The Thief Lord

Funke, Cornelia. 2005. The thief lord. New York: Scholastic Inc. ISBN 9780439771320

Plot Summary

Orphaned Prosper and his little brother, Bo, have run away to Venice to escape being separated by their cold-hearted Aunt Esther who only wants to adopt angel-faced Bo. Prosper and Bo have found safety in Venice among a gang of street urchins led by teenage Scipio who is known as The Thief Lord. Their safe haven is threatened when Aunt Esther hires a private detective, Victor Getz, to track them down. By the time Victor tracks down the brothers, he has realized that they are much happier with the family they have found, but they are still children, and winter is coming. When The Thief Lord receives a commission to steal a missing piece of a magical carousel that is rumored to turn adults into children, and children into adults, it seems as if they have found the perfect solution.

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers)

The Thief Lord is an exciting adventure story with a magical twist. Set in Venice, the unique city plays a role in the story by providing inspiration for Prosper and Bo’s dreams of finding a home where they can be together. The introduction of the magical carousel halfway through the book is unexpected, but it provides the perfect opportunity for Prosper and Bo to escape their aunt and create their own family with their friends and the adults who care about them.

Originally written in German, any particularly German characteristics of the characters that may have existed have been lost in translation. Aunt Esther and Victor Getz communicate in English and the brothers are only interested in Venice, not wherever they came from. Funke takes a tourist approach to Venice, describing the unique features of the city. The approach works for Prosper and Bo because they are tourists who find a home in the city. For most of the other characters, Venice is just home, which could be anywhere. Victor Getz, on the other hand, seems to be as entranced by the city as the brothers, which makes me wonder if his character is a native Venetian or another tourist who found a home in Venice.

Regardless of any flaws of authenticity in the points of view of the characters, Funke provides vivid details of this one-of-a-kind city. Italian words and place names are used throughout the story. A detailed map provides even more information about places in the city. This edition includes a glossary of terms and place names, the story of how this book was brought to the attention of the British publishers who translated it into English, and an interview with the author where she explains her reasons for choosing Venice as the setting for her magical story.

Review Excerpts

Booklist: “Funke beguiles young readers as she paints the city of Venice in exquisite strokes.”

Kirkus Reviews: “The magical city of Venice, with its moonlit waters, maze of canals, and magnificent palaces, is an excellent setting for the plot twists and turns in this fantasy/mystery/adventure, all rolled into one spellbinding story.”

Winner of the 2003 Mildred L. Batchelder Award for Outstanding Translated Book.

Connections

The movie based on the book does a good job of staying true to the story and provides a visual context for the places described in the book:

The Thief Lord. Directed by Richard Claus. 2006. Los Angeles, CA: 20th Century Fox, 2006. DVD.