The Thief Lord

I picked this book up, not realizing that it was a children's book. It was only when I got it home and was reading the cover that I saw that Ms. Funke was a writer of children's books. But Venice is one of my favorite cities and the writing level was obviously aimed at a high enough level that I didn't particularly feel that I was reading a children's book so I continued.

I was happily surprised as I read this book. It seems rare these days that you can find a novel that holds your interest, let alone one that is written for children that an adult can enjoy. The descriptions of Venice are simply stunning. The characters are intensely believable (Except maybe Aunt Esther).

No, the novel isn't infused with magic like Harry Potter, but there is just enough at the end to make the novel sparkle. To tell what the magic is about would spoil the plot, but it certainly made me stop and think if I would make the same choices as some of the characters in the book.

I do wonder about some of the children's books that are out these days. They certainly aren't all sweetness and light. This one deals with some pretty harsh subjects of street children, unloved/unwanted children, and crime. I Definitely would not recommend this for the very young reader.

My star ratings:

One star - couldn't finish the book

Two stars - read the book, but did a lot of skipping or scanning. Wouldn't add the book to my permanent collection or search out other books by the author

Three stars - enjoyable read. Wouldn't add the book to my permanent collection. Would judge other books by the author individually.

Four stars - Liked the book. Would keep the book or would look for others by the same author.

Five stars - One of my all time favorites. Will get a copy in hardback to keep and will actively search out others by the same author.

I had a unusual feeling while reading this book. Let me explain. As I started reading the beginning of the book I said to myself "this is pretty good...really good infact." Is I got to the middle of the book I said to myself "this is really good...excelent in fact." Then after I finished the book I said to myself "that was the stupidest book I ever read."

Now I know that you are probably going to buy this book because all the other reviews make it sound heavenly, but it isn't. For some people it might, but for me, and I assume a lot of others, this book is a waste of time.

You have to be asking yourself "what made him have such a great change of heart," and this is the reason:

The book starts out like a normal world. It is located in Vinice and outlines the life of two runaways. These runaways meet a "thief lord" (if you've read the book you know why I put quotations). This lord gives them all kinds of stuff, and helps them survive. Anyway I don't want to ruin it for you even though I KNOW you aren't going to read this.

So the world is a normal one. You have to be saying "why is he saying the world is a normal one all the time." The reason is that infact it isn't, and by the end of the story the book changes from a fun, action packed drama into a fantasy story. This change doesn't work and because of it, makes reading the whole story a waste of time. I hope you listen to me because I know you have better things to do than read this book.

Oh and if you read Jewel Allie's review, you will find that she agrees with me.

After Prosper and Bo's mother dies, their Aunt Esther says she would like to adopt five-year-old Bo and send twelve-year-old Prosper to boarding school. However, the two brothers refuse to be separated from each other so they decide to move to Venice, the place their mother had always talked about. After meeting a young homeless girl that goes by the name of Hornet, they are introduced to Riccio and Mosca. All three of these have escaped from home or from the orphanage and are now living in an abandoned old movie theatre. With the help of Scipio, the Thief Lord, they have enough money to eat and to clothe themselves. Meanwhile, Esther suspects that Prosper and Bo are hiding in Venice and she hires the detective Victor Getz to track them down. However, things start getting tricky when the Thief Lord is hired to steal something for the Conte, and Victor discovers Prosper's and Bo's secret hide-out.
The Thief Lord, a book written by German author Cornelia Funke, is a mystery book that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat during the whole story. Though many people compare this book to Harry Potter, I am tempted to compare it to Artemis Fowl, though it is, in my opinion, much more suspenseful. Even though the plot is a bit weak, it is nonetheless well thought of and Cornelia surprises readers' by revealing the mysterious Scipio's real identity. This book is very well written and is sure to please children that are around ten years old.

The Thief Lord is a story of two brothers, Bo and Prospero. Fearing that their aunt will separate them from each other, they ventured into Venice, a place where many stories were told by their dead mother.
This novel by Cornelia Funke provides a good beginning, as Bo and Prospero make their way in the old-time Venice. They meet a number of interesting and colorful characters, and became part of an unlikely gang of "thieves." The twists and turns in the middle proved to be as excellent as the beginning.
A major flaw of the story lies in the end. Probably in the course of Funke's writing, she lost track of what the plot is really all about. Towards the end, readers will be surprised in the strange event that will occur. Furthermore, the "magic vehicle" will make the readers feel that there should have been more.
The Thief Lord is well written and can be an enjoyable read. However, readers must not expect the likes of Artemis Fowl or Harry Potter. As much as the book attempted to weave fantasy and reality, Cornelia Funke failed.

Everyone was saying that this was a really good books and that I just HAVE to read it or I'll die, but personally, I think it wasn't that great. I mean, it's your basic story about two orphans who run away and join a gang when their parents die. They have to steal something or else they will be turned into the police, blah, blah... Its only unique element is the magical merry-go-round. I won't say anything about that except: weird, but a little funny. You won't be missing out if you don't read this.

If you had the choice to travel ahead in time or backwards in time—for good, not temporarily-- which would you choose? Such an amazing option is granted to a few characters in this delightful YA novel (which eventually morphs into literary surrealism). Set in contemporary Venice THE THIEF LORD takes readers on a rollicking roller coaster ride through watery streets and crumbling buildings, into tourist sites both sacred and profane. Narrated with the increased intensity of Time (most events follow immediately upon others, with barely time for the protagonists to sleep) the plot is filled with twists, turns and stunning developments. Few characters prove truly what or Who they seem to be. Expect multiple cases of mistaken identity (readers as well as many characters are equally fooled), for some characters have secret identities as well.

When a nasty couple from Hamburg storm into Victors Getz’ Detective Agency his world is turned upside after he agrees to pursue two orphan brothers who have run away to Venice (where their dead mother had lived.) In double narratives we follow first Victor, then the lost boys themselves--who seem to be surviving off the radar much like Oliver Twist. Have they fallen in with a gang of juvenile pickpockets and grifters, under the benevolent protection of the master, who arrogantly calls himself the Thief Lord? Do we want the kids to be found or to escape their miserable, heartless relatives?

With amazing deftness of plot and swift counterplot the author rarely allows her readers to catch their breath during the prolonged chase scenes. Pursuers and pursued alternate places in streets, on canals, in rain, snow and dark. Even Time itself is not always a blessing--though there are those willing to sacrifice everything to manipulate it. Fast pacing, clever dialogue and stunning denouements will quickly captivate Kids of all ages. Heads will spin with dizzying but magical confusion on the long-lost merry-go-round of life. Ah but will the Thief Lord outgrow his youthful whim to be (like Tom Hanks) BIG? Will the crass adults get what they truly deserve? Can a person’s basic nature be changed for the better or will it remain stuck in a selfish rut? Can hardened adults learn the delicate art of parenting? Will Time and Fate mete out true justice by the novel’s end? Such questions and more will be answered—or not—among these 345 pages. You’ll find yourself regretting that it’s over. Or is it…

The Thief Lord(2000). Cornelia Funke's First Novel.

Around the time when J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels and Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortuneate Events were ruling the Children's Book Charts, Cornelia Funke's 'The Thief Lord' made a surprise splash on The New York Times Bestseller List, and even recieved "School Library Journal" and "Parenting Magazine"'s Book of the Year Award, so I've always wanted to read this novel, and since it was added onto my Summer Reading List, I actually read a book I wanted to read! So, is 'The Thief Lord' an excellent Teen Novel, or an overrated jumble of words? Read on to find out!

Plot-

Deep in the alleys and canals of Venice, Italy, two runaway brothers, Prosper and Bo, seek shelter in an Abandoned movie theater, where they meet fellow runaways Riccio, Mosca, Hornet, and the Thief Lord. The Thief Lord leads a mysterious life of theft, and with his stealing cares for the runaways, even though he's not much older than them himself. Meanwhile, Bo and Prosper's Aunt(They were adopted by her after their mother's death) hires Victor Getz, a Private Detective, to track Bo and Prosper down. Soon after this, The Thief Lord is assigned to bring back a mysterious Wooden Wing, and to steal it from unknowing Ida Spavento. Just before the heist, Victor Getz tracks Bo and Prosper down in the abandoned Movie Theater, but he's quickly subdued by the children and locked in the theater's bathroom. Then, he tells Prosper that Scipio(The Thief Lord) isn't actually a mysterious nomadic thief, but an aristocratic son of millionare Dottor Massimo. Prosper and Co. investigate, and to their dismay they find this to be true, and they disown their friendship from him, since they learn he's actually been stealing his parent's riches. But as the Big Heist approaches, after Scipio and Prosper steal the Lion's Wing, they will be thrust into a world beyond their comprehension, and they will unlock its secrets.

Writing/Opinions/Etc.-

Since Cornelia Funke's 'The Thief Lord' was written in a foreign language, and had to be translated into English, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it in no way effected the dialogue, which was a concern for me coming into the novel. Once the story opens up, we're introduced to vivid descriptions of Venice's beautiful cityscape, and also are thrown into an interesting cat-and-mouse game between Prosper, Bo, and Victor Getz, which kept me on seat's edge for the first 100 pages or so. I would have liked the novel to continue like this, but unfortuneatly, once Getz is captured, Funke adds in a mysterious Fantasy aspect of the story, a direct homage to Ray Bradbury's 'Something Wicked This Way Comes'(Think of Merry-Go-Round's), which, while not a bad thing, definitely didn't interest me as much, and seemed like a plain and predictable plot twist, which it was. Also, other than Bo and Prosper's characters, I felt that Funke didn't flesh the characters out enough, and in the end, you really don't get the feeling that you even care about the characters.

Overall, 'The Thief Lord' was what I expected it to be, which is a typical novel for Teens and Young Adults, featuring a decent, but understandably predictable plot. Also, the plot's interest desperately drops off mid-way through the novel, as the Cat-And-Mouse game Funke makes you think is the Main Plot, which is enthralling, is oddly taken apart and replaced with a slightly more boring plot. A Good Novel, that while it's not really bad in many aspects, certainly isn't great either.

RECOMMENDED TO TEENS, CHILDREN(OVER 8), FANS OF CORNELIA FUNKE, AND FANS OF FANTASY/ADVENTURE. ALL THAT I EXPECTED, NOTHING MORE AND NOTHING LESS, 4 STARS DESERVED.

Also Recommended-

Inkheart- Cornelia Funke

Harry Potter 5- The Order Of the Phoenix- J.K. Rowling

The Ersatz Elevator- Lemony Snicket

Thanks For Reading!

From what I had read I was under the impression that this would be on par with Harry Potter. With this in mind I was let down by the story. The Thief Lord is about a pair of brothers, Prosper and Bo and their gang of friends. They run away from a mean aunt and find a group of children that takes them in. This group is "supported" by the thief lord. The characters are heart warming and wonderful. But, the story is missing something. There is no pull to keep reading it - other than the characters themselves. I was also expecting a much darker tale, which this was not. Overall I would say that most children would fine this story interesting, but for an adult it isn't even close to the Harry Potter series.

My seventh grade students loved this book! It takes a little while to get into it and come to know the characters, but once they did, this was one of the most popular books I've had them read. The exotic setting in Venice certainly spurs their interest, but then the unique and intriguing characters become more familiar and the students can't wait to find out what happens.

I rented this book, unabridged, from my local audio-book store as a recommendation from the staff. I am over 30, enjoy nerdy tech reading, historical books (bios/auto-bios), some adult fiction (ie First Man in Rome, Wicked, Bialzack and the Little Seamstress, etc), and of course Harry Potter (who doesn't!). I wasn't very interested in another kid's book - but this one was fantastic! Great charachters, great plot line - everytime you think you know what's going to happen, there's a little twist! If you like to read with your child or want to share books with them, this book would be a great choice. It treats the child characters like real people with real feelings - good and bad. Thinking back to when I was younger and what might have attracted me to this book would be the way the adult characters interact with the kids. Very good - and even though each feeling is not explained and explored deeply every time (like Harry Potter), it gives the flavour and allows some personal interpretation and insertion of the readers own feelings into the story. Great book!