Thursday, November 26, 2009

Top 60 Novels of 2000-2009 Countdown, No. 35


The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

I was wondering if this book qualified; the English translation came out in 2002, but I thought the original German edition was published in the 1990s. As it turns out, the novel apparently was published in Germany in 2000, so it qualifies. I enjoyed reading this aloud to Rachel, my oldest daughter. Venice is as much a character in this novel as the protagonists, and Rachel came away from the book with a strong urge to visit the city, someday, before it sinks. The fantastical elements are held off until the end, with the merry-go-round, but the entire novel in a sense is a child's fantasy of independence -- living away from the influence of parents, like the Lost Boys. It's a charming book for adults and children. 


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