The Book Thief

Around the World in 52 Books Challenge:  5/52 (Germany)

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

My Goodreads Review

5/5 stars

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I'm going to be late for work, even though I am my own boss and don't have to be at the office by any per-ordained time.  It's just that it's JANUARY!  I have five more payrolls to do, and two more GST reports to file (three more if I count my own) by the end of the month and time is running out!  I hope my blathering doesn't sound rushed or incoherent.  Okay, sometimes it's incoherent when I'm not in a rush.  I don't need anyone pointing that out.

So, commentary on the book.  Did I tell you that I loved it? 

Do you peek ahead when you are reading a book?  Or do you like to savour the suspense to the very end?

I peek.  Not at the very end of the book, but at various spots throughout.  It relieves the tension and allows me to slow my reading down so that I can enjoy it instead of rushing through like a crazed woman on speed.  I miss things that way, and I don't like to miss anything. Don't leave me out of the loop or I'll come running over and ask, "What did you say?"  Yes, I'm one of those annoying people.

If you believe that peeking will destroy the story, you may not want to read this book.  AND, you may not want to read any further in this entry.  We'll wave goodbye to each other right here.  Bye!

Zusak writes with spoilers!  Shocking!  You learn fairly early on that Rudy dies.  Zusak explains why he reveals that tidbit.  The audience for whom he writes is children.  He tells them up front what is going to happen so that they can prepare themselves.  He also tells them to create suspense.  I know you are asking how giving away a spoiler like that can build suspense instead of desroying it.  Because you don't know when or how it's going to happen.

It's pretty hard to flip pages on an audiobook so his style suited me perfectly. 

I've run out of things to say.  I had better get a move on and get to work.  I don't want a bunch of  grimacing employees flooding up my email, or cursing me on the phone.  I have finished the 6th book out of the challenge as well and I will likely write about that tonight, or tomorrow.