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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An involved & inspirational novel for all ages., 8 Mar 2006
Mr. Hood's Holiday House has stood for a thousand years, welcoming countless children into its embrace. It is a place of miracles, a blissful round of treats and seasons, where every childhood whim may be satisfied. There is a price to be paid, of course, but young Harvey Swick, bored with his life and beguiled by Mr. Hood's wonders, does not stop to consider the consequences. It is only when the House shows its darker face - when Harvey discovers pitiful creatures that dwell in its shadows - that he comes to doubt Mr. Hood's philanthropy. The House and its mysterious architect are not about to release their captive without a battle, however. Mr. Hood has ambitions for his new guest, for Harvey's soul burns brighter than any soul he has encountered in a thousand years. First published back in 1992, 'The Thief Of Always' was Barker’s first novel aimed predominantly at the children's fiction market. The vocabulary of the novel is simple and the structure of the sentences is of a plainer style than usual Barker work, due to the main market being targeted at 8 yrs old and onwards. Barker also wanted to appeal to 40-year-olds in the same way that C.S. Lewis does to so many. For the 8-year-olds, 'The Thief of Always' is an adventure about a kid who goes to a house that seems to promise everything but has a dark, terrible secret. And to an adult, it's a story about the problems of time and childhood, and what you give away in the moments of your youth that you can never get back again. It delivers the same kind of effect that you get with 'Alice In Wonderland' or 'The Halloween Tree' - books that are wonderful tales, where even as a child you sense that there's something going on beneath the surface which you can't quite grasp, and once you go back as an adult, you find it to still be fresh. The tale brings forth a classical feel of a fairy tale, but at the same time with modern resonance. Throughout the 230 pages that the novel occupies, Barker has produced beautifully inked illustrations of the novel's events. The illustrations are simply black on white ink drawings. They were done in this way mainly due to the fact that the novel will sell most copies as a paperback (cheaper for the kiddies), so therefore simple black and white studies will reduce nicely for this purpose. The story is a thoroughly enjoyable read, with its simplicity at one level and underlying questions and implications at a deeper level. The storyline is involved and inspiring, allowing the reader to delve into their own imagination. Well worth picking up and reading, you won't be disappointed!
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by Clive Barker
by Clive Barker
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