The Thief of Always

Rating:
Summary: The best work of fiction I have ever read!!!
Review: This fable is perhaps Clive Barkers only work that makes any sense. Barker has woven a fable that makes Homer's The Odessy look like Steven King's horrible novel Misery.IT IS TRULY A NOVEL FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES.The Thief of Always is by far a novel that I would suggest to a child of 6 or to an adult of 99.

Rating:
Summary: THE greatest book for all ages-Barker fan or not!
Review: AHH! What a magnificent book! Whether you're 5 or 50-male or female-Barker fan or not-this is a wonderful book,and one of Barker's greatest works! I should know-I've read them all! Now,dont let the fact that this is a novel written by Clive Barker scare you off if you're younger or squeamish-nor the fact that it is a book for "all ages" if you're older. From the close-to-heart,adventurous,unique story-to each and every one of Barker's own illustrations(which are as beautiful and stylistic as his writing)this novel is sure to delight! I've read a great many fantasy/horror/sci-fi stories and novels-from Barker to the great Lovecraft-and of all those,this one to this day remains one of my ultimate favorites. Enjoy! Everyone!!!!

Rating:
Summary: This book was very interesting and intriguing.
Review: This book was very very good. I have read it about 4 times. It is very colorful and descriptive. I think it is a good book to read at any age because it shows how people's wants and greed can get them into trouble that can not easily be reversed.

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Summary: horror with a romantic twist
Review: it was beautifully written, a fable that can take you on a journey you never knew could be accomplished with a book.i thought it was great-i couldn't put it down till i was done!

Rating:
Summary: A Good Start for Young Readers
Review: My actual star rating is ***1/2 (since you can't put halves on this websight). Children's fantasy/fable concerning a board little boy who finds the cure for the rainy day blues in a magic house where all of your wishes are granted and each day goes through all the seasons and holidays (Christmas is every day, Halloween is every day, etc.) Offbeat for the author of such graphic works as The Helbound Heart and The Great and Secret Show and will probaly dissapoint a lot of Barker fans (I was a little). The story is a simpilistic fable whose moral is Home Is Where the Heart Is. However for young readers who aren't quite ready for Barker's more sophisticated and complexed novels this is a great read. Also inludes 42 original drawings from Clive. And don't worry there are a few flashes of the Clive Barker we've grown to love (mostly toward the end).

Rating:
Summary: Very good book!!!!!
Review: If you only read one book in your life read this one. It is an absolutely wonderful tale, woven into a world of childrens dreams. It is in my opinion the only one of Clive Barker's books that is worth the time. The rest are filled with disgusting ideas and words that I would not wish on my worst enemy.

Rating:
Summary: Gimme more real Barker
Review: So, summer reading letter comes to me in the mail and under 10th grade I see "Barker, Clive The Thief of Always". Clive Barker? But doesn't he write really X-rated horror? Oh well, I gave it a try and after about five total hours of reading in a single day had read a fairly good fable. The story is easily identified by anybody who's ever heard of Peter Pan or the Pleasure Island sequence of Disney's Pinocchio. It is a great fable for kids around the main character Harvey's age, but I think once you get over 12 or 13 it gets to be too easy a read to hold pure interest. Though it's written well from a kids point of view, I can't help remembering how in another novel written from a child's point of view (To Kill A Mockingbird) skipped over to ominsience every now and then to keep things interesting. Also, the characters were very blank, as if they had to be in order for children to understand them, even the monsters of the story who's looks substituted for personalities. Despite this, I did like the story and it will make a great family motion picture. I'll let my little brother read this one while I go out and find a real Barker book (this was my first). A master horror novelist writing children's books? They may claim it was just another book, I say it's thier publishers wanting to hook younger audiences so as to sell more adult publications later on.

Rating:
Summary: The stuff of the cosmos, of nightmares...
Review: This book takes me back six years to the age of ten, the age of young Harvey (the book's protagonist). It conjures up all the old fears and enchantments, crystallizes them and makes me realize how precious they are. The climax and ending are... human perfection. One is left with a happy-nostalgic feeling.

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful fantasy for everyone
Review: I love Clive Barker's works: his books, his art, his movies. OK, now with that said let me try to give an unbiased review of this book. I loved it!! Once started I could not put it down. The whole story was interesting and fun and very exciting to read. The book is meant to appeal to all ages and for the most part it does. It is a tale involving magic, fantasy, fun, and children. Harvey, our ten year old hero, finds himself whisked away to the Holiday House where all the solutions to a bored afternoon are given to him. He later discovers the price he is paying and bravely proceeds to battle with the House. A good tale told in the vein of a fairy tale but in modern, magical times. It also comes with illustrations as done by Clive himself which perfectly match the story. They add to the wonder of discovery as you read. In case you are worried, the illustrations are pretty tame compared to a lot of his other work. The illustrations from The Thief of Always do not come close to the graphic nature of the pictures found in Clive Barker Illustrator. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone, including young children.

Rating:
Summary: My first "adult" book - Goodbye Goosebumps!
Review: I asked my Mom for a book to read on vacation. I told her I was too old for Goosebumps, she gave me The Thief of Always. I thought it was great. I was never a big fan of reading, but my Mom makes me read everyday. She lets me read what I want and sometimes makes me read what she thinks I should try. This was the first book that I couldn't stop reading. I never wanted it to end. My Mom says I'm not ready for other C.Barker books yet, and I can't wait until I am. Every kid with any kind of imagination will like this book. It's also on tape and when my Mom and I drove to California, we listened to it. That was great too. Thanks for giving me the book Mom. Other Moms should give it to their kids too.