Venice would be one of the places I'd visit before I die.The story of The Thief Lord weaved wonderfully with the gorgeous city of Venice.If this story had been in a different location it might not have been as appealing.I love it when a book takes me to places I have never been before.I rarely travel so that factor is very important to me.This book did just that.It took me straight to Venice.Not only did it take me to Venice, I felt like I was right in the midst of the story.Like I was one of the kids who lived in the old cinema.The story began with the Hartliebs seeking Victor Getz's services in locating Prosper and Bo, the sons of Mrs. Harlieb's deceased sister.Prosper and Bo ran away because their aunt wanted to adopt Bo but not Prosper.Prosper not wanting to leave his brother with their aunt decided to run away with Bo to Venice which was a city their mother loved dearly.While in Venice, the brothers met Hornet who took sanctuary in an abandoned movie theater along with other children who were either orphans or abandoned.The kids from the theater were cared for and helped by the Thief Lord.He steals from the rich people of Venice and gives it to them so they would have food to eat.The plot thickens when the Thief Lord was asked to find a missing piece from an antique collection.It was a very interesting read for me.I got my copy as a gift for Christmas.(Thanks jzhunagev! :D)I didn’t know what to expect when I opened this book.I thought it was something like Harry Potter but it wasn’t.I have read another book of Cornelia Funke which was Inkheart.I liked Inkheart so I was expecting to like The Thief Lord too.So I was not at all that surprised when I found myself liking this book.It was not really that original for me because I watched Neverland (a TV movie) which was somehow similar to this.Neverland was like a different version of Peter Pan.Peter there was an orphan who grew up with a bunch other kids who were care for by a thief.Things got messed up when they got a hold of a magic ball which turned out to be a portal to Neverland.And in this case they were looking for a broken wooden wing for the merry-go-around.They were different but the same at the same time.The characters for me were very distinct from each other.Each of them had their own distinguishing characteristic.Prosper would have to be my favorite character.I could relate to his character because I have younger siblings too that I need to protect.I also liked the detective Victor.At first I thought he was an evil man but turns out he was the opposite of that.I liked his two pet tortoises.It was a really cute touch.I liked the setting, the characters but I had a bit of a problem with the magical stuff that happens near the end of the book.Why did she have to put it near the end of the book?Why now?Why not earlier?It was a good twist but then again, it doesn’t jive with the rest of the book.It was like a different puzzle piece that was forced to fit the puzzle that was missing a piece.Anyways, I thought this book was still good.The setting and the characters made this book a success.This book was not bad but then again its not one of my favorites.I still prefer Inkheart over this one.I did enjoy it.This is the first book I’ve read about Venice and it didn’t disappoint me.I look forward to reading more of Cornelia Funke's work in the future.
I found this book to be very interesting. Every time the plot would slow down, it would quickly pick up speed again so I was hooked.12 year old Prosper and his 5 year brother Boniface (Bo) are orphans and ran away to Venice, Italy to escape their cruel aunt Esther. In Venice, they are taken in by a group of orphans led by “The Thief Lord” Scipio. They are able to get by from the things that Scipio steals from around Venice and bringing them back to the theater they live in. From there, a few of the children will take and sell the items to Mr. Ernesto Barbarossa. Scipio is actually asked to do the biggest job he has ever been presented with: to steal a wooden lion’s wing, but the rest of the children also find out about it and go after it as well. Finding it at the same time, they start to quarrel over who should get it when they are greeted by Ida Spavento and an old rifle. Agreeing on a solution, the whole group goes and delivers the wing to Conte Renzo and his younger sister Contessa Morosina. When they try to follow them, they are chased off by a shotgun and some vicious dogs. Prosper and Scipio go back and are captured. The next morning, they are met by Renzo and Morosina, who are now young children as result of the fixed magic merry-go-round. As a now adult Scipio gets off his demanded merry-go-round ride, Barbarossa arrives and takes a ride as well. While he turns into a 5 year old boy, he breaks the merry-go-round again and is stuck like that. When they return to Venice, Prosper and Bo’s aunt Esther mistakenly takes boy Barbarossa. She later finds out that he has been taking her precious belongings and hiding them in his room. After being sent to boarding school, he becomes a bully to the other students and demands they call him “The Thief Lord.” Scipio goes and works for Victor, the private investigator who had been trailing Prosper and Bo for most of the story.Prosper is a very caring child and is very much against stealing. He had taken care of Bo himself before Scipio found them. Bo also calls him “Prop” throughout the book. Boniface, who is also called Bo, has blonde hair and an angelic face, which is why his aunt Esther wants him and not his brother. To his brother’s dislike, Bo wants to grow up to be just like Scipio. Scipio is the son of Dottore Massimo, though neither of them care much for the other. While this is true, Scipio is especially kind-hearted to the other children he takes care of. Those children, Riccio, Mosca, and Hornet, are also orphans, minus Hornet, who just refused to live with her parents. Riccio was found when trying to steal something off Scipio. Mosca may have come from “a horrible family that he does not like,” but does enjoy tinkering with his radio and boat. Hornet, the only girl in the Stella Theater, has a slender figure with a braid that falls to her hips.The story takes place mainly in the city of Venice, Italy. (Yes, the one with all the canals for streets and gondolas for the equivalent of a NYC cab. We are unsure of when the story takes place.I would recommend this book to just about anyone. In my edition of the print, there is a glossary of terms and pronunciations for those who would have trouble.
What do You think about The Thief Lord (2015)?
I am just going to cut to the chase. This novel is EXACTLY like the movie…I mean… the movie is EXACTLY like the book! I watched the movie first which got me to read the book as well. Thinking that the book was going to be a little different than the movie (like all novels are), but to my dismay, there were no differences at all. I liked the fact how the writers in Comet Film Productions created this movie to be spot on with the book. I literally skimmed whole pages and chapters because the movie gave it away for me. The theme of family togetherness is a very common theme in most novels. This theme is shown more prominently in this book than most. The story is about two brothers, Prosper and Bo, who never leave each other’s side. They prove that family is a powerful thing when the brothers, Hornet, Scipio, Masca, and Riccio stick together when they are chased by cruel and rude adults. The author wants to show us that when all else seems hopeless, that we should know that family will always be there for you. It sounds very cliché, but it is true! While I was reading the story, I thought, “Was the author ever an orphan or had feelings for orphans?” This question came up because the main characters in the story consist of orphans, runaways, and unloved children. I think the author wants us to see that there is a place in the world for all people. He uses Victor Getz as an example when the detective takes care of them at the end of the story. There is one part in the book that makes me uncomfortable. The reason why Prosper and Bo runaway in the first place is because of their evil Aunt Ester and her awful husband. Even though their aunt and uncle detest children, they still want Bo because he looks cute. So they hire detectives and spend a lot of money to find Bo. Why would you want Bo if you hate kids in the first place? There is no reason to “adopt” a child, even if the child is your sister’s, if you don’t like kids! What is the point? If you are in dire need to read a book and write a report on it but you are too lazy to read a book yourself, then I recommend you watch the movie to this book…I mean read this book. This is an excellent book if you care to read it. I know if I read it when I was younger, this book would be in my top ten because I liked books that have kids surviving on their own. The simple diction and dialogue makes this book a speedy read. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I would have! Have fun.
—Annalise
I am not sure why I picked this up to reread. I have a sneaking suspicion that the first time I read this I was sick and unable to concentrate and I skipped to the ending without reading the last quarter or so of the book. No wonder that when I thought about the story I thought it had an unsatisfying ending, too magical, I thought. Well, I was wrong. This is a well told adventure that takes place in Venice about a gang of street kids. Actually they are a pretty harmless lot and and they rely on their leader, the Thief Lord, to help them survive. They live in an abandoned theater and the thief lord brings them things he has stolen to either use or to pawn so they can eat and be comfortable. Two of the children are new to the gang, having runaway from their home in Germany. Their mother has just died and their aunt wants to adopt the younger child and send the older one to boarding school. Determined that they shall stay together the older child, Prosper, decides they shall escape to Venice, a city about which their mother often told them wondrous stories. The story revolves around how they try to stay out of the clutches of their aunt and uncle. A second storyline is about the gang's attempt to steal something but I don't want to give too much away. The characters are well drawn and the story is enchanting. A must read for anyone who loves Venice and mysteries.
—Mardie
The Thief lord by Cornelia Funke was a pretty good book. This book tells a story of two young boys(Bo and Prosper) who run away and decide to hide from there care givers with a group of misfit runaways in an abandon theatre. In the under belly of Venice, Italy. They get into some sticky situations and have to steal to get money and survive. Including having a wealthy client send the gang on a very special mission. There are many characters include Prosper, Bo, Hornet and the Thief Lord himself Scipio. As i said earlier this book takes place in Venice, Italy. This story is told in third person and the mood was mysterious and eery. However I did like how there was two sides of the story for instance you get to see the story through the eyes of the detective and through the eyes of group of misfits. I didn't like the beginning of the book, i thought the transition between the two lifestyles could have been clearer. I also didn't like the use of the italian words i thought it was a hassle to flip to the back of the book to figure out what that word meant. This books genre would definitely be consider a mystery. Overall it was a good book and i would recommend it to any one who enjoys mysteries or who like to really think about reading it.
—T Wattles
