i loved it... it's been quite a few yrs since i've read it, but i grabbed me pretty much right away as i remember and i liked it til the end! i've been wanting to reread it again as well as i am the messenger, which i bought a couple of yrs ago and still haven't read!!

my son- maybe 14ish?? at the time- read it through quickly and enjoyed it very much too...

Thanks, BB...I'll stay with it for a bit then.

I didnt read the book, but saw the movie, I liked it.

I didn't even get to page 300.

Bravo to you for getting to page 300. If I am not grabbed by the first page, I'm done.

We read it for book club. It was not my favorite but I enjoyed it enough to read the whole thing. Stick with it.

I really, really liked the book but was at first put off by the narration. I was going to try to explain the prologue but found an article about the book written by a person who is much better writer. Hope this helps.

"With Death as the unconventional, omniscient narrator of The Book Thief, the novel immediately establishes that the story will mix elements of fantasy with historical fact. Rather than being stereotypically grim or creepy, Death presents himself as sensitive to color and light, and rather regretful about his unfortunate line of work."

I completely agree, Linelle. I'll give it a few more pages and if it doesn't pull me in will move on.

I'm plodding through.

I finished reading it, but had to make myself do it. Won't do that again. I did so because there were so many raves about the book, I thought it just had to get better.

WalnutCreek, I did that with Memoirs of a Geisha. It was so popular I thought the payoff would surely come later. It never did. That's the last time I'm reading a book beyond the point where I go, hey, this sucks.

WalnutCreek, thank you...that's the conclusion I've come to so may quit while I'm ahead:).

It was a few years ago, and I hesitated as I knew who the narrator was, but stayed with it and like it very much. Not to sound preachy, but those of you who give up early on will miss many a wonderful book. Because of book club, I will plod on, and finish by loving it....often to my astonished delight. The Elegance of the Hedgehog is a perfect example . Most of us , critics as well, did not greatly enjoy the first HALF , and went on to place it on a favorites list.

Marti, that is why I often make myself stick with a book. I have read quite a few books that seemed like real stinkers only to find that I quite enjoyed them once I got into the story.. I am really trying to not feel guilty when I give up on one though as life is too short to waste time on a sub par story. I have given up on two in the last month or so and each time I go to Goodreads they are there staring me in the face as a sad reminder that I gave up!

I read somewhere, and I'm loosely paraphrasing, that one shouldn't spend one's precious time reading subpar books because there's not enough time in one's lifetime to read all the good ones. So, if a book doesn't grab me, i.e., it stinks at the beginning (stinking is stinking), I'll put it down, knock the dust off my sandals, and try something else. There's no accounting for taste.

i finish most books that i start, but i have no trouble stopping one if i really don't like it!! it is interesting how some books really appeal to some people and not at all to others!

one of my fav books is crime and punishment- probably only because i took a class in college that analyzed it in depth and reading it that way was really amazing!! i loved it and read it a couple of times-- but, i'm sure that i would have put that book down if i had just picked it up and started to read it...

Yes, but will it be a waste of time or a cherished favorite? You will never know. I refer to those books that are universally admired or respected, not a little light reading. There are exceptions, of course. Our book group read the Pulitzer, Purity, and all 12 of us panned it as a waste of time, for the most part.