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Dyanna San
Eng 111-30
Compare-Contrast Essay
March 21, 2016
The Book Thief
The Book Thief is a novel, narrated by death, about a girl named Liesel Meminger in
Germany, during World War II. Her life changed when Hans and Rosa Hubermann adopted her,
and she learned about the cruel world of Nazi Germany. She gained the love for books and began
stealing them. The novel tells of her struggle with fear and righteousness as she is growing up.
The movie did leave out a few details from the book, such as, minor characters, and scenes that
only included the narrator. While some differences between the book and the movie are evident,
the similarities are pronounced/noticeable.
The most striking similarity between the book and the movie is the plot. The plot in the
novel begins with Liesel being separating from her mother and getting adopted by Hans and
Rosa. The plot further continues to Liesels life in this working-class neighborhood and her
stealing books. The book also includes the atrocities of the Holocaust and the struggle society
went through living in fear. The plot in the movie was exactly like the plot in the book, from
every scene to every detail. Watching the scenes as it was written in the book made the scenes all
the more tragic and real.
The characters in the book and the movie are very much alike. In the book, each of the
characters is unique and has different characteristics. For instance, Hans Hubermann is a loving
father to Liesel, but he is also incredibly brave and compassionate. The movie portrays Hans as

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just that. The casting in the movie is fantastic because they did a great job representing the
character development of each character.
The tone in the book was also well portrayed in the movie. The tone is desperately
hopeful as the characters of the novel go through despair, but always manage to rise again with
renewed courage. The film manages to capture the heartache and humor of the novel.
Narration
Conclusion- recap points and state preference