- Paperback
- Publisher: Hutchinson (7 April 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0091796865
- ISBN-13: 978-0091796860
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
The Thief (Quick Read)
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Review
Rendell's eerie capacity to comprehend disturbed criminal minds continues to astonish
--The Times --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
--The Times --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Product Description
What you do in childhood may come back to haunt you. Stealing things from people who had upset her was something Polly did quite a lot. There was her Aunt Pauline; a girl at school; a boyfriend who left her. And there was the man on the plane...Humiliated and scared by a total stranger Polly does what she always does. She steals something. But she never could have imagined that her desire for revenge would have such terrifying results.
--This text refers to an alternate
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've read several of the Quick Read series, and this Ruth Rendell novella is by far the best in my opinion. Despite its short length, the central character of Polly is amply fleshed out: after a problem childhood during which she exacted spiteful revenge on anyone who crossed her, she has gradually found happiness and stability, until she reverts to her old habits and her world begins to crumble. Despite her tendancy to steal precious objects from her perceived enemies, she is surprisingly sympathetic, and we share her fear and despair when events spiral out of control. It is a testament to Ruth Rendell's skill that she manages to achieve so much in so few pages; in fact, the story is well developed enough that I couldn't help wishing it had been one of her full-length novels.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD - some readers may complain that the story doesn't explain the contents of the suitcase she steals or the shady nature of her nemesis Trevor Lant, but that isn't the point of the tale - this is about Polly and the focus is rightly concentrated on her point of view.
Well worth the cheap price!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A good read, what one would expect from Ruth Rendell, ideal for commuters as thin and light weight, perfect briefcase size.
When reading this you are drawn to Polly and wonder why she does steal it is down to her upbringing or is she totally in control and knows that it is wrong..... one way or another a brilliant storyline, and well written.
Just remember to keep an eye on your belongings in the future, there could be another Polly out there.
Cheaper than a monthly magazine and better written.
When reading this you are drawn to Polly and wonder why she does steal it is down to her upbringing or is she totally in control and knows that it is wrong..... one way or another a brilliant storyline, and well written.
Just remember to keep an eye on your belongings in the future, there could be another Polly out there.
Cheaper than a monthly magazine and better written.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This was the first of the World Book Day Quick Reads I read. And while it's a great tale, and fulfills the brief of being an engaging and gripping story written in simple language, it's also the weakest. (Let's put this in perspective a bit more, though: I've read two. None of the others appealed to me whatsoever; probably a good thing: it shows that there's a huge range of titles across the board, and that at least one is going to appeal to someone.) So, of the two I've read (the Walters being the other (that one was superb), I didn't find Rendell's as strong. Normally, Rendell's short pieces (particularly her novels, such as The Strawberry Tree and High Mysterious Union) are among her absolute best work, allowing a wonderful union of her direct, clipped style and her ability to focus plots and characters brilliantly, but this tale, which does succeed in being incredibly interesting and still entertaining, lacks a punch. It's almost Rendell-lite. It wasn't quite what i'd expected from the blurb, certainly. I did get an enjoyable read, but it just wasn't what i'd expected, that's all. Rendell's analysis of Polly is, as expected, excelllent, and Polly's little compulsion is pure Rendell. It's the kind of fascinating foible that makes her characters fascinate as much as thin twisted trees. Rendell just doesn't use it in quite her usual way, that's all.
The Thief has a brilliant premise, and if Rendell had thrown in a little bit more nastiness, it would have made an absolutely perfect novel. As it is, it's a quick, enjoyable, really easy to read story, and one that I'm sure people will enjoy. It may not be quite what I'd expected , but it still gets five stars. And that's Rendell in a nutshell.
The Thief has a brilliant premise, and if Rendell had thrown in a little bit more nastiness, it would have made an absolutely perfect novel. As it is, it's a quick, enjoyable, really easy to read story, and one that I'm sure people will enjoy. It may not be quite what I'd expected , but it still gets five stars. And that's Rendell in a nutshell.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
small but great
This book was shorter than I hoped it would be, but it was a great read left me wanting more Ruth Rendell is always good but this was one of the best.
Published 1 month ago by catstwo
Very quick read.
Not in my opinion one of the best Ruth Rendell books. It seemed to be over before getting realy interesting. I would not recomend it to a friend.
Published 2 months ago by Cooper
Disappointing
I bought this because I wanted a quick read for my new Kindle. Now I've read it (and can confirm it was a quick read) and was quite disappointed with it. Read more
Published 21 months ago by H. SEYMOUR
The Thief
There are two problems with this novella.
One is the length. Too long to have the short sharp shock a short story would have. Read more
One is the length. Too long to have the short sharp shock a short story would have. Read more
Published on 11 July 2006 by Rich
A huge disappointment.
Having never read a Ruth Rendell book before, but knowing of her reputation, I thought this would be an ideal starter for her books. How disappointed I was! Read more
Published on 29 Jun 2006 by AngelArwen
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