The Thief of Always facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Clive Barker |
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| Illustrator | Clive Barker |
| Cover artist | Clive Barker |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Dark fantasy suspense |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
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Publication date
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1 November 1992 |
| Media type | Print (hardback) |
| Pages | 225 (first edition) |
| ISBN | 0-06-017724-1 |
| OCLC | 26356764 |
The Thief of Always is an exciting fantasy novel written and illustrated by Clive Barker. It was first published in 1992. This book is like a modern fable, a story with a hidden lesson. It's written for kids, but grown-ups often enjoy it too! Clive Barker also designed the cover and drew many black and white pictures inside the book.
Contents
The Story of the Holiday House
Harvey's Great Escape
Harvey Swick is an 11-year-old boy who feels super bored with his everyday life. He's tired of school, homework, and the same old routine. One day, a strange man named Rictus appears. Rictus tells Harvey about a magical place called the Holiday House.
This house sounds like a kid's dream! It has all the candy you could ever want. Each day brings all four seasons, from sunny summer to snowy winter. Every evening is Halloween, and every night is Christmas with amazing gifts. Harvey can't believe it!
Life at the Holiday House
A week later, Harvey bravely steps into the Holiday House through a wall of mist. He stays there for 31 days. He makes friends with two other kids, Wendell and Lulu. Mrs. Griffin, a sweet woman, cooks all their meals. She says she's been there longer than anyone. But she seems to hide a secret about the house and its mysterious owner, Mr. Hood.
Harvey soon discovers a dark truth. Mr. Hood has been taking the children's spirits. He turns them into fish and traps them in a gloomy lake. Lulu becomes a fish the night Harvey plans to escape. But Harvey and Wendell manage to flee. They follow a cat named Blue Cat through the mist barrier.
Back Home, But Different
When Harvey and Wendell return home, they get a huge shock. For every day they spent in the Holiday House, a whole year passed in the real world! Harvey barely recognizes his own parents. They are much older. His parents are surprised but welcome him home.
After a long nap, Harvey tells them everything. They try to find the Holiday House again, but Harvey can't remember the way. They search all day, but the house is gone.
Returning to the Magic House
Harvey's dad goes to the police. His mom goes shopping. Harvey goes to his room. He then sees Wendell walking towards his house. Wendell tells Harvey that his own mom is now old and divorced. They both realize they need to get their lost time back.
They decide the only way is to return to the Holiday House. When they get back, Harvey learns that Mr. Hood uses powerful magic and illusions to run the house.
Defeating Mr. Hood
Harvey comes up with a clever plan to defeat Hood. He tricks Hood into using up all his magic. Harvey wishes for as many things as he can think of, really fast. Hood grants every wish until he's completely drained of power.
An exhausted Hood allows Harvey one last wish. Harvey wishes for all the seasons to happen at once! This creates a huge lightning storm that burns the house down. Hood seems to disappear in the fire. But he rebuilds himself from the ashes. He is amazed by Harvey's courage.
Hood then compares Harvey to Wendell. Wendell has fallen for the house's tricks and wants to stay forever in a trance. Hood offers Harvey a chance to become immortal with him. He calls Harvey "A Thief of Always." Harvey refuses this offer. The battle ends with Mr. Hood being pulled into the lake, which turns into a giant whirlpool. All the children who were trapped are finally free. They return to their own times.
Meet the Characters
- Harvey Swick – An 11-year-old boy with straw-colored hair and brown eyes. He is bored with his life at first. He is impulsive but also very smart and kind. Harvey is determined to free his friends and all the other children from Mr. Hood's dark magic. He learns that family and friends are the most important things.
- Rictus – One of Mr. Hood's four strange helpers. He is tall and thin with yellowish skin. Rictus wears fancy clothes and a tall hat. He has a very wide, fixed grin, like the Cheshire Cat from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. His name means "a fixed grimace."
- Jive – Another one of Hood's helpers. Jive tries to trick Harvey into staying with yummy pie and ice cream. But Harvey outsmarts him. Jive ends up turning into a pile of dirt and dust. His name means "deceitful."
- Marr – A very large female helper of Hood's. She can change human flesh into any shape she wants, like molding clay. Marr is defeated when Harvey makes her see how awful she truly is. She melts into a puddle. Her name sounds like "mar," which means to "spoil or disfigure."
- Carna – The fourth of Hood's helpers. Carna is not human. Her name might come from "carnivore," an animal that eats meat. Carna is defeated by Harvey's kindness.
- Wendell – A boy who becomes friends with Harvey at the Holiday House. He is a bit naive and loves the house's treats. He gets very big from all the food. He wants to stay in the house forever, but he eventually leaves when the house is destroyed.
- Lulu – A girl about Harvey's age. She has been in the Holiday House for many months. Her room is full of Christmas presents. Sadly, Mr. Hood takes her spirit and turns her into a fish.
- Mrs. Griffin – The housekeeper at the Holiday House. She is a wonderful cook. She has been there longer than anyone else. She seems to know more about the house than she lets on.
- Mr. Hood – The mysterious owner of the Holiday House. He is also a part of the house itself. He is the one who traps the children.
- The Holiday House – A magical place where every day seems perfect. Children can go there to live out their lives, but it's a dangerous trap.
- Blue Cat – Mrs. Griffin's cat. She says Blue Cat "has a good sense of direction." Blue Cat helps Harvey and Wendell escape the Holiday House.
- Clue Cat – Another one of Mrs. Griffin's cats.
- Stew Cat – Also one of Mrs. Griffin's cats.
Other Versions of the Story
Comic Book Series
The Thief of Always was turned into a three-part comic book series. It was published every two months by IDW Publishing between January and May 2005.
Planned Movies
In the early 1990s, there were plans for an animated musical movie based on the novel. Paramount Pictures was involved, and it was going to be animated by Nelvana. However, this project never happened.
Later, around 2004, there were talks about making a live-action movie. 20th Century Fox was interested, and the movie was planned for release in 2010. But, so far, no movie adaptation of The Thief of Always has been made.
