Ms

[Cinnamon]

I am starting the discussion for 'The Book Thief' ,which was chosen by Laura & CTB here.

 

I struggled with this book, only reading the first few pages before deciding that it wasn't up my street. So I have put it to one side,waiting to hear your views in the hope that you will convince me to pick it back up & try again

I await your reviews with interest.

 

The book to read in July is The Clothes on Their Backs by Linda Grant

[Snowy]

Oh drat, I meant to be ahead this month and get it read, but never got round to buying it Anyone know where the best deal is?

 

(PM me if you do, otherwise we'll have a thread full of best deals rather than book chat! )

 

(sorry Sarah )

[Louise]

Okay, I read the book and to be honest I enjoyed it

 

The writing style is a little odd as it is being narrated rather than written in a traditional way. I felt it was aimed at a much younger reading age than adult maybe teenage was the target group

 

It was a very sad but also hoprful story. The main character Liesel went through so much for her age and was haunted by her experiences her parents left her with strangers her brother died and later it became apparent her parents were sent to a concentration camp although it is never explained why they went but the children were spared this

 

She had a few good friends one of them Max an Jew in hiding was her dearest friend they both had horrors in their lives which joined them spiritually but he had to leave as he was scared of endangering the family he was hiding with and I cried at the end when they were reunited after the war

 

It was touching to see how a child coped with the enforced hatred of the Jewish community when she could see no reason for it

 

I was on holiday when I read this book and romped through it in only a couple of days I will definitely be reading this one again

[MedusA]

I have to admit that this is the first of the Book Group selections that I just couldn't get on with. Sorry Laura!

 

I think it was the writing style that was off-putting. The bits in bold print were very distracting. I got about a third of the way through and then put it to one side. I meant to pick it up again, but then other things came up so I'm afraid I doubt I will finish it.

 

I do feel like I've failed the Group a bit, but was reassured to read Cinnamon felt the same about this one. Excuses, excuses!

[Laura & CTB]

I must admit I didnt like the first couple of chapters as the writing style seemed so different to anything else I've read but once I got the hang of it I liked the way the story flows through the book with death as the narrator who keeps giving us hints of what’s to come without spoiling the plot. I also liked the fact that death had a sense of humour. The character of Liesal was superb, arriving as a frightened child but slowly adapting to her new life and growing up in ever more turbulent and dangerous surroundings along with her best friend Rudy. I found Max’s arrival into the household deeply moving as his friendship with Liesal deepened due to their love of writing. The final chapter I found was quite uplifting after the horrors of the bombs being dropped.

 

Apologies to those who didnt enjoy it

[little chickadee]

I loved this book, although I read it a month early and can't think of anything poignant to say about it because of this (should have written it down last month!)

 

I would really recommend persevering with it - or, get it out on audio from the library (this is how I read it) I read on an audio review that it is better suited to being listened to than read because of the style.

 

This is one that I will definately re-read. I was totally absorbed by the characters.

 

Yet again, I think it's fabulous how varied people's reading tastes are and that people on here are willing to admit when they didn't like something.

[Cinnamon]

Hmmmm - maybe I will tuck it into my suitcase & give it another go when I am in Portugal then

[Louise]

I would sarah as I say once I got into it it was so easy to read for hours without realising it

[Lapinou]

I loved this book! I couldn't wait until my children went to sleep each night so I could get on with reading it. I thought I'd find all the little spoilers within it would ruin the ending, but I was wrong. I was getting my DD2 to sleep last night and reading while she snuggled up to me and she was nearly asleep when I got to the bombing. I stupidly managed to wake her up with my sobs . Granted, I am pregnant and hormonal, but not many books really make me cry like I did last night - and particularly not when you know what's going to happen anyway from all the clues in the main body of the book.

 

I disagree that it was aimed at teens - I think it's written in a style that's very challenging to adults (as proven by the number of people who stop early on!) - I certainly would have put it down if I hadn't been trying to read it as my first 'book group' book, but perserverence more than paid off.

 

I'm going to be hunting for another copy from a charity shop as I borrowed this from a friend and I know I'll want to read it again sometime, and would want my children to read it too when they're older.

 

Thanks for suggesting it, Laura - I'd never have read it if you hadn't. Book groups, for me, are about challenging me to read something I wouldn't otherwise pick up, and unless I'm really, really hating something, I kind of insist to myself that I finish it so, again, thank you

[Laura & CTB]

Book groups, for me, are about challenging me to read something I wouldn't otherwise pick up, and unless I'm really, really hating something, I kind of insist to myself that I finish it

 

Same here - I usually always head for the same old section in the bookshop, the group is opening my eyes to other sections too

[Basset]

It's very interesting to hear everyone's views on this book. I haven't managed to start it yet, but have it in my big pile of books that I'm collecting for holiday reading.

[jlo]

Only just found the thread on the book club - hope you don't mind my joining in.

 

I read this book last year. I can't say that I enjoyed reading it -it took me a few times to start it. I did find it worthwhile when I finally got stuck into it ( on a nine hour flight back from Africa with rubbish films!)

 

I've seen it in the children's section at Waterstones and agree that it would be quite tough going for a younger age group but it does seem that the book shops think that it belongs there!

[Seagazer]

I finished this book last night and I must admit at the beginning I really didn't think that I would get to the end of it. I found the writing style quite annoying to begin with. But I stuck with it and soon got in to it.

 

I liked the characters of Liesel and Rudy, I even liked Death! I didn't get upset reading it like I do when I read Anne Franke's diary or something like that, so I think perhaps it would be ok for teenagers.

 

Its great that Liesel calms everyone with her love of reading when she herself couldn't read properly before living with her beloved Papa.

 

I thought the ending was a little sudden, almost as if he'd had enough of writing it and wanted it finished. Anyone else think that?

 

I actually think its great that we have all these different choices of books as I probably wouldn't choose half of these books otherwise.

[Tina C]

I must start either reading books in the right order or making a note of what I want to say when I finish a book. I read this one a couple of months ago and the intricacies of the story have gone right out of my head.

 

Although I do know that Death was my favourite character.

 

Wanders off to search for book.

[Lapinou]

I agree it would be fine for teenagers, I just didn't think it had been specifically targetted at them. I hope my children will read it when they're teenagers.

[little chickadee]

I've just had an email from one of my friends I loaned this to to thank me as she absolutely loved it and has bought a copy for her dad for Christmas. Now to persuade my own dear OH to read it. He tends to shy away from book recommendations, leave it a few years, pick up the book and wish he'd read it years ago

[theherd123]

It must be said im still struggling my way through this book

 

Maybe because my head isnt in it at the moment and my mind is on other things.

I do enjoy it when i pick it up and read a few pages but i feel it lacks something to want me to read more or pick it up more often.

 

Did anyone else feel like this?

[laurmurf]

I hope you don't mind me joining in.... My other-life book group read this recently and there was the same range of views that are posted here.

 

I was enthralled by the book. I thought all the characters were so well rounded, no simplicity or black and white answers. I found the character of Death very comforting: the way he collected the dead with kindness and compassion and was so sad and lonely was quite touching. I've recently lost my brother and i found it helped me to think of death in these terms.

 

I loved the illustrations and the change in narrator's tones. Liesel seemed so believable too.

 

I recommeneded it to hellymisscloud, who's 14, and she was gripped too. She's fairly hard hearted and admitted to weeping at the end (I sobbed!). I think it would be hard going for a younger reader - although I think one of my 12 year old boys could manage it, the other one couldn't.

 

I'm looking forward to joining in again!

[bluekarin]

It took me a while to get into this book. I think I started it about 5 times! Eventually, I think it clicked and I really got into it and enjoyed it.

I think it is a young adults book and I think my daughter, who is 11 will love it. Having said that, I think adults can still enjoy it. It has been cleverly written, with a well know subject matter shown in a different way.

If you have, like me, started this book and never got on with it, give it another go!

[Chicken Licken]

This is a great book - well written, great use of colour and pictures (I hesitate to use illustration) and careful plot development (Death describing the colours that make up the Nazi Swastika for example). I have read it 3 times now and lent my copy to a friend. I really liked the narrative style and the way ot tackled the holocaust through the eyes of the child Leisl. Totally different from a book with a similar theme like the boy in the striped pyjamas.

[chickencam]

Ok I know this book was a book group choice over a year ago now, but I have just read it and I have to say despite it being a little hard to get into, it is one of the best books that I have ever read.

 

I think the fact that I lost my brother in an accident when I was a similar age to the main character may have made the book all the more compelling for me. Thankfully though I have not gone on to experience the horrors that Liesel did.

 

I found the last couple of chapters hard to read through tears.

 

It is well written and poignant, I would recommend that anyone who has struggled to get into it gives it another try.

 

I hope to persuade my children to read this, it certainly gives another perspective to their work on World War 2 at school, some of which they do from the German angle.

 

I will have to read last month's book now because ED wants to know what I think of it because she has read that one. I have read this month's then I will go back and have a look to see what other gems I have missed.