Customer Reviews

Thief of Always

5 star:		(110)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have always been a fan of horror, and this was the book I actually read to my son that finally started him on his own road of reading for pleasure. A young boy is unhappy with his life; he doesn't like school and doesn't like his parents, and wishes for a place where he can play all day long and have no responsibilities. He finds that place when creepy Rictus leads him through the mists to a place he has always dreamed of. Kindly old Mrs. Griffin runs a quaint little house, cooking marvelous meals for the boys and girls with her cats. Harvey soon finds that this place is magical, every morning is Spring, every afternoon Summer, every evening is Autumn, and every night Winter. The children play in the warmth of summer, have Halloween every evening, and Christmas every night. He makes friends with Wendell and Lulu, and meets some freakish inhabitants. But when he finally finds the lake with the strange fish, and witnesses Lulu changing, that he realizes this wonderful place is a trap and he cannot leave. He seeks a way out, and with the help of Mrs. Griffin's cats he makes it through the misty barrier, only to find that for every day that passes in the House, a year passed in the outside world. Harvey must set things to right again, and that means returning across the misty barrier and confronting the dreaded Mr. Hood. A very enjoyable read, and surprisingly good to read to older children, especially those who may be unhappy with school. Sometimes, you get what you wish for, only to find out its not what you really wanted....

The Thief of Always was the first novel by Clive Barker I ever read, having before known of him only as the man behind such movie greats as Hellraiser (which was a Barker book first). Anyway, it totally blew me away, and Barker is now one of my top authors, and the book is now one of my favorites (which is saying a lot because I'm quite an avid reader). The story centers around a ten-year-old boy named Harvey Swick, who becomes bored with his life and begins to wish the days away. In answer to his prayers, he is taken to a mysterious place called the Holiday House, supposedly built for children who want to have fun. Questions come up in Harvey's mind about what is really going on behind the House's happy-go-lucky exterior, and he is pulled into a horrific adventure beyond his wildest dreams (or nightmares).

I won't give anything more about the story away, you'll just have to read it for yourselves. But there are many pros in this novel, and not one con as far as I see it. The plot is unique and interesting, so much so that you won't want to put it down. It is certainly not slow-paced, and although it is almost 300 pages long it is almost over as soon as it begins, which is really the only bad thing about it. But as soon as you finish you can't help but want to read it again.

The characters are in depth and believeable, the bad guys are majorly cool, unique, and interesting. And they aren't the kind of villians that are super-strong and seemingly impossible to beat, even the worst of them has believeable weaknesses and vulnerabilities.

I recommend this book to anyone and everyone, and I can assure you that it won't be a disappointment.

Ten-year-old Harvey lives the most boring life on Earth; until
someone comes and offers him a special room at the
Holiday House. Harvey meets several friends there, and seems
to enjoy himself, but he soon discovers he can't escape.
The only one at the House who knows how to get out advises
Harvey, but when he finally exits the terrible dimension, he
realizes 30 years has passed in the outside world, when only
30 days passed in the Holiday House. Harvey has to find a way
to finally get rid of the House forever.
This is one of my favorites. It is Clive Barker's only
book for children, and he did an exceptionally good job.
It takes a wild imagination to write a work of art like this,
and Barker definitely has at least that. This book held me
transfixed the whole time, and not for one instant did I have
the urge to put it down. I'm very surprised that it's not as
popular as I would have thought, but I highly recommend it to
anyone who would like to read an excellent book and maybe get
a bit of a scare. I hope you enjoy it!

Prior to this novel, I had only read Mr. Barker's short stories in the combined volume of his Books of Blood. Many of those stories were pure genius, with riveting plot twists and original premises, but I must admit that I wasn't sure how that would translate into a novel suitable for all ages...

It turns out that I had nothing to worry about. The Thief of Always is a classic fable with enough originality to make it fresh. I was hooked as soon as I read the first paragraph.

Mr. Barker shows an insight into the mind of a child that I don't think I expected from a man who made his mark with tales of gruesome horror. Then again, I probably should have known better given the amazing insight into the human psyche that was apparent in many of his short stories. (Take, for instance, his commentary on mob mentality in "In the Hills, the Cities.")

Like many children in such tales, Harvey's downfall is his boredom and his desire for something different, something fun. He finds himself drawn into a world of wonders that quickly becomes a world of horrors. Barker's supporting cast, the good and the evil, are flawlessly executed with just enough surreal charm to make you fear what might really be going on in Holiday House.

The evil in the story is horrifying (without going too far for a younger reader) and Barker's message is clear. Harvey learns that nothing comes without a price and that time is precious. He learns to appreciate each moment he has with his family and friends, no matter how dull those moments may sometimes seem. In the process of making these discoveries, he also proves himself to be a hero as he overcomes his own weakness to defeat Mr. Hood.

I highly recommend this book for young and old alike ... I've recommended it to my husband, since he's been looking for a light read and this one is well worth the time.

when i was 12, i randomly picked up this book in a bookstore, started reading there, and my mom had to actually buy it she says, because just walked aorund reading it, i even left with it in my hands still reading and reading in the carr, out of the car and in to the house where i sat in my room for 2 days until i was done. a day later, i read the book again.

this book forever remains in my mind as the best book i've ever read. the imagery is amazing! absolutely perfect. it's a dark tale and it is absolutely the best book i've ever read.

i picked it up again a year ago and read it again, and still found it just as good. i can't even put into words how great this book is. every adult and child alike will like this book.

In my opinion this book was definately on the high end of all books in the genre. No other book has made me feel such pure emotion. Clive Barker is undoubtedly the most gifted writer of our generation.

~Come open the door into Mr.Hood's "fun" house~ As I anxiously began to read the first paragraph of this book, I already new I was reading a truly excellent and well written novel. This book explores imagination and creativity to it's fullest potential. Followed by the impressive and very expressive illustrations, I felt I was actually standing in Mr. Hood's Holiday house! This book excites in the same style & traditon as Ray Bradbury. I recommend this book to any one who has ever made a wish for a change of scenery. Whether your 9 or 95, this book WILL entertain and amaze you. I am in fact proud to call this my favorite book. Just read it and you'll see...Be prepared to unlock your imagination! ~P

I love Clive Barker's works: his books, his art, his movies. OK, now with that said let me try to give an unbiased review of this book. I loved it!! Once started I could not put it down. The whole story was interesting and fun and very exciting to read. The book is meant to appeal to all ages and for the most part it does. It is a tale involving magic, fantasy, fun, and children. Harvey, our ten year old hero, finds himself whisked away to the Holiday House where all the solutions to a bored afternoon are given to him. He later discovers the price he is paying and bravely proceeds to battle with the House. A good tale told in the vein of a fairy tale but in modern, magical times. It also comes with illustrations as done by Clive himself which perfectly match the story. They add to the wonder of discovery as you read. In case you are worried, the illustrations are pretty tame compared to a lot of his other work. The illustrations from The Thief of Always do not come close to the graphic nature of the pictures found in Clive Barker Illustrator. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone, including young children.

From the opening pages of this novel, the reader is swept into a world from every kids childhood fantasies. An escape from everyday life to a world that seems limitless. Clive Barker lets the reader join along in the bizarre life of Harvey Swick. Reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland, Harvey is taken from his dull life and brought into a world of unique characters and strange events. The bright perfect world that Harvey is swept into comes not without its dark shadows. Soon Harvey must face his demons to try to recapture his youth in a heart pounding climax that leaves the reader in awe. This book is not without a lesson, something that few novels are able to capture in this day in age. The lesson is simple: There is no place like home. Clive Barker's imagination and stlye of writing should put this novel on everyone's list of 'books to read in my lifetime'.

Add this book to the growing pile of books to give a child waiting desperately for the next (and final) installment in the Harry Potter series. This may make the wait a little less unbearable, though nothing will be much solace once J.K. Rowling pens the last page in Book 7. There's only so much one can do about that, after all.

The Thief of Always is also a great choice for anyone smitten by Lemony Snicket, as it features a similarly dark story line with menacing adult characters. There's none of the wonderful banter between author and reader found in A Series of Unfortunate Events, nor really any of the wickedly twisted humor, but there should be just enough terror and danger to keep most fans of this genre riveted.

Harvey Swick is 10 years old and very bored with the long, cold days of February. One day a mysterious man appears, suddenly, in Harvey's room. The man asks Harvey if he'd like to go someplace where life is always fun. Being a self-centered yet somewhat strangely trusting 10 year old, Harvey agrees, and he's led away by the man.

The house where the mysterious man takes Harvey is in a land that's always sunny during the day. Halloween and Christmas, those two revered favorite holidays of children, come every evening. Harvey and another boy, Wendell, have all their wishes granted in this wondrous house, but one day Harvey starts to see that all isn't as it should be, and evil lurks beneath the facade of perfection...

A quick and satisfying read, this is as entertaining for adult fans of the genre as children.