• The Thief of Always

  • By: Clive Barker
  • Narrated by: Adam Verner
  • Length: 4 hrs and 20 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (898 ratings)

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The Thief of Always  By  cover art

The Thief of Always

By: Clive Barker
Narrated by: Adam Verner
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Publisher's summary

Mr. Hood's Holiday House has stood for 1,000 years, welcoming countless children into its embrace. It is a place of miracles and blissful rounds 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 it's 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. Mr. Hood has ambitions for his new guest, for Harvey's soul burns brighter than any soul he has encountered in a thousand years….

©1992 Clive Barker (P)2013 David N. Wilson

What listeners say about The Thief of Always

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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I love this book!

I love the story, the narrator was not boring at all. I was able to finish the book in one day! I highly recommend this book for ages 10 years and up!

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Good children's story

Would you consider the audio edition of The Thief of Always to be better than the print version?

I read the book first, and heard this years later. The performances weren't the same as I heard in my head, but it's not really fair to assume everyone knows what's in my head. Half of the time I don't even know what's in my head.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mr. Hood is awesome. You can hear the sharp teeth.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

...In a world...

Any additional comments?

Good, short, fun, story. The only thing I didn't like about it, was that I wanted it longer.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story

Loved it! My 4 year old daughter also enjoys me reading this to her at bedtime. Great for Adults and kids

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Passing on a childhood favorite

I read this as a kid, and it’s been a favorite for years. As a teacher I’d use it as a read aloud for my middle school students, and as a parent I loved sharing it with my 13 and 8 year old. It’s got just the right amount of scare, suspense, and hope. It’s just such a gem of a book.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

every time!

I have read this book probably 10 times, and I love it more and more every time!

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Listener received this title free

Shocked

I didn’t know barker wrote anything I would consider children’s story. But I really liked it. Kinda reminds me of a mix between Pinocchio and nos4a2. I finished it in less than two days. I would definitely recommend to anyone young or old. There was nothing to bad or scary in it and no bad language just entertaining fun story. I was given this audio at my request in exchange for honest and voluntary review.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Ok story, poor narration

I didn't like any of the character voices performed by this narrator. I don't want to listen to any other books with this narrator either. The story itself was ok. It reminded me a bit of Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes. It would have been better without the audio.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Overall Good Read

This is my first Clive Barker book. I heard some are gruesome so I stayed clear. The Thief of Always was relatively mild but I would not read it to a small child. The story has a morale which we all can learn from no matter his old we are!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A great fantasy book!

I loved this book since high school! A little dark fantasy with a nice ending, like the Wizard of Oz meets the Twiight Zone.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I read this as a young child. It still holds up.

I read this as a young child. It still holds up 25 years later. Very little exists in the story to date itself. Wonderful story.

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