One of Markus Zusak’s books, The Book Thief, is perhaps his most well-known and well-liked. After being released in 2005, The Book Thief quickly gained popularity, selling 16 million copies and being translated into 63 other languages. The Book Thief, a major motion picture released in 2013, was made from it.
In her book, Liesel Meminger describes her travels around Germany during the war. The personification of “Death” as a natural person in this novel offers readers a unique glimpse into the lives of those affected by the conflict. You can download The Book Thief PDF version from this website.
| Book Name | The Book Thief |
| Author | Markus Zusak |
| Publisher | Black Swan |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 560 |
Summary of Book Thief
Death introduces himself and establishes himself as the narrator of the story. He said that his first interaction with the book thief occurred while on the train. He saw her again when he returned to see how the downed plane’s pilot was doing. A terrorist assault was the cause of the third incident. His visions each included a unique arrangement of the Nazi colours white, red, and black. After then, the narrative starts with Death. Werner passes away unexpectedly while Liesel, her mother, and the rest of their family are travelling by train to Munich. Liesel snatches a book from a gravedigger after her mother’s burial ceremony as he is assisting in burying the deceased. Liesel’s foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann will raise her in Molching. There, they continue their adventure. She will be travelling with her mum. Liesel and her foster parents initially have a rocky relationship, but Hans finally wins her after showing her how to make cigarettes for him.
Despite recurring dreams about her murdered brother, she takes time to get used to her new existence. Rudy, a neighbourhood toddler, often requests kisses from Liesel on behalf of Jesse Owens, an American athlete. Rudy becomes closer to her and has a significant impact on her life. Hans starts teaching Liesel the alphabet, and the two of them read from a book Liesel borrowed from a gravedigger to help her learn to read. The political climate in Molching and across Germany is deteriorating even as the war continues to rage and resources for food and jobs grow increasingly limited. As the neighbourhood decides to burn books in honour of Hitler’s birthday, Liesel takes another book from the flames.
Liesel is presently delivering Rosa’s laundry. Ilsa Hermann, the Mayor’s wife, is Rosa’s regular client. When Liesel finally makes it inside Ilsa Hermann’s study, she is astounded by the number of books on display. She is authorised to read at the office by Frau Hermann. Max, a German Jew, is now hiding in a Stuttgart closet. Nothing will come out of the closet for you. A buddy of Hitler sends him fake identification documents, and a map tucked away in his book. Max left his cabinet and took a train to Hubermann’s residence. We find out that Max’s dad, Hans, was in the military with Hans’s dad during World War I. Hans promised Max’s mother he would be there whenever she needed him. As soon as Max enters Molching, Hans and Rosa take him to the basement. As he recovers from the terror he has experienced, Max and Liesel become friends, and Max uses the pages of MKPF that have been painted over to construct a book.
Frau Hermann informed Liesel that she no longer had the financial means to get the clothing adequately laundered. Liesel is furious because the Hermanns are wealthy, but her family is already struggling to make ends meet. Liesel and Rudy break into the Hermanns’ estate in the middle of the night and start looting the library of its valuables. Liesel makes a snowman for Max in the basement as she prepares for Christmas. Due to Max’s illness, Hans and Rosa are concerned about how they would get rid of Max’s body if he passes away. After some time, Max’s condition starts to get better. The Nazis began their attack to test whether the basement could be utilised as a bomb shelter. The cellar’s depth is measured. That Max is hidden from their view prevents them from noticing. Without permission, Liesel has been taking books from the Hermanns’ library. Liesel receives a letter from Frau Hermann accusing her of stealing from her and accompanied by a dictionary and a thesaurus as evidence. Rudy triumphs in each race he enters at the Hitler Youth event. When the Allies started bombing Molching, the residents of Liesel’s block were compelled to seek refuge in one of their neighbours’ basements. Liesel engages them in reading during each assault until it is safe to leave. But for one more night, it’s just him and the Hubermanns’ basement.
Nazi forces started transporting Jewish POWs to Dachau concentration camp while parading the detainees around the village where they were captured. Hans offers an elderly guy a slice of bread as soon as he notices that he is struggling to keep up with the rest of the group. The guy and Hans were both spanked by the Nazi soldiers who intervened. Max can no longer hide in the cellar, and Hans recognises that his activities have attracted attention. Later that evening, Max departs from Hans and Rosa’s home. Hans expects the soldiers to show up and take him away, but they never do. They visit Rudy’s home to sign him up for a Nazi leadership academy as a consequence. Rudy’s father, Alex, won’t let his son leave the house without asking first. Only a few days after the Germans return will Alex and Hans be recruited into the German army.
After Alex and Hans leave for their separate responsibilities, Rudy and Liesel attend the Jewish march and throw pieces of bread into the streets. Liesel receives “The Word Shaker,” a book Max created for her, from Rosa. It tells the tale of Max and Liesel’s developing relationship and their commitment to getting back together in the future.
Hans is sent to a team in Essen that is in charge of clearing up after airstrikes. One of the team members eventually insists that Hans and the other person switch seats on the business bus after growing to hate Hans. When the bus he was riding crashed, killing another passenger, Hans barely broke his leg. Hans is released and given the okay to recover at home. After another attack, Liesel and Rudy come upon a fallen Allied jet pilot. Hopefully, they’ll make it there in time to see his tragic Death. Death, the pilot, first appears to Liesel as he is on his way to take his soul. Liesel identifies Max as one of the detainees as the Nazis continue their march through Molching. Liesel informs rudy that Max is well cared for. It was the first time she had ever expressed her emotions to someone.
The Mayor’s wife offers Liesel a notepad with a blank page so she may start writing her narrative. Liesel is revising her novel in the basement when a bomb goes off in her neighbourhood in the middle of the night. Three people have been killed in the area: Hans, Rosa, and Rudy. She is rescued from the wreckage and brought to Rudy’s body, where she gives him the long-sought-after kiss. She does not take her completed book with her when she is taken away by the construction workers; the book’s title is “The Book Thief.” Thankfully, Death has intervened to save the text. Liesel moves in with the Mayor and his wife after being given refuge. Following the liberation of the concentration camps, Max can locate Liesel once again as soon as he returns to Molching. They hold each other while crying and comfort one another psychologically. Liesel does indeed mature, go to Australia, have a family, and lead a happy life there. When the time comes for him to claim her soul, Death gives her the book she had written many years before.
