Epilogue
The first chapter of the epilogue briefly explained about Liesel’s life after the bomb dropped on Himmel Street. She lived to a very old age, far away from Molching and Himmel Street. She passed away in a suburb of Sydney, and the house number was fourth-five. Like Hans, her soul sat up. In her final visions, she saw the next few things; her three children, grandchildren, husband, and the long list of lives that merged with hers. Among them, Hans, Rosa, her brother, and Rudy lit like lanterns.
The second chapter talked about where Liesel went, to be taken care of after the bombing, and meeting Alex Steiner. She sat inside the police station, and three hours later, the mayor and his wife Isla drove her to their home. There, she would sit in the exquisite spare room, and speak and speak to herself, well into the night. She ate very little, and didn’t take a bath. She slept a lot but didn’t dream. On the day of Hans’ and Rosa’s funeral, she still hadn’t bathed, even though Isla politely advised her. For the Steiner family, there were two ceremonies; the first was immediately upon their burial, and the second was as soon as Alex made it home. He regretted not letting Rudy go to that school, as if he did, there was a chance he didn’t have to die. When he heard about Liesel’s survival, he rushed to 8 Grande Strasse, and they both sat on the steps, while Liesel confessed she kissed his son. They cried and smiled, an in Liesel’s vision, the afternoon sky was gray and glossy, just like silver. After that, there were still weeks and months of bombing, and a lot of war.
The third chapter was about Liesel and Max’s reunion. When the war was over, Alex resumed work in his tailor shop, and although there was no money in it, he busied himself there for a few hours each day. Liesel often accompanied him. They also spent many days together, often walking to Dachau after its liberation, where they would be denied by the Americans. On October 1945, Max walked into the shop. Approaching the counter, he asked the man if he knew a girl named Liesel Meminger. Alex said that she’s in the back, and asked his name. As Liesel came out, they hugged and fell to the floor.
The fourth chapter was about the day the narrator took Liesel away, in Sydney after her death. The narrator explains he has seen many things in this world, and attended great disaster or work for the greatest villains. There are multitude of stories, and he reads them to distract himself as he works, just as colors do too. One of such was The Book Thief. When he took Liesel’s soul, he gently carried her and put her down, where they walked along Anzac Avenue, near the soccer field. He pulled out a dusty black book from his pocket, and handed it to her. She was astonished, and tried turning the pages. They sat down on the curb, where she asked him if he read it. He said he did, many times. She asked him if he could understand it, and there was a great pause. He wanted to tell her many things, about the beauty and brutality, but what could he tell her about those things she didn’t already know about? He wanted to explain that he is constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race, or ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious. It’s words and stories so dawning and brilliant. However, he wasn’t able to say those things, and all he could tell her was the only truth he truly knew. He said it to the book thief and now says it to us. He turned and said to her, “I am haunted by humans.”
The second chapter talked about where Liesel went, to be taken care of after the bombing, and meeting Alex Steiner. She sat inside the police station, and three hours later, the mayor and his wife Isla drove her to their home. There, she would sit in the exquisite spare room, and speak and speak to herself, well into the night. She ate very little, and didn’t take a bath. She slept a lot but didn’t dream. On the day of Hans’ and Rosa’s funeral, she still hadn’t bathed, even though Isla politely advised her. For the Steiner family, there were two ceremonies; the first was immediately upon their burial, and the second was as soon as Alex made it home. He regretted not letting Rudy go to that school, as if he did, there was a chance he didn’t have to die. When he heard about Liesel’s survival, he rushed to 8 Grande Strasse, and they both sat on the steps, while Liesel confessed she kissed his son. They cried and smiled, an in Liesel’s vision, the afternoon sky was gray and glossy, just like silver. After that, there were still weeks and months of bombing, and a lot of war.
The third chapter was about Liesel and Max’s reunion. When the war was over, Alex resumed work in his tailor shop, and although there was no money in it, he busied himself there for a few hours each day. Liesel often accompanied him. They also spent many days together, often walking to Dachau after its liberation, where they would be denied by the Americans. On October 1945, Max walked into the shop. Approaching the counter, he asked the man if he knew a girl named Liesel Meminger. Alex said that she’s in the back, and asked his name. As Liesel came out, they hugged and fell to the floor.
The fourth chapter was about the day the narrator took Liesel away, in Sydney after her death. The narrator explains he has seen many things in this world, and attended great disaster or work for the greatest villains. There are multitude of stories, and he reads them to distract himself as he works, just as colors do too. One of such was The Book Thief. When he took Liesel’s soul, he gently carried her and put her down, where they walked along Anzac Avenue, near the soccer field. He pulled out a dusty black book from his pocket, and handed it to her. She was astonished, and tried turning the pages. They sat down on the curb, where she asked him if he read it. He said he did, many times. She asked him if he could understand it, and there was a great pause. He wanted to tell her many things, about the beauty and brutality, but what could he tell her about those things she didn’t already know about? He wanted to explain that he is constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race, or ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious. It’s words and stories so dawning and brilliant. However, he wasn’t able to say those things, and all he could tell her was the only truth he truly knew. He said it to the book thief and now says it to us. He turned and said to her, “I am haunted by humans.”
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