h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak - A87767590
Author: minorvogonpoet - U3099090


I've just moved this from the Alternative Writing Workshop.

It is intended to be an introduction to the book - giving some of its flavour and a recommendation to read it.

Thank you minorvogonpoet, for resubmitting this Entry here. This is exactly the sort of Entry I was longing for, when we began the latest 'Summer Reading' challenge.

Well written, concise and leaving all those who have read it with a desire to seek the book out for themselves. You even have a comment appended to the Entry itself saying exactly that.

I've given my opinions about the quality of this Entry, in the AWW - and so the only thing left for me to suggest is that you add the publisher's details and ISBN number. Price too, at the time of publication. - in bold at the bottom of the Entry.

My comments from the AWW stand.

In Peer Review, as far as content and style, my comments are;

Quick readability of Entry, passion in telling, love of the book evident, concise summaries.

As far as EG style are concerned, a few links wouldn't go amiss

There's some quotations perhaps that could be italicised, and maybe even a direct quote (a single line is enough) from the book would help people get an impression of the the author's style.

It can be disconcerting reading the book from what some would consider an ominpotent viewpoint, but I think it adds to the original concept of the book, and a fascinating take on a subject that is always difficult to convey will balance and care.

However, that's more about the book. If you have any direct opinions of the book yourself, or want to use other peoples, you could always add those to the Entry - people like to know what others thought, by putting, 'an h2g2 Resaercher said "baldiblah" in.

Other than that, I still really like this Entry as a quick read on the bus kind of thing, which I think h2g2 has to try more of. Encyclopaedic Entries are all very well, and often excellently researched, but not surer that's our modern remit.

'Mostly harmless' says what I feel, but I'm opinionating about a different subject in PR and should stop.

Great Entry, don't overwork it while it's here

Excellent article – short, sweet – gives enough information to whet the appetite, but not give the whole plot away.

The only thing I wondered about is the Mayor's wife. You mention her as being subtly developed, but that's it. After seeing her mentioned once, I had expected to see her mentioned again or something like 'The characters – from the heroine, Liesel, to the Mayor’s wife, who only appears briefly - are subtly developed.' At the moment I'm not sure whether or not she is an important character, but I'm assuming probably not.

<BB<

That sounds like an interesting book.

I agree about the Mayor's wife. We have no idea who she or the Mayor are.

Right at the start you write ' The story starts in Nazi Germany in 1939, when there is a great deal of dying, and will be more.'
Can this be reworded? It sounds a bit... I don't know...

I also wouldn't call giving the Jews on the way to Dachau bread 'generous'. I'd rather say it's very brave, but as a child maybe he wasn't aware of it?

And at the end you write that if ordinary Germans didn't like Hitler why did he get power at all. I personally would reword that paragraph too. Enough people looked up to him. It's not like Germans (and Austrians) as a whole disliked Hitler at that time.

Thank you for your comments.

I've put some links in and might add some more before I've finished.

I've taken out the reference to the Mayor's wife, but added a bit about Rosa Hubermann, who is a key character.

I'm reluctant to say 'An h2g2 researcher said', as I think it's a clumsy formulation.The reason why I put the piece in the AWW to start with was that I wanted to express my own reaction to the book.

Thanks, Tavaron, for your point about Hitler's popularity. One of the questions I have about the book is whether it gives a fair picture about Hitler's Germany. Few of the characters are keen Nazis and some disapprove of what Hitler is doing. This may give a misleading impression - it's impossible for me to say. Maybe I should strengthen this bit.

Interesting book. I wonder why the author chose Death as the narrator.

Is Lisel herself Jewish? And her adopted father? I did wonder how she came to be living with him. We know why Max goes to live there but not Lisel. I mean, we understand her father was taken away but not why she ends up in this household particularly. I found those questions rather distracting.

I like the inclusion of a potted intro to some of the other characters though. And I like the potential for debate sparked by your thoughts on the portrayal of ordinary Germans in the book.

Thanks, Solnushka.

I think Zusak chose Death as the narrator for two reasons. Firstly, although he's not strictly omniscient, he can be assumed to know enough to put the story in its historical context. Secondly, Liesel's life and those of her friends and family are constantly under threat. One of the cover illustrations for the book shows her in the shadow of Death.

Liesel's parents aren't Jewish, but they are communists. Her father has already been deported at the beginning of the book, and her mother is ill and can't look after her. Liesel's mother is deported later. I think the Hubermanns are paid a small amount to foster Liesel.

I don't want to put too many of these details in the article, because I'd rather people read the book!

I think the bit about why the father was deported would be worth going in. I was a bit confused as to why you'd mentioned that Max's father was Jewish and nothing about hers - I couldn't work out whether it was supposed to be obvious she was Jewish or if there was some other explanation. Plus, it does rather underline the point about it being a different take on the war than the naratives we often hear.

I must say I like the death device, then. Different (again!) to having the whole story in flashback so one of the characters can do the historical perspective thing from the comfort of their old age. I'm this close to actually reading it, and I never read serious works of literature. Like Lanza said, always the mark of a good book review, that.

I agree with Sol about the father.

The question of history... that bit could be expanded to a huge extent, if you want to cover at least a few more views and angles, but I think it's perhaps better to reduce it. This is one of the points of view of that time, and there were so many different ways to deal with that time, with all sorts of reasons for the choice.

Otherwise, it makes me interested to read the book! I like the parts about the content!

Remember what I said in the AWW mvp

Calliopes_Sleepy Face, my wife, says this: "Very nice. Well written piece and a good introduction to the book without giving too much away. The Entry could get lost in the history of the period. It's not about that, it's about the book(s)."

Thanks, Matt.

I've added a bit to explain Liesel's arrival in Molching. But I think this article is now finished, as far as I'm concerned!

A very well done book review. It interests the reader without giving away too much.

Thanks, Happy Nerd.

What Matt said in post #13.
If the book doesn't give an answer to something, I can't see why you should.

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

Congratulations!

Thanks, Tavaron.