The Thief Lord

Rating:
Summary: Will steal your intrest!!
Review: This is a great book that I think everyone should read. The characters are really likeable and the plot is just fantastic. The book is about two orphans brother, the six-year-old Bo and 14 year-old Prosper. They run away to Venice Italy because of their evil Aunt and Uncle taking Bo away. Once there they meet a street and book smart girl runaway named Hornet, Ace pickpocket Ricco, Ace mechanic Masco and their leader Scipio A.K.A Thief Lord. The runway's are in trouble when Prosper and Bo's Aunt hire a detective to find them. There are also a lot of twists in the story that you would never have imagined. So for a great adventure and mystery book, read The Thief Lord!

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Summary: Ride the painted pony on the spinning wheel ride
Review: I think it's fair to say that Cornelia Funke is the German author most adored by American children today. Take THAT Thomas Mann! Her first work translated into English (and winner of the Mildred D. Batchler Award in 2003) was the much adored "The Thief Lord". Set in mysterious Venice, the tale follows the adventures of Prosper and Bo. Threatened with separation by an aunt who wishes to adopt only the angelic looking Bo, the two run away to Venice, Italy. There, they are taken in by a kid known as the Thief Lord, and his raggedy crew of child thieves. With Victor Getz the private detective on their trail, the kids become involved in escape and magic.

Funke has a lot of fun with this book, and it shows. What kid wouldn't want to run away to an abandoned movie theater to live with his or her friends? And in Venice at that! A city of pure mystery, surrounded by canals and winged lions. In this book, the author deftly captures the spirit of that beautiful town, as well as its history and inhabitants. Anyone with a child that has visited or will visit Venice would do very very well to introduce them to this little fantasy.

Sadly, the book isn't perfect. Many people reading it are saddened by the sudden switch in genre that happens almost exactly halfway through the book. Beginning the tale, the reader believes that they are following a realistic story of what could actually happen to two kids on the streets. Instead, the tale switches violently and is about a magical carousel and the human wish to be another age (whether older or younger).
Still, there is lots to love in this bubbily concoction. The characters are well defined and interesting. Scipio, the Thief Lord, is a fascinating creation. No child reading this book wouldn't want to meet him. And as for the detective Victor Getz, Funke herself has included a dedication in the front to none other than the actor Bob Hoskins (confessing that she believes he'd be perfect for the part). Who knew the Germans to be such Hoskins fans! The mind boggles.

Like her other American hit "Inkheart", Funke is quickly making a name for herself in the States. This particular concoction has elements of Nancy Farmer's "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm", as well as a dash of Charles Dickens's "Oliver". For those kids pining away for Harry Potter's latest, this book may well make them pine for the next Cornelia Funke novelette.

Rating:
Summary: the thief lord
Review: Imagine you are a young boy who has run away from his aunt and uncle with his younger brother to go to Venice, Italy. If this sounds interesting The Thief Lord is a great book that you should read. Its about Prosper and his younger brother Bo who travels to Venice and joins a band of children led by a young thief. They live peacefully in an old abandoned theater with their group of friends, but things get tricky when their aunt and uncle come to Venice and hire a detective to search for them. The genre of this book is fantasy but it is packed with action and suspense. The setting The Thief Lord is in the mysterious streets and alleys of Venice.
I liked this book because it had an interesting twist. It was never dull and always found a way to surprise me. It was never confusing or hard to understand. It also taught me about some of the Italian language. The Thief Lord is the kind of book that you can't put down after you pick it up.
This book is for anyone who like the fantasy genre. The Thief Lord has bits of the Italian language so it may be tougher for younger readers. This book is perfect for anyone who loves to hear an exciting story. I recommend it to anyone who likes the Harry Potter series or the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It holds your attention all the way up to the end. Clearly The Thief Lord is a very interesting tale, that can be enjoyed by all ages.

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Summary: this book defies the oft-resigned world of adulthood
Review: This book was billed as the next Harry Potter, and while it probably will not create an international craze, there is a quiet buzz about it among children and children's booklovers. It takes place in Venice, as seen through the eyes of children. The heroes are streetkids, runaways, powerless in the world of adults but adept at creating their own world. They live in an abandoned movie theater, and their leader is the Thief Lord, an pre-adolescent boy himself with a penchant for wearing dramatic masks. Prosper and his little brother Bo join the gang, having run away from their aunt after being orphaned. Their aunt wished to take Bo as a child but put Prosper in a boarding school far from his brother.

The adult perspective in the story is Victor Getz, private detective. He is hired by Esther to seek out the boys, but becomes their friend. With his eccentric habits and his unusual job, he can relate more to children than to other adults. Still, through him, we view reality as it is and can contrast it with the children's experiences.

When the Thief Lord and his gang are asked to perform a job, stealing a wooden wing from a wealthy woman on behalf of a mysterious Comte who promises to pay them 5 million lire, the adventure truly begins. The story masterfully unfolds, keeping the reader hooked on its plot twists. It is really quite a wonderful book, with a heartwarming ending that only true children can still believe in. Adults too often become cynics. Appropriately, this book is much about the world of children vs the world of adulthood, and the places of dreams and fantasies vs. the grim reality.

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Summary: Enjoyable and Fun
Review: THE THIEF LORD, by German writer Cornelia Funke, is one of the few *new* books that I've come across recently that was able to keep me engrossed until the very end. I found the story to be delightful, and especially enjoyed the setting of Venice, Italy. Funke's writing style is a pleasure to read, neither convoluted or overly simplistic. Her characters are likeable, even Prosper and Bo's "evil" aunt and uncle, and overall THE THIEF LORD is a fun and magical book that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

After their parents die, Prosper and Bo run away from their aunt and uncle (who, of course, want to adopt only the younger, cuter Bo, and send Prosper off to boarding school), making their way all the way to the city of Venice, Italy, which they had heard much of in the stories told by their late mother. There, they are taken into a gang of street kids who are under the guidance of the mysterious Scipio, also known as the Thief Lord. Prosper and Bo feel safe until they realize that their aunt and uncle have not only tracked them to Venice, but have also hired a private detective to track them down with the aim of recovering Bo. From there the adventure takes off, as the children dodge the detective while at the same time work to secure a mysterious object for an equally mysterious "Conte."

Underlying Fuke's work is a tale about being a child and growing up, and whether or not one is truly more desireable than the other. As said earlier, THE THIEF LORD is a book that could be read aloud to the whole family, or enjoyed by individual readers on their own. Either way, recommended reading level is around 10-years-old.

Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: While the setting was richly described and the initial idea intriguing, the plot fell flat by the end of the text. I felt disappointed, both by how the story ended and by the lack of fully developed characters. It was unfulfilling, especially after such a promising start. I am hesitant to buy any other of her books; I would definitely recommend reading this in the library and not wasting your money buying this one. I'm selling it at my next garage sale. Save your money; there are better YA novels out there.

Rating:
Summary: Good beginning, mediocre end
Review: The Thief Lord is a story of two brothers, Bo and Prospero. Fearing that their aunt will separate them from each other, they ventured into Venice, a place where many stories were told by their dead mother.

This novel by Cornelia Funke provides a good beginning, as Bo and Prospero make their way in the old-time Venice. They meet a number of interesting and colorful characters, and became part of an unlikely gang of "thieves." The twists and turns in the middle proved to be as excellent as the beginning.

A major flaw of the story lies in the end. Probably in the course of Funke's writing, she lost track of what the plot is really all about. Towards the end, readers will be surprised in the strange event that will occur. Furthermore, the "magic vehicle" will make the readers feel that there should have been more.

The Thief Lord is well written and can be an enjoyable read. However, readers must not expect the likes of Artemis Fowl or Harry Potter. As much as the book attempted to weave fantasy and reality, Cornelia Funke failed.

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Summary: The Thief Lord
Review: After Prosper and Bo's mother dies, their Aunt Esther says she would like to adopt five-year-old Bo and send twelve-year-old Prosper to boarding school. However, the two brothers refuse to be separated from each other so they decide to move to Venice, the place their mother had always talked about. After meeting a young homeless girl that goes by the name of Hornet, they are introduced to Riccio and Mosca. All three of these have escaped from home or from the orphanage and are now living in an abandoned old movie theatre. With the help of Scipio, the Thief Lord, they have enough money to eat and to clothe themselves. Meanwhile, Esther suspects that Prosper and Bo are hiding in Venice and she hires the detective Victor Getz to track them down. However, things start getting tricky when the Thief Lord is hired to steal something for the Conte, and Victor discovers Prosper's and Bo's secret hide-out.

The Thief Lord, a book written by German author Cornelia Funke, is a mystery book that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat during the whole story. Though many people compare this book to Harry Potter, I am tempted to compare it to Artemis Fowl, though it is, in my opinion, much more suspenseful. Even though the plot is a bit weak, it is nonetheless well thought of and Cornelia surprises readers' by revealing the mysterious Scipio's real identity. This book is very well written and is sure to please children that are around ten years old.

Rating:
Summary: Don't Waste Your Time
Review: This book has a very weak plot and is horrible!

Rating:
Summary: A great book
Review: The Thief Lord is a great adventure and fantasy book. It takes place in Venice, Italy. It's where two boys, Prosper and Bo, ran away from their mean Aunt and Uncle to Venice, Italy. They meet a group of kids in an old movie theater. One kid calls himself "Thief Lord". He lead the kids on an adventure, and makes mischief throughout the city. Prospers and Bo's aunt and uncle hire a detective to try to find them. Then they find some thing that changes all their lives. I really liked this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure and suspenseful.