24 July, 2003
The Thief Lord, Cornelia Funke (345 pp, HC, 2002). Trans. Oliver Latsch
Prosper (age 12) and his little brother Bo (age 5) are orphans who have run away to Venice (Italy, not California). They've joined a gang of street kids, led by a mysterious kid (age 13 or so) who calls himself "the Thief Lord." The story revolves around the the kids' attempt to steal an antique objet d'art for a wealthy patron, and the brothers' efforts to stay hidden from their dire Aunt Esther.
Like Neil Gaiman's Coraline, this is definitely a kids' kids' book (that is, it's written on a level intended to appeal to children, it's not like the Harry Potter series, which is equally enjoyable to adults). Situations which in real life would be incredibly difficult are solved easily. The adult characters are enjoyable, but two-dimensional. It's a pretty good kids' book, though. The prose is eminently readable; the child characters are fully three-dimensional. The Thief Lord, Scipio, is particularly interesting.
Be forewarned: at first, this novel doesn't seem like a fantasy book, but it is definitely fantasy. Or, maybe "magic realism" would be a more apt description. There's really only one fantastical element, which is embedded in a real-world plot. It is central to the plot, though. It sure took me by surprise.