Markus Zusak is a critically acclaimed and recognized author from Australia. His young adult novels, including The Messenger (2002) and The Book Thief (2005), are very well-known. These novels, as well as Zusak's other works, touch on themes such as identity, fear, fate versus free will, and mortality. Throughout his career, Zusak has won many awards, including the American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults Award. His most recent novel is Bridge of Clay (2018).
Fig. 1 - Markus Zusak is an Australian young adult fiction writer.
A Biography of Markus Zusak
Markus Zusak was born in Sydney, Australia, on June 23, 1975. Zusak was the youngest of four children. His parents were German and Austrian immigrants who could neither read nor write in English when they arrived in Australia in 1950. Therefore, they encouraged their children to excel in the English language. This influenced Zusak to begin writing at a young age. He pursued a teaching degree at the University of New South Wales and worked many odd jobs such as a janitor, house painter, and English teacher before becoming a full-time writer.
Fig. 2 - Markus Zusak is from Sydney, Australia.
Markus Zusak began to find success as a writer with the publication of a trilogy that contained the novels The Underdog (1999), Fighting Ruben Wolfe (2000), and When Dogs Cry (2001). For Fighting Ruben Wolfe, Zusak won the American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults Award.
In 2002, Zusak published another novel, The Messenger, which would earn him more recognition and two additional awards, the Michael L. Printz Honor and the Children's Book Council Book of the Year Award.
Zusak's most popular novel, The Book Thief (2005), was published in 2005. The story was inspired by stories his parents told him about wartime Germany and Austria. Zusak won many awards for The Book Thief, including the Kathleen Mitchell Award.
Markus Zusak continues to write today, and his most recently published novel, Bridge of Clay (2018), was called one of the best books of 2018 by Amazon, The Wall Street Journal, and Entertainment Weekly.
He lives with his wife, Mika Zusak, in Sidney, Australia.
Novels by Markus Zusak
Markus Zusak has published six novels so far in his career. The first novel in his trilogy, The Underdog, The Messenger, and The Book Thief are among his most recognized and well-known novels. Here is a full list of Markus Zusak novels:
- The Underdog
- Fighting Ruben Wolfe
- When Dogs Cry (Getting the Girl in the USA)
- The Messenger (I Am the Messenger in the USA)
- The Book Thief
- Bridge of Clay
The Underdog
The Underdog is the first novel in a trilogy by Markus Zusak that follows the story of Cameron Wolfe. Wolfe is only 15 years old and struggles with his identity, morality, and self-confidence.
Wolfe feels a bit like an underdog as he faces familial problems, a crush on a girl, and issues with his best friends, such as some trouble with drugs and money. Wolfe has colorful dreams that reflect his deeper emotional world, allowing a unique emotional landscape to shine through.
So I saw that there was only me. There was only me who could worry about what was happening here, inside these walls of my life. Other people had their own worlds to worry about, and in the end, they had to fend for themselves, just like us." (Chapter 4)
The Messenger (I Am the Messenger)
The Messenger is told from the perspective of Ed Kennedy, a taxi driver. Ed stops a robbery one day and begins to receive playing cards in the mail that lead him to three specific situations: a scene of domestic violence, a senile older woman, and a young girl named Sophie. Ed becomes involved with each person and begins a very interesting journey. The Messenger contains key themes such as identity, fear, and fate versus free will.
I wonder which card will end up in my letterbox next. It's the spades that worry me most, I think. The Ace of Spades scares me—always has. I try not to think about it. I feel watched." (Chapter 4)
The Book Thief
The Book Thief is Zusak's most famous and critically acclaimed novel, selling over 16 million copies. The story is told through the perspective of a personified Death who follows the protagonist, a young girl named Liesel Meminger, in Germany during World War II.
The Book Thief was mainly inspired by Markus Zusak's parents' stories of Austria and Germany during World War II. His mother and father moved to Australia in 1950 after seeing the horrors of the war, such as city-wide bombings, first hand. From his parents, Zusak heard stories about young children sneaking bread into concentration camps and how certain students went to special schools funded by the Nazi party.
During the war, Liesel's foster parents take in a Jewish man named Max and hide him from the Nazis. Liesel becomes close friends with Max, but things soon take a turn for the worse. The novel contains themes such as the question of mortality, love, and the power of language. In 2013, the novel was adapted into an award-winning movie.
They say that war is death’s best friend, but… war is like the new boss who expects the impossible. He stands over your shoulder repeating one thing incessantly: “Get it done, get it done.” So you work harder. You get the job done. The boss, however, doesn’t thank you. He asks for more." (Part 6)
In the novel, Death is personified and aware of its role in taking lives. However, Death does not see war as its purpose but rather as a distasteful job it must partake in. It does not see itself as the cause of people's deaths; people are the cause of their mortality. For example, Death did not choose for people to attack and kill their enemies in World War II; that was entirely a human choice. Death exists to take the life away from someone, regardless of how they died.
The Writing Style of Markus Zusak
Markus Zusak is known for his expertise in writing young adult novels aimed at adolescents, usually between the ages of 12 and 18. The purpose of Zusak's YA novels is to appeal to the emotional world and experience of young people. Zusak does this by writing characters that are detailed, full of real emotion, and seem to jump off the page. Zusak also emphasizes unique writing and does not repeat overused metaphors or similes. Zusak uses language that is very clear, sharp, and easily understandable to a younger audience.
Markus Zusak: Awards
Markus Zusak has won many awards throughout his career. Here is a list of just a few of them:
- The Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Book (2006)
- The Daniel Elliott Peace Award (2006)
- National Jewish Book Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature (2006)
- The Michael L. Printz Honor Book (2007)
- The Sydney Taylor Book Award (2007)
- The American Library Association: Best Books for Young Adults (2006, 2007)
As you can see, Zusak is a highly accomplished and recognized author. He has made many bestseller lists for his novels, especially The Book Thief, which made the Editors' Choice in the Kirkus Review and Editor's Choice in Booklist. His ability to relate to his audience has attracted readers from all over the world.
Quotes by Markus Zusak
Markus Zusak is known for his sharp and clear language. Here are some quotes by Markus Zusak.
I want to tell them, but I realize that all I do is deliver the message. I don't decipher it or make sense of it for them. They need to do that themselves." (Chapter 2, The Messenger)
This quote from
The Messenger depicts Ed reflecting on the messages he must deliver to two of the characters in the novel. He must grapple with the problem of wanting to become more involved in the situations he witnesses but realizes he cannot. It is a matter of fate versus free will.
What came to her then was the dustiness of the floor, the feeling that her clothes were more next to her than on her, and the sudden realization that this would all be for nothing—that her mother would never write back and she would never see her again." (Chapter 15, The Book Thief)
In this quote from The Book Thief, Liesel understands that she will never see her birth mother again. It is a painful truth that Liesel must live with and accept as her new reality.
The luckiest part about my childhood was to have two parents with amazing stories who both happened to be great storytellers on top of it. With no disrespect to my dad, it was my mum’s world at the outskirts of Munich that had the greatest influence on me. That’s why I chose Liesel." 1
In an interview with the Chicago Public Library, Zusak explains how he came up with the story of The Book Thief. The novel was inspired by his parent's stories about Germany and Austria during World War II. Zusak shares that it was his mother's storytelling that he found especially compelling.
Markus Zusak - Key takeaways
- Markus Zusak is a critically acclaimed Australian author known for his famous novels The Messenger, The Book Thief, and The Underdog trilogy.
- Zusak continues to write today and most recently published a novel titled Bridge of Clay, which has made many bestseller lists.
- Zusak primarily writes young adult novels with language that is sharp and clear, and understandable to a young audience.
- His writing style is unique and avoids overused metaphors and similes.
- Zusak has won many awards such as The Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Book (2006), The Sydney Taylor Book Award (2007), and The American Library Association: Best Books for Young Adults (2006, 2007).
References
- Interview with Markus Zusak, Chicago Public Library, 2012
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