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QUESTIONS FROM READERS

Markus Zusak answers readers' questions about the inspiration behind his bestselling novel THE BOOK THIEF, the difficulties he experienced writing such a detailed and emotionally charged story, and the decision over which audience to market the book toward.

Eileen from Chicago, IL: How long did you spend researching in order to write this book?

Markus Zusak:I researched on and off, in stages, mainly because my impulse is always to write the story. I only went to Munich after I had finished writing, basically to check my facts. The world of the book was in my head, much the way English is there... That period was brought to life by stories my parents told me, so maybe the research happened on and off since I was very young.
 
Still, as far as giving you a solid answer, the book took me nearly three years to write. Three to six months of that time was spent researching.
 
Heather from Glen Burnie, MD: What made you categorize this as a young adult novel? 
 
Markus Zusak:I guess that was my publisher's job. In some countries it has been an adult release. In others, it has been both YA and Adult simultaneously. Now, I don't worry about it. I just try to write someone's favorite book. I think that's more important. When someone loves a book, the category falls by the wayside. Those kinds of books transcend their category.
 
Meredith from Port St. Lucie, FL: What was it like to write this book? When I read it, I experienced a whole range of emotional responses, from laughing out loud to crying. How did you feel as you were writing it?
 
Markus Zusak:The first thing I should say is that I was a complete mess when I was writing the end of the book. It was a terrible feeling but also a happy and exciting time. It was over two long nights, and by the end I was exhausted, relieved and happy.
 
Throughout the whole time writing the book, I was often frustrated. It was a difficult book to write, mainly because it was so far removed from anything I had written before. I felt the things you mentioned as well. I would smile when Rudy was up to his usual antics, or with Rosa, or even Frau Holtzapfel. I did swing between emotions, often at the same time. Even at the end, I was sad, but I felt like I was doing my best to make those characters matter.
 
Michele from Chesterton, IN: How did a story like this come to fruition with so much incredible detail?
 
Markus Zusak:With time and failure. I wrote the first part of this book somewhere between 150 and 200 times, and the more you do that, the more details start to take shape. You always get your best ideas while writing, and that's what happened with THE BOOK THIEF. Things like Max reading MEIN KAMPF on the train from Stuttgart to Munich…these details only came from doing the work.
 
Also, a lot of the details were there right from the start. They were stories told to me when I was growing up. I was lucky to have parents who not only had great stories, but also had the ability to tell them in a beautiful, comedic and powerful way.
 
Michele from Chesterton, IN: How did you decide to end it the way you did?
 
Markus Zusak:The ending was very natural to me. By then, I had spent so much time with the book, and all you try to do is give it the justice it deserves. I never once considered letting Rudy live, for example. I loved him the most, but I had to make the book work --- not show a weakness for one character in particular.
 
Michele from Chesterton, IN: Where did your story ideas come from, the ones that Max wrote?

Markus Zusak:I have no idea. Just working again and trying to think of the sort of thing I would write for a 10-year-old. I wanted it to show his past and his life, but also to serve as a kind of mirror to the world outside the basement. 

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