Book Thief book cover. Courtesy of the publisher
BEIJING, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Australian writer Marcus Susak's masterpiece of novels, "Book Thief," was recently launched by New Classic Culture, telling a story about the power of words.
The author of the book, Australian writer Marcus Susak, was born in Sydney in 1975. The masterpiece "Book Thief" is internationally popular and was adapted by Hollywood into the film of the same name in 2013. Susak was awarded the Prinz Prize by the American Library Association in 2007 for this book.
The story of Book Thief takes a unique and compelling perspective – it begins with the perspective of the Grim Reaper. Death passed by the same girl several times and witnessed her growth.
The girl, Lizel, who lived in Nazi-ruled Germany, was sent to a foster home with her brother at the age of nine, who unfortunately died of illness on the train. In the wasteland where he was buried, Lizel picked up a book that meant a lot to her. After coming to a foster home in the Munich slums, Lizel gradually found that the temptation of books was more difficult to resist than food, and could not help but start stealing books. The world in the book helped her survive the suffering of reality, and she began to read for the Jews hiding in the basement and the neighbors who took refuge in the bomb shelter, comforting her trembling heart.
Because of its touching power, "Book Thief" has been on the New York Times bestseller list for 10 years, translated into more than 40 languages, and directed by the director of "Downton Abbey" the film of the same name, which was shortlisted for the Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards. The New York Times commented: "This story will change your life. Lisel showed an unquestionable hope for humanity that could be relied upon in a war-torn, impoverished, and cruel environment. ”
It has been noted that The Book Thief shows us the power of words and the brilliance of humanity, and more importantly, it gives us the confidence that even in the most difficult desperate situations, human beings can choose to remain noble and determined, and not succumb to loneliness and fear. Some readers and critics have compared "Book Thief" with "Relief Grocery Store" and "The Kite Chaser", lamenting that this book shows the powerful power of words to overcome loneliness and fear. (End)