The Thief of Always
First edition
AuthorClive Barker
IllustratorClive Barker
Cover artistClive Barker
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreDark fantasy
Suspense
PublisherHarperCollins
Publication date
1 November 1992
Media typePrint (hardback)
Pages225 (first edition)
ISBN0-06-017724-1
OCLC26356764

The Thief of Always is a 1992 novel written and illustrated by Clive Barker.[1][2] The plot concerns an 11-year-old boy who journeys to a magical house, only to discover its master uses the home to attract children and steal their youth to ensure his own immortality.

Plot

Eleven-year-old Harvey Swick has become bored with school, teachers, homework, and his day-to-day life. One day, a man named Rictus visits Harvey and tells him about an enchanted mansion called the Holiday House which contains an endless supply of sweets and goes through all four seasons in a day. Harvey visits the house and becomes friends with two other children staying alongside him, Wendell and Lulu. Also present is the elderly caretaker, Mrs. Griffin, who cooks all the meals and cares for the children.

After arriving at the house, Harvey considers that his parents will be worried about him, and requests to speak to them on the phone. Harvey’s parents answer and tell him they think it would be a good idea for him to take a break from school to cheer him up. Harvey is concerned by the unusual way their voices sounded in the call, but he brushes it off and starts to relax.

Harvey eventually discovers that Mr. Hood has been stealing the youth of the children staying in the Holiday House by sucking their souls away and turning them into Fish, then keeping them imprisoned in a lake. Lulu is turned into a fish and must live in the lake, but Harvey and Wendell flee the house.

When Harvey returns home, he finds his parents are elderly. Harvey asks his parents about the phone call they shared on his first day in the Holiday House, but they tell him they never spoke and that he has been a missing person for 31 years. He tells his parents what happened and they search for the House, but Harvey has forgotten all the roads he took coming home.

Harvey and Wendell decide that the only way to regain their lost time is to return to the Holiday House. Upon doing so, Harvey learns that Mr Hood runs the entire house on magic and illusions. Harvey defeats Hood by tricking him into using up all of his magic by wishing for as many things he can think of as fast as he can. With his power drained, an exhausted Hood allows Harvey one more wish. Harvey wishes for all the seasons at once, resulting in a storm that destroys the house. The confrontation ends with Mr. Hood being sucked into the lake, which has turned into a whirlpool. The children all leave the remains of the house to go back to their respective times.

Reception

The Thief of Always has received positive reviews from both critics and casual readers alike. The book has an approximate 4.20 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.[3][4]

Publishers Weekly described the book as "both cute and horrifying", noting its similarity to Grimm's Fairy Tales.[3]

Kirkus Reviews described Barker's "studiously simple narration" as lacking in spirit.[5]

Adaptations

The Thief of Always was adapted as a bimonthly three-part comic book, published between January 2005 and May 2005, by IDW Publishing.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Barker, C. "Clive Barker - The Thief of Always Cover, 1992". Revelations. Web. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  2. ↑ Barker, C. "Portfolio - The Thief of Always". Revelations. Web. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  3. 1 2 "The Thief of Always: A Fable." Publishers Weekly. Web. 2 November 1992.
  4. ↑ "The Thief of Always." Goodreads. Web. 18 August 2023.
  5. ↑ "The Thief of Always." Kirkus Reviews. Web. 20 May 2010.
  6. ↑ "IDW's The Thief of Always". Revelations. Web. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
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