The Thief of Always by Clive Barker Review

The Thief of Always

by Clive Barker

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Mr. Hood’s Holiday House has stood for a thousand years, welcoming countless children into its embrace. It is a place of miracles, a blissful round of treats and seasons, where every childhood whim may be satisfied. There is a price to be paid, of course, but young Harvey Swick, bored with his life and beguiled by Mr. Hood’s wonders, does not stop to consider the consequences. It is only when the House shows its darker face—when Harvey discovers the pitiful creatures that dwell in its shadows—that he comes to doubt Mr. Hood’s philanthropy. The House and its mysterious architect are not about to release their captive without a battle, however. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Thief of Always is a fable by horror writer Clive Barker, an author whose name I was familiar with but whose work I’d never read. This short novel came highly recommended to me and while I was aware that it wasn’t indicative of Barker’s usual style, I was under the impression it was the only book of this sort–a children’s book–that he’d written. It didn’t seem all that important before reading it but after, I was wishing for more compelling, imaginative stories for children from the mind of Clive Barker. Luckily for me, I was wrong and there is more where The Thief of Always came from–The Books of Abarat series. Though I don’t think I’ll be reading much of Barker’s adult horror novels, my interest in anything he’s done for children has certainly been piqued by The Thief of Always.

The Thief of Always was a fantastic story, one that is enjoyable for children and adults alike. It begins with a simple and somewhat classic premise; a young boy, bored with his mundane life, is offered the chance to escape it and go to a place where everything he dreams of can be his: the mysterious Mr. Hood’s Holiday House. Every day is exciting, a mix of the best parts of the four seasons with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas occurring nightly. It’s every child’s dream—but of course, not everything is as it seems and something dark lurks beneath the Holiday House’s fun facade. The ideas within this story and the plot itself are not so unique as to be unfamiliar even for young readers but they are presented in a uniquely impressive way with hints of horror that toed the line of what I’d expected from a children’s story. There’s nothing truly frightening within this story, at least as an adult reader, but there are certain small inclusions that are unsettling indeed. I wish I’d had the chance to read this as a child to see what I would’ve made of the more unnerving aspects at that age. The Thief of Always is inventive and compelling and the plot—though an overall very classic children’s/young middle grade story—did things I didn’t see coming and kept me on my toes regarding the mystery of the Holiday House and just what was going on there. 

What I loved about The Thief of Always is that its ideas are familiar and relatable enough to be perfect for children but they’re explored in a surprisingly complex and unexpected way. There’s a fantastic balance struck between the wonderful simplicity of the way the story unfolds and the deeper issues Harvey is forced to deal with. He’s tempted throughout the book with the things he thinks he wants and by the experience of true, frightening power. The story’s resolutions came with the simplicity and logic that’s rarely found outside of children’s books but with an originality and touch of creepiness I haven’t seen in many other books intended for children. It’s fantastic. 

 

 

Harvey is the perfect main character for a children’s story. He’s the “normal kid” POV for readers to experience the story through but is also unique within the strangely magical world of the Holiday House. He has nagging suspicions about Mr. Hood, questions how the House’s magic works—and why—and he finds the unwavering acceptance with which the other residents of the house treat every oddity unnerving. As for the secondary characters, the three other Holiday House residents—Mrs. Griffin, Wendell and Lulu—were quite intriguing. They each represented different impacts of the House and where Harvey’s fate could be headed. I was unsure of who to trust in the beginning and the characters only became more interesting as we learned how the Holiday House was affecting them. The enemies within The Thief of Always were also very entertaining. They were unique and creepy but persuasive and appealing to those they targeted. 

Barker’s writing was very easy to slip into. While I don’t think it was especially spectacular, it had moments of fantastically evocative descriptions and was engaging. 

The Thief of Always is a wonderfully unique tale for children but is also very much a story adults can appreciate, too. I enjoyed reading this story so much. It had everything appealing about a great children’s book—the simplicity, the overall lessons without being shallow or preachy, a relatable and admirable main character, the unique magic and wonderment that come from a child’s perspective and the perfect tone for a strange tale for children. It was truly entertaining and compelling. The Thief of Always should not be missed. I highly recommend it for adults and young readers looking for something a little different. 

4/5

Thanks for reading, 

Madison