I chose to read The Book Thief after seeing the film and being touched by every single character presented. The book is excellently written. It cherishes the art of writing. Zusak is a true wordsmith, and I was often left thinking about his sentences and wordplay. I like the idea of the narrator being Death in an era as harsh and painful as Nazi Germany (when he is extremely busy, as he explains). It took me a while to finish this book. It drug out a bit in the middle; there is beauty on every page, but the story is not fast-paced.