Excerpt from 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak

March 17, 2006— -- Kind and compassionate Death narrates the tale of a town in Nazi Germany. The story is based on Death's perception of the young orphan, Liesl, her foster parents and the Jewish fugitive they are hiding. When Liesl learns to read, she begins stealing books, hence the title of Zusak's book.

You can find an excerpt of "The Book Thief" below.

First the colors.

Then the humans.

That's usually how I see things.

Or at least, how I try.

***HERE IS A SMALL FACT***

You are going to die.

I am in all truthfulness attempting to be cheerful about this whole topic, though most people find themselves hindered in believing me, no matter my protestations. Please, trust me. I most definitely can be cheerful. I can be amiable. Agreeable. Affable. And that's only the A's. Just don't ask me to be nice. Nice has nothing to do with me.

***Reaction to the AFOREMENTIONED fact***

Does this worry you?
I urge you -- don't be afraid.
I'm nothing if not fair.

-- Of course, an introduction.

A beginning.
Where are my manners?
I could introduce myself properly, but it's not really necessary. You will know me well enough and soon enough, depending on a diverse range of variables. It suffices to say that at some point in time, I will be standing over you, as genially as possible. Your soul will be in my arms. A color will be perched on my shoulder. I will carry you gently away.

At that moment, you will be lying there (I rarely find people standing up). You will be caked in your own body. There might be a discovery; a scream will dribble down the air. The only sound I'll hear after that will be my own breathing, and the sound of the smell, of my footsteps.

The question is, what color will everything be at that moment when I come for you? What will the sky be saying?

Personally, I like a chocolate-colored sky. Dark, dark chocolate. People say it suits me. I do, however, try to enjoy every color I see--the whole spectrum. A billion or so flavors, none of them quite the same, and a sky to slowly suck on. It takes the edge off the stress. It helps me relax.