i am the messenger book review analysis

I Am the Messenger

By markus zusak, i am the messenger analysis.

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Written by Timothy Sexton

For those readers who prefer quick sentences, short paragraphs and an overabundance of description that is somewhat south of the levee, this book is for you. In its original published edition, I am the Messenge r runs almost three-hundred-fifty pages. Some joker on the internet put a version together which compacts the one-sentence paragraphs and makes other assorted edits that resulted in a more conventional appearance and the exact same book—every word intact—clocks in at under seventy pages. The point? This is a quicker reader than it looks. That can be vitally important for some readers (especially students) and it is perhaps worth knowing that what looks like a nearly 400-page-slog is really only going to take about as long to read as a zippy 150-page-turner.

It is not just a stylistic choice by the author. The plethora of one-sentence-long paragraphs and the dearth of long chunky blocks of wordy descriptive paragraphs are there to serve a narrative point. This begins to becomes clear fairly early on in the narrative at a singularly important moment when the narrator writes:

“He eventually gets in and tries to start the car countless times, but it never kicks over.

For some reason I’ll never understand.”

It will not become completely apparent until the very end of the novel, but suffice to say that there is a a method to the madness of the staccato approach of structure in the novel. There are entire pages where half the paragraphs consist of just one sentence. A random stopping point, for instance, features eleven one-sentence paragraphs out of sixteen and of those eleven about half are three words long or less. The result of this minimalist approach is thematic in nature: it takes on the characteristics of a person speaking who is not quite sure of himself and pause to think, consider, reflect or just plain not be entirely sure what is going to come out next.

That, in a nutshell, describes the protagonist, Ed Kennedy. He is a slacker with a dead-end job and no ambition and an avoidance of dreams except for unrequited love who hangs around with friends who are mostly the same. In other words, there is no reason for him to even be writing about his life, and yet here we are. He finally has a story to tell, but the story is one in which events seem to be driving him rather than him driving events. As a result, there is a disconnect which is reflected in the actual writings style. For instance, the opening words of chapter titled “edgar street revisited.”

“It feels like the mornings clap their hands.

To make me wake.”

First of all, there is nothing in Ed’s background to suggest that he is a master of metaphorical language. Secondly, the little stutter there in the indentation of the second line creates the impression of a pause, almost if that first line with the metaphor wasn’t really planned and he needed a second to think it over and make sense of it. This sort of manipulation of time, cognitive abilities and the suggestion of external control over thought processing of the narrator is pervasive and intentional. The purpose behind it will not be fully revealed until the end, but once revealed it all makes sense.

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I Am the Messenger Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for I Am the Messenger is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

how does delivery the messages give Ed purpose

The meaning that Ed derives from his missions empower his newfound purpose. He has berated himself throughout the book as the “cornerstone of mediocrity” and is dedicating his future to shedding himself of the person he used to be in order to...

The stones:

What chapter are you referring to?

The Sledge Game is held in December, before Christmas.

Study Guide for I Am the Messenger

I Am the Messenger study guide contains a biography of Markus Zusak, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About I Am the Messenger
• I Am the Messenger Summary
• Character List

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I AM THE MESSENGER

by Markus Zusak ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 8, 2005

In this winner of the Australian Children’s Book Award for Older Readers, 19-year-old Ed Kennedy slouches through life driving a taxi, playing poker with his buddies, and hanging out with his personable dog, Doorman. The girl he loves just wants to be friends, and his mother constantly insults him, both of which make Ed, an engaging, warm-hearted narrator, feel like a loser. But he starts to overcome his low self-esteem when he foils a bank robbery and then receives a series of messages that lead him to do good deeds. He buys Christmas lights for a poor family, helps a local priest, and forces a rapist out of town. With each act, he feels better about himself and builds a community of friends. The openly sentimental elements are balanced by swearing, some drinking and violence, and edgy friendships. Suspense builds about who is sending the messages, but readers hoping for a satisfying solution to that mystery will be disappointed. Those, however, who like to speculate about the nature of fiction, might enjoy the unlikely, even gimmicky, conclusion. (Fiction. YA)

Pub Date: Feb. 8, 2005

ISBN: 0-375-83099-5

Page Count: 368

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2005

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES

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More by Markus Zusak

BOOK REVIEW

by Markus Zusak

IF ONLY I HAD TOLD HER

by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024

A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.

In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me , three characters tell their sides of the story.

Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.

Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024

ISBN: 9781728276229

Page Count: 416

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE

More by Laura Nowlin

by Laura Nowlin

IF HE HAD BEEN WITH ME

by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2013

There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.

The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.

Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.

Pub Date: April 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5

Page Count: 336

Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES

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I Am the Messenger

Markus zusak, everything you need for every book you read..

Ed Kennedy , a 19-year-old cab driver convinced of his own mediocrity, is caught in a bank robbery. For reasons he does not understand, he grabs the bank robber ’s gun and prevents the robber’s escape. The media briefly hails Ed as a hero, but the excitement quickly dies down and Ed returns to his ordinary life of driving a cab, hanging out with his coffee-drinking mutt , and playing cards with his friends, Marv , Ritchie , and Audrey . But one night, Ed receives a mysterious envelope in the mail which contains an Ace of Diamonds with three addresses written on it.

Uncertain of the sender of the card, Ed decides to go to the first address listed on it. At that address, he witnesses a drunk man sexually assaulting his wife . Ed realizes the card wants him to help the wife and her daughter , but he feels unequipped to face the large, abusive man. So, he decides to move on to the next address. At the second house, Ed meets Milla , a lonely elderly woman with Alzheimer’s disease who believes Ed is her late husband. Ed helps her by spending time with her. Then, he progresses to the third address and sees a teenage girl running barefoot in preparation for track meets. He learns her name is Sophie and that she lacks confidence and always loses her races. Ed gives her an empty shoe box and although Sophie still doesn’t win her races, she now has confidence in her abilities. Finally, Ed returns to the first address, but he still does not know how he will stop the abusive man. One day, a gun appears in Ed’s mailbox, so Ed uses it to threaten the man until he promises to never hurt his wife again.

Having helped all the people on the card, Ed returns home to find two masked men waiting for him. The men, who are named Keith and Daryl , beat Ed up and take the gun, before giving Ed a letter and the Ace of Clubs. Afterward, Ed confesses his attraction to Audrey, but she only wants to be his friend. The Ace of Clubs contains a clue which, along with a strange passenger in Ed’s cab, leads Ed to three names written on a stone in the local river. The first name belongs to a selfless priest whom Ed helps boost attendance at his church by throwing a big party. The second name is a single mom who dedicates her life to her children. Ed helps her by buying her an ice cream cone, because he believes she deserves to be taken care of as well. The final name leads Ed to a teenage delinquent named Gavin , who frequently brawls with his older brother, Daniel . Ed beats up Gavin himself because he believes an outside enemy will unite the brothers. After Gavin and Daniel work together to beat up Ed as revenge, Ed knows he has completed the Ace of Clubs.

Ed receives the next card at the local amateur football game. This card, the Ace of Spades, has the names of three authors written on it. Before Ed can look up the names, he tries to kiss Audrey, but she rejects him once again. Ed returns to the card and discovers that each author has a book that corresponds with a street name in his town. On the first street, Ed helps a poor but loving family enjoy a moment of beauty after buying them new Christmas lights to hang up on their house. At the next street name, Ed sees his own mother on a date with a man. Ed confronts his mother, because his dad died only the year before and his mom generally treats Ed with hostility, and his mother reveals that she hates Ed because he is an underachiever like his father. After reconciling with his mother, Ed goes to the third street, which contains an old theater operated by an elderly man named Bernie . Ed decides he can help Bernie by seeing a movie at the theater with Audrey. However, while Ed and Audrey are watching the movie, the screen suddenly plays video of Ed helping the people on the cards. Ed finds the Ace of Hearts left behind in the theater.

The Ace of Hearts has three movie titles written on it, which lead to Ed’s three friends. First, Ed motivates his lazy friend Ritchie to begin looking for a job so that he may find a purpose in life. Then, Ed helps his irritable friend Marv reunite with the girl he has always loved and the child they share. Lastly, Ed slow dances with Audrey, who fears emotional intimacy, to encourage her to allow herself to love him back.

Though Ed excitedly believes he has finished the entire mission of the cards, he receives a Joker with his own address written on it. In disbelief, he goes through the normal routine of his life, until one day a man gets into his cab and instructs Ed to drive to each address listed on the cards so far. Ed realizes the man is the bank robber from the beginning of the story, and then the man directs Ed to go home. Ed enters his house and finds a stranger sitting on his couch. The young man explains that he sent Ed the cards in order to prove that if someone as average as Ed can commit extraordinary acts of kindness for others, then truly anyone can. The man hands Ed a folder detailing every action Ed has taken since the beginning of his plan and then leaves. Ed agonizes over the implications of the man’s influence on his life, until Audrey comes over and she and Ed kiss. Ed realizes the kiss is not written in the folder. Then he realizes the man was not using him to help others, but instead was using Ed as a message to inspire everyone to reach beyond their own expectations of themselves to bring good into the world.

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I am the messenger, common sense media reviewers.

Lots of mature content in gritty tale; OK for older teens.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

This book is the winner of the Australian Children

This book explores the idea of how helping others

The main character is a slacker who lies about his

Several bloody beatings, threats with guns. A drun

Sex talk and sex fantasies, moderately graphic. On

Liberal use of swearing, especially "s--t.&qu

Smoking, drinking, drunkenness, alcoholism.

Parents need to know that this book is loaded with swearing and sexual references and fantasies. There are several bloody beatings, a husband rapes his wife, and characters smoke and drink to excess. But this well-written book, the winner of the 2003 Australian Children's Book Award for Older Readers, has a sweet…

Educational Value

This book is the winner of the Australian Children's Book Award for Older Readers. Readers will find themselves racing through this book -- and may want to read the author's other wonderful work, The Book Thief . Teens may have fun discussing the book's themes (Is it possible to change other people's lives for the better with simple acts? Is it possible to change your own?).

Positive Messages

This book explores the idea of how helping others can in turn help you.

Positive Role Models

The main character is a slacker who lies about his age to get a cab license. When he begins helping others, he finds new meaning in life -- and his relationships with his friends and relatives change.

Violence & Scariness

Several bloody beatings, threats with guns. A drunken husband rapes his wife.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Sex talk and sex fantasies, moderately graphic. One character has frequent sex with men she doesn't love, not described.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Liberal use of swearing, especially "s--t."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Drinking, drugs & smoking.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this book is loaded with swearing and sexual references and fantasies. There are several bloody beatings, a husband rapes his wife, and characters smoke and drink to excess. But this well-written book, the winner of the 2003 Australian Children's Book Award for Older Readers, has a sweet message: When the slacker protagonist begins helping others, he finds new meaning in life -- and his relationships with his friends and relatives change. Teens may have fun discussing the book's themes (Is it possible to change other people's lives for the better with simple acts? Is it possible to change your own?).

Where to Read

Community reviews.

• Parents say (9)
• Kids say (24)

Based on 9 parent reviews

Promoting for kids???

What's the story.

Ed is a loser. His friends are losers. He drives a cab, lives in a shack, hangs out, plays cards, gets drunk. His dog smells. His mother despises him. The girl he loves doesn't love him back. That's his life, until the day he accidentally captures a bank robber who's an even bigger loser. He has his five minutes of local fame, and is happy to go back to his slacker life. But a few days later the Ace of Diamonds arrives in his mailbox, with three addresses and times written on it. At each address and time Ed finds someone in need of help, some fun (an old lady who needs some company), some harder (a brutal man who abuses his wife). As he continues to receive clues about other people, he finds that his view of himself, and his relationships with his friends and relatives, are changing, but a mystery remains: Who is sending him these clues, and why? And how does this mystery person know so much?

Is It Any Good?

When it's good, it's very good; this award-winning novel about a slacker whose life is altered when he starts receiving mysterious playing cards in the mail has glimpses of brilliance. Aussie author Markus Zusak has that down-under way of being relaxed and hard-edged at the same time, allowing him to deal with some serious subject matter in a way that's both light and powerful. He also has a way of making his slacker characters so intelligent and appealing that it makes the reader wonder just what exactly is wrong with a life lived small and free of ambition. The resolution to the big mystery of who is sending the cards reads as if Zusak just couldn't figure out how to get out of the hole he'd dug for himself, so he just slapped this on. But if you can ignore the last 10 pages, this is a terrific, at times moving, and thought-provoking story that can lead readers to look at their own worlds in a slightly different way.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the author and his work. Markus Zusak also wrote the award winning book The Book Thief . I Am the Messenger is also an award-winner, having earned the Australian Children's Book Award for Older Readers. Why do you think Zusak's books appeal to critics and award committees? Does it make any difference to you if a book is well reviewed or wins awards?

Many reviews -- including this one -- criticized the book's ending. Why do you think so many reviewers found it disappointing? What did you think about it? Would you change it? How so?

Book Details

• Author : Markus Zusak
• Genre : Contemporary Fiction
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Alfred A. Knopf
• Publication date : February 25, 2006
• Number of pages : 357
• Last updated : June 11, 2015

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I Am the Messenger Summary & Study Guide

I Am the Messenger Summary & Study Guide Description

"I am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak tells the story of a young man challenged by an unknown benefactor to become a better person by helping those around him. Through a series of assignments given to him on the aces from a deck of playing cards, Ed Kennedy learns to face his fears. He is able to rise above his feelings of incompetence as he helps others in areas where they need the help the most. Some of the messages that Ed receives are as simple as buying an ice cream cone for a struggling single mother while others put Ed in positions of real danger. At the conclusion of the novel, Ed learns that he is not only the messenger, but also the message as the man who sent Ed on his journey of self-improvement tells Ed he has learned that even an ordinary man can live beyond normal expectations.

Ed's journey begins when he becomes involved in a bungled bank robbery and helps police capture the robber by grabbing the robber's dropped gun and shooting at him. When Ed testifies at the trial for the bank robber, the robber threatens Ed, telling him that he is a dead man. A short time prior to this, Ed had received in the mail an Ace of Diamonds with three addresses and times listed on it. Ed becomes aware that he is supposed to help the people who are listed on these addresses. Through the course of the story, Ed works his way through all of the aces as well as the joker card. Those he helps include an elderly lady needing reassurance that she treated her husband right and a family who needs a new string of Christmas light to make their holiday bright. Ed is even called to give messages to his closest friends and family members.

Ed's last message, delivered on the joker card, is for Ed himself. During the delivery of this message, Ed learns that he is not only the messenger, but also the message as he shows the man who put Ed's entire journey into motion that people, even ordinary ones, can rise about their perceived abilities to make a difference in the world. Through his journey, Ed becomes more confident in his abilities and improves as a human being. Even Audrey, who is the love of Ed's life but has never allowed herself to love Ed, recognizes Ed's goodness as she finally gives in to his love. There is also a twist at the conclusion of the novel as Ed learns the identity of the man who has sent him all of the messages.

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I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak - review

I Am The Messenger is by Markus Zusak (who wrote The Book Thief), and is probably suitable for girls and boys, 14 and up. Ed Kennedy is pretty much your average 19 year old. His life pretty much revolves around underage cab driving, playing cards, his coffee drinking dog, and just generally being hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey. But, on a seemingly ordinary day, Ed, the civilian without many prospects, inadvertently stops a bank robbery. And that's when his whole world is turned upside down and the first ace arrives in the mail. Ed is now 'The Messenger'. Tasked with the cryptic and vague job of helping and hurting (where needed), Ed makes his way through his assignments. The only thing left to find out is… Who's behind Ed's mission?

The characters are instantly likeable, and Ed's honesty and smart Alec nature makes him the person you root for throughout the whole book; I genuinely wish I knew Ed, simply because how great and funny a guy he is. Zusak has a unique, remarkable talent for being able to make me laugh and cry all within the space of a few pages. It's difficult to describe, but the book reads with a sort of rhythm and pace and is yet another example of Zusak's incomparable skill. The book is funny and self deprecating, the second chapter entitled: 'sex should be like maths: an introduction to my life'.

The moral; the story, so to speak, of the book is beautiful and poignant, and you won't realize just how attached you've become to it until the end. I found my perspective of things irrevocably changed after reading this. I would give this book a well deserved 4/5 stars.

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I Am the Messenger Introduction

Imagine if today you got a card in the mail with three addresses and times on it. No explanation, no return address… just the places and times. What would you do? Would you go to the addresses and hope there's something cool going down, or would you be too freaked out that something terrible might await you?

This is the exact scenario that Ed Kennedy, a lazy cab driver with no real future, finds himself in in I Am the Messenger . Eventually Ed works up the nerve to visit the addresses, and he's shocked by what he he finds: a woman being raped by her husband, an old lady in need of a friend, and an insecure fifteen-year-old girl. Yikes for everyone involved.

Ed decides to start helping these people, but the real question is: Who is sending the cards? What do they want from him? And, most importantly, why Ed? He's a nobody —and even his own mom thinks he's a downer. Ouch.

Markus Zusak's young adult novel asks us to consider some pretty big questions about life and how we treat others. It's part drama, part love story, part mystery, and all page-turner. The book was first published in 2002 in Zusak's home country—Australia—under the title The Messenger , and then it jumped over to the United States and went on to become a 2005 Michael L. Printz Honor Book .

Written before Zusak's international bestseller, The Book Thief , this novel takes creativity to a new level. It makes us think about how people live, what people want from their lives, and where relationships blossom—and all from a series of playing cards. Aces.

What is I Am the Messenger About and Why Should I Care?

What happens when the world doesn't care about you? Let's just say it ain't pretty, and since this is one of the big questions I Am the Messenger asks readers to think on, you'll find loads of people in this book that you often don't find in young adult books. Ed is sent to help a rape victim, a poor family, a beaten kid, an overwhelmed mother… need we say more? Author Markus Zusak takes the YA genre to a very serious place and asks readers to consider some very real adult problems.

Here's the thing, though: YA done right helps pave the path forward and sheds light on the questions and conundrums that plague people as they leave childhood behind and come into their own. So though this book often forces us to look at some pretty harsh realities, it also inspires us to invest in both ourselves and those around us. I Am the Messenger doesn't just take us to dark places and ditch us—nope, it shows us that with some creative thinking and stick-to-itiveness, we can find happiness and satisfaction time and again.

We don't imagine anyone is going to start mailing you playing cards any time soon, but that doesn't mean that you won't encounter some of the major obstacles found in this book. After all, we're talking poverty, violence, loneliness, fear of love, and more, issues that crop up everywhere in our society. And while we wish you all the best, this book just might offer you some useful guidance in tough moments you face as you come into your own—and if nothing else, it serves up the hopeful message that today is a great day to start trying.

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W hy's T his F unny?

I Am The Messenger

59 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapters 1-13

Part 2, Chapters 14-26

Part 3, Chapters 27-39

Part 4, Chapters 40-52

Part 5, Chapters 53-57

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Part 1, Chapters 1-13 Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1: “the first message”, part 1, chapter 1 summary: “the holdup”.

As the novel opens, 19-year-old cab driver Ed Kennedy and his friends Marvin, Ritchie, and Audrey are held hostage during a bank robbery. Due to the gunman’s obvious incompetence, Ed and Marvin are more irritated than frightened by the situation. The two bicker about Marvin’s dilapidated Ford Falcon, drawing the robber’s attention. The gunman’s getaway vehicle is spotted by the police, so he takes Marvin’s keys. The robber drops his weapon as he exits the bank, and Ed astonishes himself by picking it up and holding the robber at gunpoint until the police arrive. The officer who takes Ed and Marvin’s statements insults the Falcon, but Marv claims that he has more important priorities than buying a new car. As they exit the police station, reporters swarm around Ed. He imagines the next day’s headlines reading, “Local Deadbeat Makes Good” (14). A few days later, Ed receives a message that he states, “changes everything” (14).

Part 1, Chapter 2 Summary: “Sex Should Be like Math: An Introduction to My Life”

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Theresa Smith Writes

Delighting in all things bookish, book review: the messenger by markus zusak, the messenger…, about the book:.

Meet Ed Kennedy – cab driving prodigy, pathetic card player and useless at sex (self-proclaimed). He lives in a suburban shack, shares coffee with his dog, the Doorman, and he’s in nervous love with Audrey. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence – until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery.

That’s when the first Ace turns up.

That’s when Ed becomes the messenger.

Chosen to care, he makes his way through town, helping and hurting (where necessary) until only one question remains. Who’s behind Ed’s mission?

Protect the diamonds, survive the clubs, dig deep through spades, feel the hearts… The Messenger is a cryptic journey filled with laughter, fists and love.

My Thoughts:

There’s a story as to why I’ve read The Messenger at this point in time, and it’s only partially to do with my book bingo category of ‘read a book that is more than 10 years old’. Truth is, I had never read a Markus Zusak novel before now. I’ll let that rest with you for a moment, I know, it’s almost un-Australian of me. Not even The Book Thief. Yep. That’s right. Even my daughter, who hardly ever reads, loves The Book Thief. It’s like the only book she has read more than once. It’s almost the only book she has read at all. So when fellow reviewers started reading and talking about Bridge of Clay, Markus’s long awaited new release, I started getting messages from them asking me what I thought, how was I going with it, did I agree about this or that. I had to admit, with a certain amount of bracing, that I, well, I just wasn’t going to read it because, you know, (at this point my voice would lower to a whisper as I uttered those last words) I don’t read Zusak. To their credit, they all still speak to me. Two friends, one of whom is also a reviewer, were not having a bar of this. You have to read Zusak, they said, but start with The Messenger. Now, I just want to clarify, that these two friends don’t know each other, but they both said pretty much the same thing to me. Eerily coincidental. I ordered a copy of The Messenger and here I am, no longer free of Zusak. My life will never be quite the same.

The Messenger is brilliant. There’s probably not a whole lot I could add to the existing commentary about The Messenger. It was published in 2002 and there are so many reviews out there written about it and so many online discussions about the ending. It’s got a feel to it that I really love. Through Ed, you slide into this existence of ordinariness that is so Australian and so very familiar. It’s funny, it’s tragic, it’s suspenseful, it’s romantic, it’s sometimes utterly ridiculous. I loved every single word of it. To me, The Messenger encompasses everything we need to know about being a decent human being. It may have been published 16 years ago, but its message is just as valid, if not more so, today. As we bump along in life, wrapped up in our dramas, increasingly isolating ourselves with our technology, we need to remember that there is validity in human connection. In taking notice, reaching out, and making a difference, even if it’s just in giving someone an ice-cream or really listening to what a person has to say. The small things can weigh in just as much as the big things. We need to avoid falling into the trap of never asking, never looking, and never listening. Ed put in me in mind of a guardian angel, but for Ed, being the messenger was not his only task, because as the novel progresses, it becomes apparent that there was a message hidden in there for Ed as well.

‘Already, I know that all of this will stay with me forever. It’ll haunt me, but I also fear it will make me feel grateful. I say fear because at times I really don’t want this to be a fond memory until it’s over. I also fear that nothing really ends at the end. Things just keep going, as long as memory can wield its axe, always finding a soft part in your mind to cut through and enter.’

The ending is rather powerful, but many don’t like it, and equally as many freely admit they don’t get it. I want to talk about the ending but without giving it away. Markus uses metafiction to pull off his ending, and for me, it really worked. But I had to think about it for a while, let it really sink in, because it re-orders everything about the novel and pushes the reader into a zone that they may not have inhabited before. In a nutshell, metafiction is fiction that is not only aware of its construction as a fiction, but also makes outright reference to that fact. The goal is to make the reader uncomfortable and question the line that exists between the fictional realm within the text and the world he or she inhabits. Supernatural, the TV show, does metafiction really well – and once again I am able to demonstrate that all things can be clarified with an example from Supernatural, ha! They’ve had several episodes across the seasons where Sam and Dean are parodied, even one that went so far as to have them pretending to be in a movie playing characters with their own real life names. And then there’s the well known storyline where they meet an author writing Supernatural fan fiction with events happening as the author writes them within the show. Confused? Sorry, it’s hard to explain but works well when you see it. In books, it’s obviously a bit more tricky. Nicholas Sparks used metafiction in the prologue and epilogue of his latest release, Every Breath. It didn’t work as well for me as what Markus Zusak has done here in The Messenger, but still, it’s a good example of the author placing themselves within their own text. Atonement is another example of metafiction in literature – a very good example although it has its haters as well. Anyway, I’m going on a bit here so I’ll get to the point. I like the ending of The Messenger. For me, it makes the whole point of the novel, the idea that we can all make a difference, no matter who we are, simply from observing and reaching out, all the more present. By suspending the fictional element through the use of metafiction, Markus is demonstrating that what Ed did, need not exist only in fiction. It can crossover into the real world. We too can be messengers. It doesn’t get more profound than that.

‘But just remember that I was the one – not him – who gave life to these pages.’

To finish up, I just want to pay homage to The Doorman. Best stinky ice-cream eating coffee drinking loyal dog ever.

About the Author:

Markus Zusak was born in 1975 and is the author of five books, including I am the Messenger and the international bestseller, The Book Thief, which is translated into more than forty languages. He lives in Sydney with his wife and two children.

The Messenger First published in 2002 by Pan Macmillan Australia https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/9781742613598/

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25 thoughts on “ book review: the messenger by markus zusak ”.

Haha, Theresa, this made me laugh. I haven’t read The messenger, but I have read The book thief. And I did love it. The voice, the warmth of the characters, are just so engaging. However, that doesn’t mean I’m going to jump to read everything he writes. For some reason I’m not that kind of reader – unless a new Austen were to be found of course. These days, knowing I’ll never get to read every book I want to read, I tend to go for diversity, to read a book by an author I haven’t read before. If Bridge of Clay were scheduled by my reading group, I’d read it in a flash, but otherwise, I may or may not BUT I will always have The book thief!

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I’ve become a little that way myself, I want to read everything by certain authors but practicality wins out. Although, Austen doesn’t count here, I agree. All of her novels are essential. In terms of Markus, I have been told all his novels are very different from each other but I’d say that voice you mention and the warmth of the characters are a common ingredient. I loved this so much about The Messenger.

Yes, what I want to read and what is practical is the issue!

Omg I read this years ago for my book club- I can’t really remember it that well, but it was definitely an interesting one! Great review 🙂

Thank you! It was certainly a book unlike any I’ve read before!

Oops and I meant to make a point about metafiction. Two novels that I love that use this device are Atonement and Life of Pi. I know people who hated these books – and usually for precisely this reason. The endings of both these books made me laugh (not in a haha way, but in a “ah so” or “you got me” way). I think some readers do not like their fictional world to upended, they want to get lost in the world and, in a sense, believe it. One friend of mine hates the author lording it over the reader as she puts it – I can pretty much pick the books she won’t like. Whereas I usually love seeing the author’s hand in a book, I love thinking about the author’s mind guiding it and if this comes out in a metafictional way I usually like it (unless the book itself is ordinary, clumsy, boring.)

Tow of my faves right there: Atonement and Life of Pi.

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Another lover of Metafiction I see Karenlee!

I think this is one you would have gotten a kick out of Sue. It was very much a “you got me”. Whereas the Nicholas Sparks one I mentioned was more clumsy. Really a novel with elements of metafiction in the prologue and epilogue only.

Good review Theresa. I was thinking about getting my hands on a copy and then read Bridge of Clay instead. As a Book Thief fan, I was looking forward to his latest very much. I suspect I am in a minority when I say I was underwhelmed.

I have heard that Bridge of Clay is hard work. What a shame you picked that one as you might have liked The Messenger more. And thank you, I was a little nervous about this review.

I’m interested in what you say about your friends’ campaign to make you read Zusak. (I’ve read The Book Thief but I would never say he is a must-read). This is so like my own experiences with colleagues at work, though alas, without the same pleasing outcome. (You must read The Da Vinci Code, you must read XYZ crime/fantasy novel). LOL You’ll need to be careful now that you’ve proved them right, they’re going to demand you read all kinds of things!

I’ve been really cautious about this too, because the last book I read that was ‘highly recommended’ to me by work colleagues was The Girl on the Train. It remains to this day the worst book I’ve ever read. Thank goodness The Messenger was at the opposite end of the spectrum! But I’ll remain cautious! I’ve found that on the whole, my tastes vary widely from most of my colleagues.

Hmmm I’ll think about reading this down the track. I did borrow it as an audio book, but didnt like the narrator so didn’t get past the first chapter before returning it.

I just can’t get into audio books. I’ve tried, but they’re just not for me. The best example of this is when I started to listen to The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. It was so drab and boring, so I switched to the book, and it remains one of my favourite reads. It was magical. I think you’d like this book a lot. Keep it on the back burner!

Hi, this is the first audio book I’ve listened to. I tried a few previously but, like you, I couldn’t abide the narrator. I find this happens with audio meditations too; I’m quite intolerant of mouth sounds etc lol. However, I love this narrator and will even look out for other books narrated by him. How funny! PS I love this book so much. I have 30mins left to go. Will miss Ed very much. PPS Will read The book thief one day.

That’s terrific! I live in hope then that I might still find a good audio to enjoy. It’s such an excellent book, I missed Ed too once I’d finished.

I confess. I haven’t read Zusak…yet. I have The Book Thief. It’s been on my shelf for quite some time and one day I’ll get around to reading it. I am curious as to why your friends suggested to begin with The Messenger. Loved the Supernatural reference – always relevant!

I think it was the ending that made them recommend it to me. Maybe they knew I’d like it? I’m so happy someone liked my Supernatural reference! 🎉

Great review Theresa, and I’m secretly hoping I was one of the two readers who suggested you might like The Messenger. I was really moved by it and loved the meta fiction ending; I definitely didn’t see it coming. You summed it up better than I could without giving any spoilers, and hopefully you’ve inspired new readers to give it a chance. Having read this, The Book Thief and Bridge of Clay, this is definitely his best in my opinion. I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂

Yes, you are most certainly one of the two! Wouldn’t it make a great movie?

The movie of how Theresa was convinced to read – and then fell in love – with a book by Markus Zusak? Absolutely! Jokes aside, I’m glad I was one of the two readers who successfully persuaded you to pick this up. I’ll quit while I’m ahead though 😉

Pingback: Top 6 Markus Zusak Books From Australia (Author of The Book Thief)

First- My Thoughts: Others say that the ending had ruined the novel for them, because the main character was shown to just be a character, however, that’s not how I interpreted it. As someone who reads books that break the fourth wall more than they write “the”, I think that this ending shows the opposite. The author (in the book) said that Ed is most definitely real, and Ed too, says that he gave meaning to the book. I believe that he is not “merely” a character, but that his life was recorded (whether or not he is actually a real person in our world).

Second- Recommendation: At the end, I was really surprised to see that this book had become so fourth wall-breaking, but it still fits. Anyway, a book that breaks the fourth wall, but gives meaning to the characters just as well as this (in my opinion, way better than this), is the book Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint. I recommend you read it (the novel, not manga) if you want something like The Messenger’s ending.

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I Am the Messenger (Zusak) - Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions 1. There are many ironies in Ed Kennedy’s life. One is in the name of the company for which he works—Vacant Taxi Company. What is “vacant” in Ed’s life? Explain the irony in Audrey’s statement, “You used to just be.... Now you’re somebody, Ed.” (p. 232) Discuss how Ed resolves the ironies in his life. 2. Describe Ed’s family. Explain what his mother means when she says, “Believe it or not—it takes a lot of love to hate you like this.” (p. 245) Ed’s mother says that his father promised to take her away. She resents the fact that he never did. Debate whether his mother is simply looking for someone to blame for her unhappiness. How is Audrey’s family similar to Ed’s family? 3. Discuss Ed and Audrey’s relationship. Audrey says that she likes Ed too much to have sex with him, and he says that he wants more than sex from her. Why does Audrey think that sex would ruin their relationship? What does Ed want from Audrey? It is obvious that Audrey is having sex with other guys. How does her attitude toward casual sex indicate disrespect for herself? Ed eventually learns that Audrey is in love with him. Why is she reluctant to reveal her love for him? What might Ed offer her at the end of the novel that he was incapable of offering in the beginning? 4. Ed and his friends are in a bank when it is robbed. Debate whether Ed is in the wrong place at the right time, or the right place at the wrong time. 5. After the robbery, Ed begins receiving the cards in the mail. Explain how Ed knows that each mission he is handed is serious business. 6. One of Ed’s first messages is to soothe Milla Johnson’s loneliness by posing as her deceased husband. How does this experience show Ed the real meaning of love? Then, Ed delivers a message to Sophie, the barefoot runner. Explain the courage that Ed learns from Sophie. What does Ed learn from each of the twelve messages that he delivers? How is each mission a lesson for the heart? 7. There are times when self-hatred is almost debilitating to Ed. Who is most responsible for his poor self-concept? How do the cards help Ed gain a more positive sense of self? Explain how Ed is both the messenger and the message. How does this support the theory that by helping others, a person helps himself? What does Ed mean when he says, “If I ever leave this place, I’ll make sure I’m better here first?” (p. 283) 8. Ed says, “I want words at my funeral. But I guess that means that you need life in your life.” (p. 298) How do the missions slowly put “life” in Ed’s life? Think about the words that each of the characters might offer Ed by the end of the novel. 9. Some readers like open endings, and others like distinct conclusions. What is your preference? Why do you think the author ended the novel the way he did? Make a case for both types f endings. ( Questions issued by publisher .)

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