Teaser Thursday (3): The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This is Teaser Thursday, where I bring you a passage from a book I am currently reading.

I am probably the last person in the world to pick up The Book Thief, so if this is not at all a teaser for you, I do apologize. I’d been eyeing this book for I don’t know how many trips to the library and heard I don’t know how many insistent recommendations that it should be read, but I finally got around to reading it. At first, I didn’t get what the big deal about it was — the premise was a girl stealing books in Nazi Germany, right? I must say, though, it has been so much more than that so far. The voices are incredibly authentic and the characters are dear people to whom I don’t want anything bad to happen, but I know it’s going to happen, because the narrator says it will (I won’t give away who that is – you’ll never guess in a million years). I’m probably going to end up going all waily, waily like a baby before the end, but I can’t bear not to finish. I hate crying with a passion, but this is one of those books that I’ll gladly suffer through it, because it’s that good. Anywho, I’ve blabbered on enough. On to the teaser.

* * * THE FROZEN MOTIVES OF RUDY STEINER * * *

1.  After months of failure, this moment was his only chance to revel in some victory.
2. Such a position of selflessness was a good place to ask Liesel for the usual favor. How could she possibly turn him down?

“How about a kiss, Saumensch?”

He stood waist-deep in the water for a few moments longer before climbing out and handing her the book. His pants clung to him, and he did not stop walking. In truth, I think he was afraid. Rudy Steiner was scared of the book thief’s kiss. He must have longed for it so much. He must have loved her so incredibly hard. So hard that he would never ask for her lips again and would go to his grave without them,” (303).