Winter has come early to Venice. Two orphaned children are on the run, hiding among the crumbling canals and misty alleyways of the city. Befriended by a gang of street children and their mysterious leader, the Thief Lord, they shelter in an old, disused cinema. On their trail is a bungling detective, obsessed with disguises and the health of his pet tortoises. But a greater threat to the boys' new-found freedom is something from a forgotten past - a beautiful magical treasure with the power to spin time itself.
Imagine a Dickens story with a Venetian setting, and you'll have a good sense of Cornelia Funke's prizewinning novel The Thief Lord, first published in Germany in 2000. This suspenseful tale begins in a detective's office in Venice, as the entirely unpleasant Hartliebs request Victor Getz's services to search for two boys, Prosper and Bo, the sons of Esther Hartlieb's recently deceased sister. Twelve-year-old Prosper and 5-year-old Bo ran away when their aunt decided she wanted to adopt Bo, but not his brother. Refusing to split up, they escaped to Venice, a city their mother had always described reverently, in great detail. Right away they hook up with a long-haired runaway named Hornet and various other ruffians who hole up in an abandoned movie theater and worship the elusive Thief Lord, a young boy named Scipio who steals jewels from fancy Venetian homes so his new friends can get the warm clothes they need. Of course, the plot thickens when the owner of the pawn shop asks if the Thief Lord will carry out a special mission for a wealthy client: to steal a broken wooden wing that is the key to completing an age-old, magical merry-go-round. This winning cast of characters--especially the softhearted detective with his two pet turtles--will win the hearts of readers young and old, and the adventures are as labyrinthine and magical as the streets of Venice itself. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Bradbury's carousel in Venice:
Two brothers, Prospero (12) and Bo (5), have run away following their mother's death. Their aunt has tracked them to Venice and hired a private detective, but she's only interested in reclaiming the younger one. But the boys have taken up residence in an abandoned movie theater and joined a small band of fellow runaways and orphans led by an older boy who goes by the moniker of "the Thief Lord." This is a fun story with interesting and sympathetic characters as they try to evade the detective and survive... more info
Good adventure, needed editing:
We read this together as a family read-aloud. We enjoyed the adventure story, but we all agreed that this book needed more editing. Every step, every motion, every gesture is described in detail, and it gets in the way of the plot. You really don't have to tell us every time someone turns their head or leans against a wall! Maybe we're unfamiliar with the German writing style, but we found these unnecessary descriptions very tedious, and ended up skipping entire paragraphs. On the other hand, for such... more info
A wonderful book for anyone who is young of heart. A great read for anyone who thrives in mystery and fantasy.:
The Thief Lord Set in the Venice's magical underworld, Cornelia's Funke's masterpiece, The Thief Lord deals with a group of boys. Hornet, a girl who is escaping her abusive home meets with Prosper and Bo who are escaping their Aunt Esther's desire to break them apart. After her sister's death, Esther only wants to to adopt Bo the younger one, and place Prosper, the older one in a finishing school. Because the brothers are so tied to each other they manage to make it to Venice, where the children... more info
An Avid Teenage Reader's Opinion:
By the way, this review is by my brother, Gregory, who is 15 (almost 16) years old. Full of fantasy and mystery woven with dark and dangerous elements and a group of characters that you'll alternately boo and cheer for... Well, if you're familiar with Cornelia Funke you already know that her books are worth reading. The Thief Lord is no exception. The beauty of Venice comes alive with evocative description. Funke takes us careening down the twisting maze of streets and cruises us along the canals... more info
