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A review by michelareads
The Thief of Always: A Fable by Clive Barker
3.0
“What did it matter, anyway, he thought, whether this was a real place or a dream? It felt real, and that was all that mattered.”
Henry Swick is a regular 10-years-old kid who loves to have fun and hates to be bored. He hates it so much that when one day a man flies through his bedroom window and tells him about a special house where it's always fun, he just can't say refuse his offer to join him.
This is my first Barker and I'm sorry to say I didn't enjoy it as much as everyone else did. I had no idea what this book was about, and if I knew, I would have lowered my expectations because unfortunately I do not like children novels. I didn't like them as a kid, I won't change my mind now. And yes, this is not a classic children book: there is a distinct horror element that gave me the creeps a couple of times and I really loved it, because it's so terrifying yet charming.
Barker's writing is simply beautiful, almost poetic. I can't deny that I even got emotional while reading a chapter about halfway into the story and I think his incredible writing style had a huge part in it. The novel includes also a lot of handmade drawings that are quite creepy but stunning, and I loved them.
I was not impressed by the ending either, I expected something breathtaking but unfortunately I got a bit disappointed. I still consider The Thief of Always a good book, but not my kind of book. I would recommend this to those who like stories with kids as main characters or dark fairy tales.
I will for sure read other books written by Clive Barker, as I already have my eyed on the Books of Blood! 3 stars.
Henry Swick is a regular 10-years-old kid who loves to have fun and hates to be bored. He hates it so much that when one day a man flies through his bedroom window and tells him about a special house where it's always fun, he just can't say refuse his offer to join him.
This is my first Barker and I'm sorry to say I didn't enjoy it as much as everyone else did. I had no idea what this book was about, and if I knew, I would have lowered my expectations because unfortunately I do not like children novels. I didn't like them as a kid, I won't change my mind now. And yes, this is not a classic children book: there is a distinct horror element that gave me the creeps a couple of times and I really loved it, because it's so terrifying yet charming.
Barker's writing is simply beautiful, almost poetic. I can't deny that I even got emotional while reading a chapter about halfway into the story and I think his incredible writing style had a huge part in it. The novel includes also a lot of handmade drawings that are quite creepy but stunning, and I loved them.
I was not impressed by the ending either, I expected something breathtaking but unfortunately I got a bit disappointed. I still consider The Thief of Always a good book, but not my kind of book. I would recommend this to those who like stories with kids as main characters or dark fairy tales.
I will for sure read other books written by Clive Barker, as I already have my eyed on the Books of Blood! 3 stars.