“The Book Thief” quotes

“One small fact: you are going to die. Despite every effort, no one lives forever. Sorry to be such a spoiler. My advice is when the time comes, don't panic. It doesn't seem to help.”
Roger Allam - Narrator

“I have seen a great many things. I have attended all the world's worst disasters, and worked for the greatest of villains. And I've seen the greatest wonders. But it's still like I said it was: no one lives forever.”

Roger Allam - Death

“At night, when darkness came to her room, she would tell her brother about the day. She would remind him how the sun felt on his skin, and what the air felt like to breathe, or how snow felt on his tongue. And that reminded her that she was still alive.”

Sophie Nélisse - Liesel Meminger

“It's always been the same. The excitement and rush to war. I met so many young men over the years who have thought they were running at their enemy, when the truth was, they were running to me.”

Roger Allam - Narrator

“Memory is the scribe of the soul.”
Ben Schnetzer - Max Vandenburg

“In my job, I'm always seeing humans at their best, and their worst. I see their ugliness, and their beauty. And I wonder how the same thing can be both.”

Roger Allam - Death

“- Rudy Steiner: You're stealing books? Why?
- Liesel Meminger: When life robs you, sometimes you have to rob it back.”
Nico Liersch - Rudy Steiner
Sophie Nélisse - Liesel Meminger

“Write. In my religion we're taught that every living thing, every leaf, every bird, is only alive because it contains the secret word for life. That's the only difference between us and a lump of clay. A word. Words are life, Liesel.”

Ben Schnetzer - Max Vandenburg

“- Liesel Meminger: Do you think my mother really loved me?
- Max Vandenburg: Of course. Every mother loves her child. Even Hitler's.”
Sophie Nélisse - Liesel Meminger
Ben Schnetzer - Max Vandenburg

“- Liesel Meminger: [about Jewish neighbor] I don't understand. What did he do so wrong?
- Max Vandenburg: He reminded people of their humanity.
- Liesel Meminger: Can't he apologize?
- Max Vandenburg: To who? Hitler?”
Sophie Nélisse - Liesel Meminger
Ben Schnetzer - Max Vandenburg

“The only thing worse than a boy you hate, is a boy you like.”
Ben Schnetzer - Max Vandenburg

“The bombs were falling thicker now. It's probably fair to say that no one was able to serve the Führer as loyally as me.”

Roger Allam - Death

“- Alex Steiner: Rudy! What are you doing?
- Rudy Steiner: Nothing papa!
- Alex Steiner: Then get to school!”
Oliver Stokowski - Alex Steiner
Nico Liersch - Rudy Steiner