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How does this book compare to others you have read?
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4. Stay on topic: our purpose is to discuss literature.
2. No text-talk: writing style counts.
3. DON'T YELL WITH CAPITALS!
4. Stay on topic: our purpose is to discuss literature.
Contributors
- Alex Quint
- Amy Gelhorn
- Annah Coleman
- Barscello
- Breanne
- Brooke
- Cristina Bras
- Daniel Boswick
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- Doug
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- Gurdeep Sangha
- HaileyBuhler
- Harjinder Sidhu
- Harley Masyk
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- Ms. McMaster
- Ryan Rogocki
- Stephanie A.
- Taylor Caryk
- Tyrenn Bauer
- Vicki La
- Vicky Ngo
- alexlucyshen
- kayla b
- kirstin bilous
- lttle.fireball
- steph
How is everyone going so far?
ReplyDeleteDoes everyone plan on being done reading by Spring Break?
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ReplyDeleteThe colors... The narrator keeps referring to them, and says that it is what he sees at first. But what do really color mean? What do they represent? A certain atmosphere created by people's words or actions, or the auras of each human soul? I find the concept of colors very interesting, and I think that colors have a lot more to them than just their physical properties.
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ReplyDeleteYeah I totally agree with Elvina I still don't understand what the colours represent,and I'm extreamly anxious to find out what role the nerrator plays in the story, perhaps the author chose "death" to represent all the people that died after the holocaust but I'm not sure yet.
ReplyDeleteHello there! I was wondering if anyone understood, on page 100, the part about Liesel's yellow tear. I'm kind of confused about the whole dark and light thing and the significance of it. Why was her tear light? And what does it mean?
ReplyDeleteI am still so clueless about all these colour references that the author has made. Please someone help me! I would really love to understand this to make the book easier to read.
ReplyDeleteI have the same question as you Amy, it seems to be significant in some way, I'm just not completly sure either. It might mean that the yellow tear represents a little bit of hope Liesel is holding on to, but if she had no hope that she would ever see or hear from her mother again, the tear would have been black. I think it symbolizes her hope, but if anybody has another opinion, please tell!
ReplyDeleteI personally believe the yellow tear represents the difference between good and bad. I imagine the yellow tear as being the 10% of German's trying to make their way against the commonly believed 'bad' Nazi party and its supporters.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that the tear shows that there's good and bad within everybody. I was lead to believe this when Leisel refers to her Papa's music as being black. I think that she's realizing that despite how he doesn't support the Nazis he doesn't stand up to them either which could be seen as a bad thing. And vice versa as the nazi supporters were in fact supporting their country which could be viewed as good. So far that’s all I have drawn from Leisel’s tear but if anyone else as any other ideas I’d be glad to hear them.
After reading part of this book, I started thinking; what if I were a German during the Nazi regime? What would I do? Would I support Hitler? Or would I oppose him? Would I have the courage to fight against the Nazis, like Hans? Or would I turn a blind eye, like Max Steiner? Of course we would all like to think that we would be able to do "the right thing", but what about all the ordinary German citizens back then? Didn't they also want to do "the right thing"? Were they all really so evil? What do you guys think you would do if you were in that same situation?
ReplyDeleteBeing as this novel is titled The Book Thief, I beleive that Leisel's stealing will play an important role in this novel. I also wondering if anyone has any ideas on what the books symbolize for her, as she so desperately wants to obtain them. Do they remind her of being with her family? Her brother? Does she just want to get out of her life? Or perhaps they have a deeper meaning for her and give her a sense of freedom. Anyone with any thoughts please share.
ReplyDeleteI think that books remind Leisel of her brother and they are the only things that, figuratively speaking, keep him with her. I also think that because Leisel has never been smart at school, reading makes her feel proud of herself. Plus, since Leisel doesn't have much, reading is a luxury, an indulgence for her.
ReplyDeleteIm just curious to find out if anyone knows if the Hubermanns know any specific detail on liesel's real mother, it seems to me like they are hiding something.
ReplyDeleteI think Hubermans are doing the right thing when they are not telling Liesel what happened to her mother. For one thing I am sure, it is not something good. Especially considering her being a Communist and a sick woman, as Liesel mentions.
ReplyDeleteI personnaly would not like to know.
I agree with Elvina's comment about Liesel's mother. Liesel is a young girl that has gone through alot already in her life. She doesn't need to go through more pain about the whereabouts of her mother. The Hubermans are doing a good thing and are acting like Liesel's real parents and not just her foster parents.
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ReplyDeleteDoes anyone else think that Liesel and Rudy's friendship will lead to something serious? It reminds me of what you see in movies. She wants nothing to do with him now (only as a friend).
ReplyDeleteDo you think that the Hubermans will continue to let Max stay in their house or kick him out when things get bad?
Yellow tear is a very interesting and mysterious metaphor. Generally yellow represent happiness and hope; it is a very bright and joyful color. But when connected with the word tear it must have a completely different meaning. After researching some information about yellow color I came to conclusion that it does not only represent good things. For example in some cultures it is considered bad to give woman yellow flowers colors because it represents grief and separation. In another cultures yellow is worn when someone dies. In 10-century France doors of traitors and criminals were always painted yellow. In Jewish culture yellow robes signify inconstancy, jealousy and deceit. And it was Hitler’s regime that made all Jewish people wear a yellow badge, the sign of shame.
ReplyDeleteMaybe as Shandra said, yellow tear does represent the 10% of a German people who are not in chime with Nazis. The small yellow tear in the big dark room… a very small gleam of light in the darkness created by Hitler and his people.
Also I think that yellow tear might represent the grief, anguish, despair and helplessness that Liesel felt when she realized that she will NEVER see her mother again. Imagining Liesel lying on the floor with one yellow tear trickling down her face, creates more intense image and stronger feelings than if the narrator described her weeping and crying for weeks.
If anyone has anymore ideas on this topic please share.
I think that the yellow tear represents the happiness that is leaving her body as she is crying.@ Amy, if I was a German during WW2 I would like to think I would be like Hans and be able to do the right thing, but what would happen if the Nazis found out that I was hiding a Jewish person in my basement or that sort of thing?
ReplyDeleteI really would like to know what "Saumensch" means? Considering the word comes up on almost every page it really annoys me when I have no idea what it means although I do think it is derogatory or rude.
ReplyDeleteI think the yellow represents the Jewish people because the Star of David is yellow. The red, black, and white represents the Nazi Germans because their flag is those colours. I think that Liesel had a yellow tear because her mother may be with the Jewish people and going through the same terrible things as them. Her foster parents are definitely hiding something from Lisel about her mother and it may be just that. It also may have to do with the theme because it was Hitler's birthday and it is ironic that she would be crying the colour that represents the Jews considering what Hitler has done to the Jewish people.
ReplyDelete@cdedavis
ReplyDeleteIf you look near the bottom of page 32 you get the definition for "Saumensch".
Apparently "Sau" refers to pigs, I'm not actually sure what mensch means, but it's defnitely an insult :P
@Amy
I think you're right, the germans are often given a bad reputation because of the WW's. I think that we really don't know how it would have been to live in that period. Also we need to remember that the Nazi party did not seem evil at first, but they gradually gained control until if you said something bad about them you could get killed. I think that a lot of people in Nazi Germany either believed they were doing the right thing, or wanted to do something but were too afraid to speak up.
This is one of the reasons that the book thief is unique. It makes us think of both sides of the war and how there are good and evil people on both sides.
@Elvina
I think that you're probably right about how the tear ties into the yellow that the jews were forced to wear. Even if it does represent something different it's a really interesting connection.
I think that the colors are the way that the author chooses to show us the emotions that are playing out in each scene. Instead of describing them he let's us see things the way death would and interpret the colors ourselves.
Recognizing that Death loves to foreshadow, I think that perhaps the yellow tear might even suggest that Liesel would start supporting the prosecuted Jews instead of Hitler, seeing as that was the colour most associated with them. Sure enough, only a little later, she reveals to her father that she detests the Führer. Maybe the yellow tear foreshadows that she might take this hate a little farther? Also, when Death refers to her looking like a statue even before she is famous, it could be another foreshadow that she could take her hate as far as becoming famous for it.
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ReplyDeleteI believe that the colours in the novel have something to do with the Nazi Flag and Liesel's past memories. I have a couple of questions, what exactly did Liesel's mother do? Did the Nazi's actually taker her away? What are Rosa and Hans hiding about her mother?
ReplyDeleteSo far I haven't figured out what ecxactly has happened to her mother, and I'm not sure if we ever will. The story seems to have moved beyond that part, but the author likes to jump around a lot, so it might come back up.
ReplyDeleteWhat we know for sure is that Liese's mother was a communist, and they (along with Jews or anyone else with ideas not matching Hitler's) either suffered or were killed. Likely Leisels mother ends up in a concentration camp, and I think this is what Rosa and Hans assume, but are unwilling to share with Leisel.
@Jordan
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way as you. Its as almost this will turn out just like in a movie were Rudy's and Leisels relation will become something much greater than just being friends. I think that things are going to escalade. By the looks of it she doesnt want anything to do with him but i will just have to wait and see what is going to happen.
I really want to know what Hans and Rosa are hiding from Liesle, because the more I read the more I'm suspicious about the whole situation, I can't really figure out what the reason Liesle can't get a hold of her mother is.
ReplyDeleteAnyone know how old Max? is it says he was born in 1916 but his father was at war at that time right? Another question what is a Amper?
ReplyDeleteI was also wondering what Saumensch went and
ReplyDeletedoes anyone know what Hiel Hitler means?
I'm thinking it's some sort of way to say hello but I'm not too sure.
At the moment, I'm very curious know the meaning behind the colours in the sky when Death collects souls. Do they have a special meaning? Is he imagining it? More importantly, can other people in the world see it too? I mean, I'd freak out if the sky was a dark chocolate colour and looked like it was dripping.
ReplyDelete@Kayla
ReplyDeleteYes, Heil Hitler is like a greeting and it was mandatory in Nazi Germany to give the salute to Hitler by saying "Heil Hitler!". Heil is just Hail in english, meaning to greet enthusiasticly.
@Serena
I believe it said Max was 24 years old when he came to the Hubermann's. Aswell i think the amper is refering to the Amper River that Liesel and Rudy visit in the book and find the book floating in the river.
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ReplyDeleteI find it confusing the way the author jumps from time to time in the book, like the way they talk about what was going on in that time and then the narrator would talk about the future, for example before Liesel and Rudy were friends the narrator said as introducing Rudy that him and Liesel would be best friends one day. In some ways i like that he does that, but it has a tendency to confuse me as well.
ReplyDeleteAs other people have mentioned i have no clue what is going on about the colours, like i am only a quarter of the way threw the book but its confusing how it starts off talking about colours and then doesn't mention them at all for a while.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if anyone knew how Arthur Berg's sister died? I realize that it isn't all that relevant in the novel, but I was a little bit confused after reading about it. Plus, it also interests me. Are you supposed to read between the lines? Or is the reader just not meant to know?
ReplyDeleteI was wondering what everyone does when they read the german phrases and don't understand what they mean. Some of them are not translated after being said and they could be important.
ReplyDelete@Hailey
ReplyDeleteI think for the most part, they translate the words that are of importance to the story.
If the word isn't translated for you, that means it probably won't make a huge difference to your comprehension of the story.
I haven't done this yet, because I understand what is happening without translations, but if it's really bugging you. You could probably just go online to a translation website to find out what they mean.
I was a bit confused about the narrator, death and why he kept talking about colors and the different colors of things. Does anyone have any ideas that they could tell me that could make me comprehend a little more?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Hailey Buhler, while i read i try to prounouce the words in German, but i do not think i am getting them right and there could be some that have a huge part in the book, does anyone know a good translator that they have used of that they know of?
ReplyDelete@ Tiffany, most translators online don't translate properly and you might get a sentance that does not make sense so it is hard to use online translators. I'm luckey my mom speaks german, so i just ask her when i really want to know what it means.
ReplyDelete@ Tiff and Hailey.
ReplyDeleteSome of the German phrases are easy to read. On page 221 Rosa Hubermann says "Alles Gute zum Geburtstag." Some of the things she is saying is just the way she is pronouncing with her German accient. This I believe is "All is good Geurtstag." And after some of the German phrases the translation is posted after it!
I am curious about Ilsa Hermann's importance to the Leisel's life. Death foreshadows about her disappointing her and I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas if Ilsa will have a major importance to Leisel? Maybe it's just the fact that she gives her books, something that gives her pride and a connection to her family. But if anyone has any ideas on the significance of this character it would be greatly appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI also have not found her significant in the novel so far. All she has done is given Liesel books to read which is her passion. My question is does Walter have any importance in the novel or was he just a minor character who came in for one chapter? Also is Max's family dead for sure?
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ReplyDelete@Serena,
ReplyDeleteI don't think i'm totally sure what you mean. I know the book splits into different parts, but doesn't go from part 1 to part 4. I found a part 2 (page 81) and a part 3 (page 123).
Or are you talking about something else, like things that skipped in the story?
@ Amy Gelhorn
ReplyDeleteI am not very sure as to how Arthur Berg's sister dies, but when narrator mentions this event, he especially points out, “There were two stolen apples in his pocket." That leads me to guess that maybe his sister got seriously hurt in one of his stealing crimes. It is very sad though, just imagining him sitting there, with his two stolen apples and dying sister. A very sorrowful exchange and a hard-learned lesson… I bet Arthur will never ever steal after that.
What do you think a yellow mist looks like? I have never seen one.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering, did anyone notice that certain people call Hans Hubermann a different name such as Hansi? Do you think it means anything or just a nickname for him?
ReplyDelete@ Shandra,
ReplyDeleteI am thinking that Ilsa Hermann will play a more major part in the book as you may get farther into it. It seems to me as if the narrator, death is introducing her very slowly and making us think about what kind of role she could possibly play in the future for Liesel. Or death could be using her to show her kindness towards Liesel by letting her stay and read the books in her library as I imagine it.
@ Shandra,
ReplyDeleteI think that Ilsa Hermann, though thought to be a harmless character right now, could turn out to betray Liesel. I mentions on page 147 that the mayor's wife would let her down and Liesel would no longer pity her, and i think that that foreshadows Ilsa betraying her. Perhaps it's to save herself, but maybe she will confide to somebody that she saw Liesel steal the book, or something of the sort. She could play a major role in altering Liesel's life, maybe making her suffer consequences. On the other hand, maybe Ilsa just lets her down by forbidding her to read her books, something slightly simpler.
I don't know if this was mentioned in the book or not , but does anyone know : is Hitler the mayor in Molching ? When Liesel takes the laundry and reads in the Mayor's house , is that Hitler's house ??
ReplyDeleteStephanie,
ReplyDeleteNo, I am pretty sure that Hitler is not the mayor of Molching. On page 130, it even says that mayor's name is Heinz Hermann. Hitler was the leader of Nazi party at that time, and I suppose that he lived in Berlin, probably sitting in his dark cabinet and giving orders to fulfill his evil plans.
Anyone seen a seven sided dice?
ReplyDeleteIt says 1 The Haircut: Mid-April 1941
2 The Newspaper: Early May
3 The Weatherman: Mid-May
4 The Boxer: End of May
5 The New Dream: A Few Nights Later
6 The Painters: Early June
7 The Showdown: June 24
First why seven sides? It looks like a update on what year it is. Page 256
Does anyone understand why the cover of the book is a line of dominoes with someone about to push it. I don't really understand. It seems to have nothing to do with the book so far and I'm over half way done. Maybe the answer will come up later in the book?
ReplyDeleteI am just wondering how old Liesel and Rudy are about 3/4 through the book I keep tracing back and forth to try to find out but I never seem to come across it. I would really appreciate it if someone knew.
ReplyDeleteKayla,
ReplyDeleteI asked myself the same question many times, and the only conclusion that I came to is that the cover must relate to one of the ideas described in the book, that if you touch one small thing or make one little move, it will affect everything else because everything is connected in one way or another and everything be it good or bad has consequences. Like Death said on page 83, “… one opportunity leads directly to another one, just as risk leads to more risk, life to more life, and death to more death.”
Did anyone notice that every time Death takes person’s soul or highlights the important moments, he pays a lot of attention to the color of sky at that specific moment? He finds that somehow special and very interesting and it must mean something important to him, I am just not sure what it is. He even points out in the beginning, “...The question is, what color will be everything be at that moment when I come for you? What will the sky be saying?”
ReplyDeleteIf anyone has any ideas, please share.
@ cdedavis
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that Liesle is 13 years old 3/4 of the book and Rudy is eight months older than her so he is probably 14 or around that age, (page 311).
I still don't really understand the point of the seven-sided die, if anyone gets what the point is I would really like to know.
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ReplyDelete@Elvina,
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure but perhaps the colour of the sky is not light associated with goodness and dark with evil. I think that maybe the colour of the sky means something to Death because of what it is most often associated with. In the prologue, the first colour he notices is white. Generally, white is not associated with badness, but in this case I think Death might take the perspective that white is used on the swastika flag. The next colours Death sees are red and black, all belonging to the flag which caused so much fear in many homes in the Holocaust. These colours all happened on days when something terrible is happening. By using these colours, Death might be pointing out to us that these results were the fault of the Nazis. Liesel's brother died because their mother could not take care of them properly, which might have been because the Nazis stripped many people of their rights. The next one is a plane crash, which I don't understand yet but will probably come up later in the story. Finally, at the scene of a bombing, Death sees black. This could even foreshadow that it was the Nazis that did the bombing in this German town.
The yellow tear could be associated with the Jews, and at that moment Liesel had recently declared her hatred toward the Führer.
Does anybody notice any other colours Death used that were, in that time period, associated with other important things?
@Kayla,
ReplyDeleteI have looked at the covers many times but have never thought it that hard. But once i saw the question you have asked it maybe a image showing that things can fall out of place or are fragile as we have talked about in class. I think that the cover shows that one person can break things apart, for example with a family like the Hubermann's, or the friendship with Rudy and Liesel. That is how i visualize what the author was trying to tell us when he chose the cover for this novel.
When I was reading the comic Max made for Liesel on her birthday, I couldn't figure out why Max and some other people in the comic were represented as birds. I realized that the people who were birds could be the Jewish people (because Max is Jewish), but why birds? On page 9 of the comic, it shows max looking in the mirror, he is shown as a man, but the reflection is a bird. On the previous page it says how they share some things in common. On this page the words say; "But there is one strange thing. The girl says I look like something else." Any ideas?
ReplyDeleteI'm a little bit passed the part where Rudy goes into the river to get the book for Lisel and I was wondering if Lisel ended up kissing Rudy?
ReplyDeleteIf you were a analyst what would you guys rate this book out of 5 and what would you say about it?! I would give this book a 4.5 because it is unique and has many traits that other books don't have like the notes in it, which explain things about the characters.
ReplyDeletewhat grade was Liesel out into at the start of the book because she couldn't read? i don't now the exact grade i was just wondering!
ReplyDeletei dont understand how death is always talking about the colours of the sky. at the begginging of the book when death was talking about them i was so confused, expecially when he said that Liesel was one of the only people that saw and understood the colours.
ReplyDeleteOn page 280, Max drew a picture of two people standing on top of a hill made from the bodies of Jewish people. The sun was a Swastika. I was wondering if the two people in the picture were Max and Liesel, because there was a girl and a man. It would make sense if it was them, but if anyone thought anything else let me know.
ReplyDeleteLiesel has developed an addiction to stealing. It started at the burial of her brother when she found The Gravedigger's Handbook laying in the snow. She has stolen many books and food. I was wondering why she likes to steal things. I thought it could be that she feels like something is missing from her life, she needs fullfillment. I am still trying to figure out what she gets from stealing excluding the actual object she steals, whether its the excitement or sense of achievement.
ReplyDeleteI read a lot of questions about the part when Rudy was standing in the water after he retrieved Liesel's book; The Wistler. He asked Lisel for a kiss, a lot of people asked whether she ends up kissing him or not. Earlier in the book Death says that she will never kiss him while he's alive. Death mentions that the only time she kisses him, is when she is sitting over his dead body. It's very differant having someone who knows the outcome of the story/Liesels life tell the story. Having small flash forwards adds a lot of suspense and curiosity, while it also is somewhat of a let down in how I wanted Rudy to live.
ReplyDeleteI am really liking that they throw in the odd German words, but does anyone else find them sometimes confusing? I like the whole idea of it but I would like a translation, even if it was just in brackets beside the word or something.
ReplyDelete