the first page"

Set in WWII-era Germany, The Book Thief tells the story of a twelve year old girl called Liesel Meminger, the eponymous book thief, living with her foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann. This book is entirely narrated from the perspective of Death--who has surprisingly witty and dry sense of humor (and uses beautiful metaphors a lot). Written by Markus Zusak.

Keep some tissues handy.

"Sister Maria. Was not impressed."
 * Alliterative Name: Hans Hubermann.
 * Almost Kiss: Liesel to Rudy when they're celebrating his birthday in his father's shop.
 * The Atoner: Ilsa Hermann is a version of this, never lighting fires, always opening windows, constantly living in a cold, dreary house because of how.
 * Aw, Look -- They Really Do Love Each Other: Even though Hans and Rosa are locked in The Masochism Tango, Hans brings eggs back to Rosa and genuinely cares for her, while Rosa prayed for Hans' safety with his accordion every night.
 * Berserk Button: DO NOT call Liesel stupid. She'll kill you.
 * Blackface: Rudy, earlier in the book. But it's an homage to Jesse Owens and Rudy's father sets him straight.
 * It should be noted that the issue here isn't that anyone's concerned about offending black people, it's that Rudy's a boy growing up in Nazi Germany and this kind of behavior could get him in serious trouble.
 * Brevity Is Wit: Several sections of Death's narration is this:

"Rudy Steiner was one of those audacious little bastards who actually fancied himself with the ladies. Every childhood seems to have exactly such a little juvenile in its midst and mists. He's the boy who refuses to fear the opposite sex, purely because everyone else chooses to embrace that fear..."
 * Cannot Spit It Out: Liesel to Rudy. Just kiss him, already.
 * Casanova Wannabe: Rudy to Liesel. Yep, even as a kid. And lampshaded by our narrator:

"Arthur (after ): We'll get the others. We might be criminals, but we're not totally immoral."
 * Cluster F-Bomb: Rosa Hubermann is very prone to this. And Pfiffikus makes Rosa, in the book's own words, 'look like a saint and a wordsmith'.
 * Covers Always Lie: A lot of versions of the cover depict a scythe-wielding hooded Death. Y'know, exactly like how Death specified he/she DIDN'T look like?
 * Daddy's Girl: Liesel, after the adoption.
 * Dead Little Sister: Liesel's brother Werner dies at the beginning of the novel.
 * Disappeared Dad: Liesel has never met or seen her biological father.
 * Don't Fear the Reaper: Death, the narrator, is amusing, non-linear and rather compassionate towards humans, particularly the other main characters. He even describes cradling the souls of particularly vulnerable or sad people, like children or the Jews killed in the death camps, in his arms. Given that it's a book about World War II, the "amusing" part takes a sharp turn. The death camp scenes, unsurprisingly, are particularly bad.
 * Dumb Blonde: Played with with Rudy Steiner. He isn't exactly an idiot, but with the way he acts, it's hard to tell at times, so he kind of falls in Genius Ditz territory as well.
 * First Kiss: A sad example here:
 * For the Evulz: Basically why Viktor Chemmel steals from farmers, even though he's a well-provided for rich boy.
 * Foregone Conclusion: About half way through the book, Death accidently spoils that  because he is bad at mystery. It's still a Tear Jerker.
 * Happily Adopted: Liesel.
 * He Is Not My Boyfriend: Hans prompts Liesel to say this about Rudy.
 * Heroic BSOD:
 * Hans does as well.
 * Honor Among Thieves: Arthur Berg and his apple-stealing troupe.
 * Heroic BSOD:
 * Hans does as well.
 * Honor Among Thieves: Arthur Berg and his apple-stealing troupe.
 * Honor Among Thieves: Arthur Berg and his apple-stealing troupe.


 * Incurable Cough of Death: Sort of. It's not explained why Werner died (it's hinted he was ill) but right before he did so he was overcome by a violent coughing fit.
 * I Should Write a Book About This: Liesel ends up writing a memoir about her experiences.
 * Jerkass: Viktor Chemmel will always give you the inexplicable urge to punch him in his smug face.
 * Also Franz Deutcher, Rudy's Hitler Youth leader.
 * Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Rosa Hubermann. The narration itself states that she really does love Liesel, but she doesn't quite know how to show it. Arthur Berg also counts, especially compared to his successor. Death is more of a Deadpan Snarker with a heart of gold.
 * Jew In My Basement
 * Kidanova: Rudy.
 * Kill'Em All: Almost the entire cast in one scene.
 * Lemony Narrator: The entire thing is narrated by Death. He has quite a unique voice.
 * Lethal Chef: Rosa Hubermann's cooking is horrible.
 * Missing Mom: Liesel's mother
 * Naive Newcomer: Liesel
 * Nazi Germany
 * Never Got to Say Goodbye: This happens to Liesel a lot.
 * No Fourth Wall: Death frequently addresses the audience directly.
 * No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Again, do not call Liesel stupid.
 * Noodle Incident: The infamous Jesse Owens incident is mentioned a couple of times. Subverted in that later, Rudy tells Liesel about the incident in such detail that she can now picture it perfectly in her head.
 * Odd Friendship: Liesel and Max end up bonding over a number of things, including fists, trains, words, and their respective dead relatives.
 * Oh, and X Dies: Several times over.
 * Perpetual Poverty: Himmel Street isn't one of the better parts of town...
 * Snow Means Death: Liesel's little brother dies on the way to Himmel Street and is given a hasty burial in the snow.
 * Hans and Rosa's son is sent to Stalingrad, which inevitably invokes this trope.
 * The Grim Reaper: Subverted. At one point, Death even lampshades this trope by telling us how amusing the whole 'grim reaper with scythe and cloak' thing is.
 * The Masochism Tango: You really have to wonder what got Hans and Rosa Hubermann together in the first place.
 * The Power of Love: Tragically subverted.
 * Take That: Death makes sure to step on the picture of Hitler Frau Diller keeps framed when.
 * True Companions: Arthur Berg's apple stealing team. When he moves away, the new leader doesn't keep the group quite as close-knit.
 * Vitriolic Best Buds: Liesel and Rudy's exchanges are frequently littered with insults, jabs, and a rather colorful assortment of German swear words.
 * War Is Hell
 * World War Two
 * World War Two