The Book Thief audiobook vs book: which should you choose?
Death tells the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl who steals books in Nazi Germany. It’s close to even: a praised reading of Death against drawings that only the page can show.
Content note: sources list the Holocaust, the death of a young child and a suicide among the novel’s themes. This page does not describe them.
Either works
Either works for The Book Thief, so pick the format you enjoy. Allan Corduner gives Death “a strong personality with a dispassionate voice” (Kirkus), says the German words with ease, and carries a 537-page book well. But the two illustrated stories painted over the pages of Mein Kampf, and Death’s bold-type asides, are made to be seen, and no PDF comes with the audiobook.
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The audiobook at a glance
| Recording | UK edition, our verdict | US edition |
|---|---|---|
| Narrator | Allan Corduner | Allan Corduner |
| Length | 13 hours 55 minutes (13h 55m), unabridged | 13 hours 56 minutes (13h 56m), unabridged |
| At 1.5x | about 9h 17m | about 9h 17m |
| At 2x | about 6h 58m | about 6h 58m |
| Audio publisher and date | Transworld Digital, 29 December 2006 | Listening Library, 26 September 2006 |
| Audiobook price | £10.34 on Audible UK | $22.95 on Audible US |
| Kindle price | £5.99 on Amazon UK | Not listed |
| Black Swan paperback, 537 pages, 2016 | Knopf paperback, 566 pages, 2007 | |
| Listener rating | Performance 4.78 from 5,084 ratings | Performance 4.75 from 30,603 ratings |
Allan Corduner’s recording is sold on Audible UK by Transworld and on Audible US by Listening Library. The UK release is the newer, so it is the one scored.
No other English recording is on Audible UK or US, and no PDF of the drawings comes with it. Ratings and prices checked 5 November 2026. Prices change often. Amazon US does not show Kindle prices outside the US, so US Kindle prices are not given.
Lengths checked 5 November 2026. Speed times are calculated.
The Book Thief
Markus Zusak
- Genre
- Historical fiction
- First published
- 2005 (Australia)
- Length
- 537 pages (UK paperback)
- On audio
- 13 hrs 55 mins, Allan Corduner
- On screen
- Film, 2013
On this page
Why we reached this verdict
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.
Checked, not a factor here (7)
One narrator for Death’s story (7), praised narration (6), the German words (3) and the book’s length (3) give listening 19 points, while the illustrated pages (9) and the prose (7) give reading 16. That’s close to even at 54%, so either format works.
Every book gets the same thirteen checks, set in advance. Verdicts are never paid for or influenced by affiliate links. Last edited 5 November 2026, and rechecked every year as editions and narrators change. Read the checks in full · Is listening the same as reading? See what the research says.
The recording in detail
- Scored
- Allan Corduner, Transworld Digital, 2006, 13h 55m, unabridged
- Critic review
- Kirkus: Corduner “gives Death a strong personality with a dispassionate voice”
- Alternatives
- None: one Corduner recording, sold by Transworld (UK) and Listening Library (US)
- What you miss
- The two illustrated stories, The Standover Man and The Word Shaker, and the look of the bold-type asides
What this book actually is
The Book Thief is Markus Zusak’s novel about Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living on Himmel Street in a small town near Munich, who steals books between 1939 and 1943. The whole story is told by Death, who often warns the reader what is coming.
It was first published in Australia in 2005, written for both teenage and adult readers, and became a film in 2013. It deals with the Holocaust, Nazi persecution, air raids and grief.
The case for reading it
The printed book has two short illustrated stories, The Standover Man and The Word Shaker, drawn and handwritten over painted-out pages of Mein Kampf. LitCharts and Shmoop describe them as words and pictures together, and no PDF comes with the audiobook, so the page is the only place to see them.
Death also breaks into the story with bold-type notes, lists and definitions, which stand out on the page. Kirkus calls the book “a work to read slowly and savor”, and the prose is often praised as close to poetry.
The case for listening to it
Allan Corduner gives Death a voice of his own. Kirkus says he “gives Death a strong personality with a dispassionate voice”, and Publishers Weekly praises his “talent for accents”, which suits a story full of German names and words.
It’s Death’s story from start to finish, so one narrator suits it, and listeners rate Corduner 4.7 or higher on both Audible stores. At almost 14 hours, the audiobook makes a long book easier to fit in.
The audiobook in detail
Allan Corduner reads the unabridged recording in 13 hours 55 minutes (Transworld Digital, Audible UK, 2006). Listening Library sells the same reading on Audible US, at 13 hours 56 minutes.
Publishers Weekly notes his “asides to the listener”. We couldn’t find a source on how he handles the illustrated pages, and no PDF comes with either listing.
Who should ignore this verdict
If you want to see the drawn stories as Max made them, read the book, or keep a print copy to hand for those pages. If a strong reading of Death is what draws you in, the audiobook is just as good a choice.
Kindle
- 537 pages (UK paperback)
- Includes the two illustrated stories
- About 9 hours to read (our estimate)
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Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
Questions people ask
Who narrates The Book Thief audiobook?
Allan Corduner reads the unabridged audiobook on his own, on both Audible UK and Audible US.
How long is The Book Thief audiobook?
13 hours 55 minutes on Audible UK (13 hours 56 minutes on Audible US). At 1.5x speed it takes about 9 hours 17 minutes, and at 2x about 6 hours 58 minutes (calculated).
Is The Book Thief audiobook abridged?
No. The Corduner recording is unabridged.
How many pages is The Book Thief?
The current UK Black Swan paperback has 537 pages (some listings give 569). The US Knopf paperback has 566.
Who is the narrator of The Book Thief?
Death tells the story. He follows Liesel Meminger on Himmel Street from 1939 to 1943 and often tells the reader what will happen before it does.
Does The Book Thief audiobook include the pictures?
No PDF comes with the audiobook on Audible UK or US. The printed book has two illustrated stories, The Standover Man and The Word Shaker, drawn on painted-over pages.
Is there a film of The Book Thief?
Yes. Brian Percival directed the film, released in the US on 8 November 2013, with Sophie Nélisse as Liesel and Roger Allam as the voice of Death.
Is there a Book Thief musical?
Yes. A musical with a book by Jodi Picoult and Timothy Allen McDonald opened at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton, in 2022. As of November 2026 the Lyric Hammersmith has announced a London run from 24 July to 28 August 2027.
Is The Book Thief sad?
Yes. It is set in Nazi Germany during the Second World War, and Death warns early on that people Liesel loves will die.
Should I read or listen to The Book Thief?
Either works. Allan Corduner’s reading of Death is praised and suits a story told by one narrator, but the two illustrated stories and the bold-type asides are made for the page, and no PDF comes with the audiobook. If you listen, a print copy for those pages helps.
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