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The Thief Lord: Summary and book reviews of The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke, plus links to an excerpt from The Thief Lord and a biography of Cornelia Funke.
The Thief Lord
by
Cornelia Funke
Hardcover: Aug 2002,
352 pages.
Paperback: Oct 2003,
376 pages.
Prosper and Bo are orphans on the run from their cruel aunt and uncle. The brothers decide to hide out in Venice, where they meet a mysterious character who calls himself the "Thief Lord." Brilliant and charismatic, the Thief Lord leads a ring of street children who dabble in petty crimes. Prosper and Bo relish being part of this colorful new family. But the Thief Lord has secrets of his own. And soon the boys are thrust into circumstances that will lead them, and readers, to a fantastic, spellbinding conclusion.
Book Reviews
BookBrowse
I liked the Thief Lord because it was a fun mystery - so far I haven't read a better mystery than this. I enjoyed the fact that it was set in a real place. (Reviewed by Thomas, aged 8, for BookBrowse).
Publishers Weekly
Wacky characters bring energy to this translation of an entertaining German novel about thieving children, a disguise-obsessed detective and a magical merry-go-round. The Venetian setting is ripe for mystery and the city's alleys and canals ratchet up the suspense in the chase scenes. Ages 9-12.
Kirkus Reviews
A bestselling author in Germany, who has reached the US for the first time, Funke delights readers in the feelings of childhood, what it feels like to be innocent, afraid, curious, and safe; need friends and love; and want independence yet also to be cared for. Although the core of this tale is heartwarming, the merry-go-round, like Ray Bradbury's carousel in Something Wicked This Way Comes, hints at darkness, leaving its riders and the novel's readers changed forever. Fiction. 10-14
Newsweek - Alice Stroup
What is shocking in the case of The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke, one of Germany's most popular kiddie-lit writers, is that the book lives up to the audacious claim. It's got the magic, the adventure, the awkward boy heroes and the plucky chick sidekick. It's even been edited by Barry Cunningham, the man who discovered Rowling and published the Harry Potter series in England. But Thief Lord is also just a darn good yarn - the charming tale of a band of urchin-thieves, a magical carousel and two orphaned brothers. Written in German, set in Italy and now translated into English, the postmodern fairy tale was just released in Britain, where it sold out in 10 days. In September, it'll arrive in the States with the British vernacular largely intact. You don't have to Americanize everything for children to understand it, Cunningham says. I find that quite condescending. Besides, the whole European vibe sure worked for Harry.
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The Thief Lord
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