Death in Fantasy Literature and The Book Thief

A collection of vocabulary terms exploring the subgenres of fantasy, mythological personifications of death, and key concepts from The Book Thief.

High or Epic Fantasy

A subgenre of fantasy literature characterized by its grand scale and often set in an entirely different world, such as The Lord of the Rings.

Low Fantasy

A subgenre of fantasy where magical elements are introduced into an otherwise normal or realistic world, exemplified by The Book Thief.

Magical Realism

A literary genre where magical elements are a natural part of an otherwise mundane environment, such as One Hundred Years of Solitude.

George MacDonald

A Scottish author (1824–1905) who is considered the grandfather of modern fantasy literature and wrote The Princess and the Goblin.

Thanatos

The personification of Death in ancient Greece whose name is the Grecian word for death and who acted as a conductor of souls.

Hypnos

The God of Sleep and the best-known relative of Death, often depicted in Greek literature as Death's twin brother.

The Moirai

Also known as the Fates, these feminine personifications of death are the all-knowing makers of the life threads that symbolize human fate.

ars moriendi

A Latin phrase meaning "the art of dying," representing a major theme in fantasy literature concerning the way or how characters die.

Good Death

A concept in fantasy literature where a character dies with courage, dignity, and honor, often sacrificing themselves for others.

The Undying Lands

A location in The Lord of the Rings where Frodo sails at the end, serving as a symbolic representation of heaven or the afterlife.

The Stranger

A representation of Death in the Game of Thrones universe associated with darkness, oblivion, and the absence of an afterlife.

Historical Fantasy

The specific genre of the novel The Book Thief, written by Australian author Markus Zusak.

Omniscient Narrator

The narrative perspective of Death in The Book Thief, who sees everything and humanizes himself by describing physical sensations and emotions.

Word Shaker

In The Book Thief, a person who understands the true power of language and stories; Liesel is renowned as the best in her region.

The Shoulder Shrug

The title of a book stolen by Liesel Meminger that she rescues from a book burning.

Saukerl

A term used by Rosa Hubermann in The Book Thief to address others, including those she loved.