Module 1: International Literature

THE THIEF LORD

Funke, Cornelia. 2000. THE THIEF LORD. Scholastic, Inc: New York. ISBN 9780329349264

Plot Summary

Young orphaned brothers Prosper (age 12) and Boniface (Bo, age 5) flee the city of Hamburg, Germany from the adopting hands of their relatives Aunt Esther and Uncle Max Hartlieb, to the city of Venice, Italy. When adopted, the Hartlieb's plan is for Prosper to be sent to boarding school, with perhaps monthly visits to see his brother, and the Hartlieb's will raise Bo, because he is such an adorable little boy. Neither boy wants to be separated from the other and the adventure begins when they arrive in Venice. The Hartlieb's also arrive in Venice and procure the services of detective Victor Getz who "always get his man." They are befriended by a member of a band of thieves, a young girl named Hornet, and two boys close to the age of Prosper named Riccio and Mosca, and the leader the Thief Lord himself, the bird mask wearing Scipio. The mask hides more than the face of their leader. Scipio provides his friends money, food and a place to live by bringing them objects he claims to have stolen from wealthy homes. The group then takes the stolen goods to a greedy shopkeeper named Barbarossa who exchanges money for the stolen merchandise.

Barbarossa entices the group by telling them he has a client who needs something stolen from the possession of Ida Spavento: a mysterious broken wooden wing. If successful, they will be paid an enormous sum of money. The theft goes wrong and Ida tells the young thieves a tale about the wing and a stolen magical carousel which can turn back or advance a person's age. This intrigues both Scipio as he longs to be an adult and away from his father's world. Ida gives the wing to the children and they all decide to try and discover the location of the carousel. During all this time the boys are discovered, the real identity of the wealthly Scipio is revealed, and Bo ends up in a hotel with the Hartliebs, bound for Germany.

Action, adventure, and disappointment are woven into this tale of children longing for friendship, safety, and loving families and adults who are greedy, selfish, loving and caring.

Critical Analysis

The Thief Lord is a fictional story with themes of brotherly love, camaraderie, loyalty, longing, greed and a twist of magic towards the end. Funke creatively weaves these themes into her story of the a young band of thieves, a greedy shopkeeper, uncaring, self-centered relatives and a detective and an unusual woman who helps tie up the loose ends at the end of the mysterious adventure. All these different story lines may cause younger readers some difficulty as they try to follow the many directions the text takes. Older readers will be intrigued by the suspense of children living and surviving on their own.

The setting of Venice is appropriate for a group of young thieves because the city itself is old and has many tourists, winding streets and ancient passage ways which will allow a person or persons to escape quickly or just blend into the scenery. Funke sprinkles in some Italian vocabulary to help flavor the story with some of the old world charm and does not distract the reader's comprehension. A map of the city and a glossary are provided at the end of the book.

Funke portrays Scipio to be an independent, confident and fearless leader of the orphaned/runaway children when in fact the Thief Lord is his alter ego. He lives with his wealthy parents surrounded by servants in an enormous house. Soon the real truth is discovered by Prosper and the character of the Thief Lord becomes small, withdrawn, and quiet. His father is always busy entertaining friends and never has time for young Scipio who might as well be an orphan. It is revealed that all the items stolen were from his own house.

The other adult characters in this story have much in common with Scipio's father in relationship to being consumed with self.

Only Ida and Victor seem compassionate and portray positive adult role models. This will appeal to children who think that being a grown up solves problems and underestimate the joys of childhood. But then again, not every childhood is a pleasurable life-shaping experience. The Thief Lord should evoke much discussion and could even be a front loading experience for a study of homeless people, not only in our country, but throughout the world.

Reviews

Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy: "On a final note, The Thief Lord, which was translated from German into English, has won several European children's literature awards. The book itself provides a wonderful blend of escapist literature and life truths that make it a delightful read."

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. A best selling author in Germany, who has reached the US for the first time, Funke delights readers in the feelings of childhood, what it feels like to be innocent, afraid, curious, and safe; need friends and love; and want independence yet also cared for."

Connections

PIPPI LONGSTOCKING by Astrid Lindgren

THE FAMILY UNDER THE BRIDGE by Natalie Savage Carlson

THE LIGHTNING THIEF by Rick Riordan

MANIAC MAGEE by Jerry Spinelli

Awards

2002 - #2 on the New York Times bestseller list for 25 weeks

USA Today bestseller list

2003 - Mildred L. Batchelder Award

2003 - Book Sense Book of the Year (children's Literature Winner)

Swiss Youth Literature Award

Zurich Children's Book Award

Book Award from the Venice House of Literature