The Thief of Always: A Fable

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but, it is certainly a different kind of art, an art of its own and there's nothing diminishing in reading graphic novels instead of standard novels. It's just me.

This (Thief of Always) as a work is fairly nakedly aimed at children (I just wanted to say that) with simple sentences, little dull character exposition, and a lot of straightforward action, this happens and this happens and so forth. It's a fair step down from Barker's other works which tend to be both dense and flowery, a good style for the illusory horror/fantasy descriptions he employs. This book features that in a stylistic sense, but remains pretty approachable for someone around 8 or 9 (I have no idea what age this ought to be for. I would have read it maybe around 7. if we go by the "protagonist is the same as the reader" rule, then this is aimed at ten year olds.) That said, the sketches featured inside are vivid, and while none particularly terrifying (probably just me) many are pretty unsettling. It's great, actually, Barker is a talented artist and having a bit of a picture-book touch in the novel helps express it as a cohesive vision, a sort of multi-media work that is usually frowned upon in literature aimed at audiences over ten. I still digress. The book itself has its flaws, though many of these can be argued are results of the book being aimed at children. The main character, Harvey, has really nothing in the way of a personality, beyond being very willful. This makes him a good contrast to the other personalities in the book (much better examined/created) but a little dull and hard to particularly care about. The vague semblance of quasi-romance (just wanted to say that) between Harvey and Lulu was confusing and a felt a bit unnecessary or maybe just underdeveloped. It seemed like an angle that Barker changed his mind about exploring somewhere midway through writing the book, but felt was important enough to keep through to the end. Maybe he thought a ten year old (again, keeping with the protagonist) boy would be bored by a bit of romance. Or at least mystified and unable to relate. Who knows. The writing itself is quite good, however, especially compared to the first two chapters of Coraline that I google booksed to write this review with. Barker knows how to put together flow and express and idea in metaphor and unconventionality. Never does this book come across as insulting the reader's intelligence, something that I value in a book aimed at ten year old boys. Gaiman writes Coraline like a stilted pre-teen forced to write a short story, which is odd because he's usually a pretty decent writer. My best bet is that he fell apart when trying to write for a younger audience, unlike Barker here. Besides Harvey the other characters add their own style. Little Wendell is a bit more mischievous but enjoyable. The housekeeper Mrs. Griffin plays a big part and at times I wasn't sure what to make of her. All villains would frighten anyone no matter how old if they were encountered - they are obviously Barker's creations.That night, they see a shape fly through the sky, which distracts Harvey long enough to lose Wendell in the darkness. Harvey swears he hears someone tell him Wendell is in the tree house. Convinced Wendell is playing a prank, he runs towards it. As Harvey climbs the ladder, a body falls, tied to a noose. It scares Harvey until he realizes it is fake and sees Wendell is laughing. Harvey swears he will get revenge. My passion is for imaginative work of one kind or another. I've written epic horror, I've written epic fantasy, I've written sexual stuff. Now this book offers another area I want to explore. I've never defined myself as a horror author. I see myself as an imaginer. And The Thief Of Always is another piece of imagining. When Harvey arrives home, an old couple answers the door. Harvey is confused until he realizes that the old woman is his mother. She recognizes Harvey, but his father is not convinced. Harvey realizes that every day he spent at the Holiday House was a year in the real world. It has been thirty-one years since Harvey disappeared, and while his parents have aged, Harvey hasn’t. Harvey tells his story but forgets most of it. His father, impatient, tells Harvey he must show him the House. Sooooooooo, I mentioned that I had sworn off Mr. Clive Barker yeeeeeeeears ago- due to squeamishness- Ms. Stepheny called me on it- and said, "PLEASE... PLEASE...PLEASE- read THE THIEF OF ALWAYS before making your final judgement on allllllllll of his work". Happy Place: Holiday House, and the book name drops the trope title. Combines with Epiphanic Prison to form a Lotus-Eater Machine that traps children inside.

Marr, which means to ruin or damage the perfection or attractiveness of something, and it’s mentioned that Marr is not very attractive, resembling a slug and having the power to make humans into monsters for a short period of time. At lunch, Harvey asks if there is a place to swim. Wendell suggests the lake but is hesitant because you can’t see the bottom. Harvey suggests fishing instead and says they could have Mrs. Griffin cook up their catch. At this remark, Mrs. Griffin drops what she’s doing and tells the boys the fish are poisonous. This comment makes Harvey want to go to the lake more than ever.

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This is my first Clive Barker book that I've finished. I started previous works (Mister B. Gone and The Great and Secret Show but didn't finish either of them--not for me). sequence in Fantasia. It's no accident there are as many dark passages as there are bright in Disney films, and it's no accident that those It's not very often that I read a book that completely changes my outlook on life. It happens once in a blue moon, but when I do find these books they are extra special. Recently I've found myself to be one of those people who are always waiting for and looking towards something in the future, whether that is the weekend or the Easter holidays or my next vacation away somewhere exotic. I'm waiting for "better" days and "better" times. However, once I closed this book I was left with an overwhelming realisation that THESE are those days. Life is now, time is finite. Something exciting and enjoyable can be found in each day, even if it's something small. It can be that the barista made your latte JUST the way you like it, or it could be getting to spend quality time with your parents, or even be something as minuscule as getting bookmail (who am I kidding, getting bookmail is THE BEST). These are the books that burrow into your heart and leave their mark on you. The books that you lend or recommend to a friend, feeling as if you're sharing some innermost part of yourself. One day, as Harvey is contemplating just how boring his life is, a man named Rictus appears to him and offers him the opportunity to travel somewhere exciting, away from his parents and teachers and school, a place called the Holiday House, where every day brings something to celebrate. Lotus-Eater Machine: The House functions as one. Hood uses illusions and magic to keep children happy, making them want to stay.