The Thief of Always by Clive Barker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
💚🦇 A modern classic. I loved this. 🦇💚
I picked up The Thief of Always as book #3 for my TBR-Haul Project. I hauled this charming paperback edition in April 2018 and she’s been gathering dust ever since.
Clive Barker is well-known as a heavy-hitter in Horror and Dark Fantasy, but this was actually the first thing I have ever picked up from him. I was very excited to check out his work for the first time. It did not disappoint!
This story, fit for all ages, follows a young boy, Harvey Swick, who is bored with his life. Aren’t they all sometimes?
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.
Granted, he doesn’t sell it to Harvey in exactly those terms, but you get the gist.
Figuring he doesn’t have any other enticing options, Harvey agrees and off he goes with Rictus. After arriving at the property he finds other children there already and befriends two of them, Lulu and Wendell.
Through them, the elderly housekeeper, Mrs. Griffin, and good old-fashioned exploration, Harvey begins to the learn the ins-and-outs of the Holiday House and it’s mysterious benefactor, Mr. Hood. Suffice it to say, it’s not all as holiday happy as they may want you to believe.
As the truth behind the property begins to be exposed, it seems Harvey needs to make a move fast or risk never returning to that boring life he took for granted before.
Y’all, I absolutely adored this story. From the very first chapter, I was completely drawn in. The writing style is lush, fluid and ominous, even when you aren’t quite sure why.
For me, that’s a characteristic of fiction that I have always been drawn to, even as a child. I would compare it to the tone of say Alice in Wonderland, or even Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Where everything engaging, vibrant and beautiful, but you also have the chills for reasons you can’t quite put your finger on.
Barker absolutely nailed that tone. I loved the progression of Harvey’s story, the way he began to piece together that all wasn’t as it appeared at the Holiday House.
The more he figured out, the faster the pace got as well, so it gave me a sort of heart-racing feeling as I made my way to the conclusion. I loved that aspect. There were so many cool elements throughout to enjoy, but those final few chapters really sealed the deal for me.
I am so very happy, after all this time, that I finally made the time for this one. It’s an absolute treat. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a classic-feeling spooky story. Bonus, it’s perfect for this time of year.
I am definitely looking forward to reading more of Barker’s work!!