The Book Thief
- Author Markus Zusak
- Narrator Allan Corduner
- Publisher Transworld
- Publish Date 4 January 2007
- Run Time 13 hours and 56 minutes
- Format Audio
- Genre Historical fiction, Narrative theme: Coming of age, Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss, Narrative theme: Sense of place, Second World War fiction, The Holocaust.
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Listen to a sample
What to expect
'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 ...'
Narrated in the all-knowing matter-of-fact voice of Death, witnessing the story of the citizens of Himmel Street:
When nine-year-old Liesel arrives outside the boxlike house of her new foster parents, she refuses to get out of the car. Liesel has been separated from her parents - 'Kommunists' - for ever, 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, her neighbour obsessed with Jesse Owens. She also befriends 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 richer people of Molching. In time, the family hide a Jewish boxer, Max, who reads with Liesel in the basement.
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By 1943, the Allied bombs are falling, and the sirens begin to wail. Liesel shares out 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 the power of book to nourish the soul. Its uplifting ending will make all readers weep.
User Reviews
| Author | Markus Zusak |
|---|---|
| Narrator | Allan Corduner |
| Duration | 13 hours and 56 minutes |
| Release Date | |
| ISBN | 9781407001661 |
| Format | Audiobook |
| Publisher | Transworld |
| Genre | Historical fiction, Narrative theme: Coming of age, Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss, Narrative theme: Sense of place, Second World War fiction, The Holocaust |
| Availability | GB, IE |
| Rating |
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| Narration |
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