The Book Thief is another book I picked up to “read before the movie,” and I’m delighted I did. The genre (1940s Germany) isn’t what I typically turn to, but the story is told from a perspective of a young girl that allowed me to slip into this time and tragic period and settle into the story of this little girl who is just trying to get by in a world crumbling around her.
The writing is spectacular, and as a story told by Death, I know some wonder how this could become a movie. But Death is just the vehicle by which we learn of Liesel’s life. I can easily, though, see how this story can be delivered by any good director. The story is there The amazing characters are there. The deepest emotion is there. The heartbreak is there. And yes, 1940s Germany, Death is there. But we need not personify him to understand that power.