The Book Thief Book Vs Movie

The Book Thief Essay

Mark Zusak’s novel, The Book Thief, is better than the film, as it dives deeper into the various perspectives and personalities of the characters. It builds up the character of Max, and the minor characters (such as the Holtzapfel family) build up the story. By reading this story, you learn about the themes of mortality and the power of words which aren’t as present in the film. Max, in the film, appears to be nothing more than another helpless and weak Jew. He is in hiding, he has to depend on others, he grows sick and he feels like a burden. He is portrayed as such in the book as well, but the book also includes another side to him - the side that is strong and has love to fight for. You learn that from a young

The book centers on Liesel, but it’s about the community that she lives and grows up in. Every individual character adds depth, adds dimension and adds realism to the Himmel Street neighbourhood as if they were your own neighbours. When you experience these characters’ different perspectives, it gives you an insight into the mind of the Germans, the Jews, and even death himself. When you read about their thoughts and decisions, in a way, it also humanizes them. Frau Holtzapfel and her sons do not make an appearance in the movie. While they play a minor part in the book, the contribution of these characters makes the ending much more impactful. It gives you a little glimpse into the life of a normal German family torn apart by the war. The Holtzapfels: Two sons - one who died at war and another who died from survivor’s guilt - and a mother who has now just lost both her sons in under 6 months. “According to the book thief, Frau Holtzapfel hugged the body for nearly an hour.” (505) The Hubermanns are another family torn by the German war. Hans Junior was not included in the movie, but without him, you don’t get to see the dynamics of this family. “The young man was a Nazi; his father was not.” (104) It demonstrates that not everybody has the same views, and politics can change relationships between

He is the source of an unbiased view on humans because his reason for loving them doesn’t stem from the bias of being human. He, as an observer, loves humans simply because of the way they are. In the movie, it becomes biased when you forget that he is narrating, as you instead experience the story through Liesel’s perspective. In the book, you are constantly reminded that he is there. It’s better since death and reader, quite frankly, share similar views. They both attempt to learn about the stories of each character, and to try and understand and decipher them through their ugliness and through their glory. You learn to love the characters not for their political views, but for just being human. And unlike a traditional third-person narrator, death has emotions - he feels sadness, he feels joy, and he gets tired of his job just like any ordinary person. On the occasion, even his job is a little too stressful, like when he’s faced with innocent children such as Rudy. “He steps on my heart. He makes me cry.” (531) He doesn’t want people to die, but he can’t spare anyone. He does not have control over how people die, he is just what happens when you do. “I am a result.” (6) That is what differentiates death from a regular human, and that is why he still tries to understand them. When you learn more about death and about the way he observes and studies people, it gives more meaning to the