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The Book Thief
- Narrated by: Allan Corduner
- Length: 13 hrs and 55 mins
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The Book Thief
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Summary
Brought to life by the rich tone of narrator Allan Corduner's voice, The Book Thief is one audiobook that will stay lodged in your mind long after the final word has been spoken.
Shortlisted for the British Book Awards, Newcomer of the Year, 2008.
"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...."
This novel is narrated in the all-knowing, matter-of-fact voice of Death, who witnesses the story of the citizens of Molching.
When nine-year-old Liesel arrives outside the boxlike house of her new foster parents at 33 Himmel Street, she refuses to get out of the car. Liesel has been separated from her parents, "Kommunists", forever, 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, a neighbour obsessed with Jesse Owens, and 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 rich people for whom her foster mother does the ironing. In time, they take in a Jewish boxer, Max, who reads with Liesel in the basement.
By 1943, the Allied bombs are falling, and the sirens begin to wail. Liesel shares 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 how books can nourish the soul. Its uplifting ending will make listeners weep.
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Critic reviews
"Markus Zusak's The Book Thief is told in the first person by Death. In print this was a bit coy, but it becomes compelling spoken in the rich tones of Allan Cordunner... What takes this further than many accounts of Nazi atrocities is the quirky Liesel and her friend Rudi who beg, borrow and steal their way into the world of books that their rulers want to control. Zusak's style is mannered, but heard aloud has the haunting quality of poetry." (The Times)
"Allan Corduner is perfectly voiced as the narrator, who visits the 9-year-old book thief, whose parents have been sent to a concentration camp, three times. It's Zusak's first adult novel and it's breathtaking." (Daily Express)
"Absorbing and searing." (Washington Post)
"Zusak makes his ostensibly gloomy subject bearable in the same way Kurt Vonnegut did in Slaughterhouse-Five, with grim, darkly consoling humour." (Time)
"Zusak's playfulness with language leavens the horror and makes the theme more resonant: words can save your life....It's a measure of how successfully Zusak has humanized these characters that even though we know they are doomed, it's no less devastating when Death finally reaches them." (Publishers Weekly)
What listeners say about The Book Thief
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Philip
- 14-06-08
Brilliant!
A great book and the narrator was fantastic. I had actually partially read the book, so the only thing missing is the book's drawings which are just the cherry on the cake for this book.
Couldn't listen to it in public - it occassionally brought a tear to my eye!
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10 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Catherine
- 06-10-09
I blame this book for my late arrival....
.....my audiobooks are primarily to ease my many miles of car travel; The Book Thief was a gripping, intelligent 'read' that never failed to make the journey fly by, and made getting out of the car almost impossible at times, so I could frequently be seen sitting in car parks, or even outside my own home so that I could hear just a little more. This is an ambitious book, with a very different take on how very ordinary people can contribute to, stand by and witness or, exceptionally, take a stand against despicable acts of inhumanity. The device of the story unfolding through the narrator 'death' personified works well, and the curious element of "spoilers" being drip-fed to the reader strangely effective, and affecting. You'll not forget this book, but don't listen if you need to arrive punctually at your destination....you have been warned!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Angela
- 03-02-08
Brilliant!
I listened spellbound to this story of a young girl in 2nd world wartime Germany.So sad and so compelling. A brilliant audio book.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Daddy R
- 10-10-19
Absolute classic
The narrator is made to read this book. He adds an entirely new dimension to the story. The writing of this story is breathtaking at times, such clever use of metaphor and description. Absolutely wonderful
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Hannah
- 02-05-19
Just wow!
Had no idea what this was about, just that it had great reviews. I wasn’t disappointed and surprised how hooked I was from the start. Narration is so good I would listen to a book just be he was the narrator.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Steve Roberts
- 16-04-18
Wonderful
if you were in the vicinity of the town I live in, you might have seen a middle aged man walking his dog with tears falling down his cheek as he listened to the end of this wonderful book.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- jo young
- 09-03-19
loved it!
i loved it!!! couldn't put it down!! I couldn't imagine anyone else telling the story!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andrew
- 05-06-21
A difficult read but lovely in its way
A harrowing tale without graphic details which I appreciated - it was very sad and depressing even without such detail and I realise it’s a privilege to be able to not hear the horrific murder and torture that took place in reality to the Jewish People.
I found it a hard read but I’m glad I’ve read it. Some uplifting moments for sure.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Lesleycurrie
- 26-03-19
What an amazing book!
I was totally gripped! No idea what to expect but it would have surpassed them all! A very touching book on so many levels!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Fran Turner
- 11-11-19
Wonderful yet heart breaking. A must read.
This is a fabulous story, narrated by Death and centred around a young German girl, Leisel. Her Foster family, Natzi Germany, a Jew, Max, and her friend Rudy. Laughter anger tears and books play a great role.
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