The Thief of Always Audiobook By Clive Barker cover art

The Thief of Always

Preview
Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Thief of Always

By: Clive Barker
Narrated by: Adam Verner
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $14.95

Buy for $14.95

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

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
Fantasy
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_T1_webcro805_stickypopup
Imaginative Fantasy Story • Captivating Children's Tale • Warm Baritone Voice • Charming Magical Atmosphere
Highly rated for:
All stars
Most relevant  

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.

Good children's story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

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!

I love this book!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

This book is phenomenal and I would highly recommend it to anyone all ages

The thief of always review

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Listener received this title free

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.

Shocked

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Prior to reading The Thief of Always, I had heard great things about this book. What I didn't expect was how much I'd wind up enjoying it. The Thief of Always is now not only one of my favorite Clive Barker books, it's one of my all-time favorite books in general, regardless of the author. Why? Because it is a tightly-woven fable with vivid imagery, whimsy, and grandeur. What impressed me most was the writing style. I'm used to Clive Barker's dark, macabre writing style. You won't get any of that here. It's so dramatically different that I thought I was reading another author's book. The Thief of Always has a charming and lovingly presented style that goes down as smoothly as an ice-cold orange cream soda on a sweltering summer day. The characters are splendid, and the story is epic and succinct all at once. While reading this book, I experienced the same joy that I did from watching The Neverending Story as a child. I was filled with awe and happiness because I was fully immersed in a world I didn't want to leave. Even better, the narrator for this Audible Original is perfect. His warm, emotive voice perfectly captures the mood and tone of the book and enhances it tenfold. Everyone should experience The Thief of Always—it's a timeless tale for young and old about the wonders of the world . . . and beyond.

One Of My All-Time Favorites

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

My son had to read this book for a 5th grade project. I decided to read it with him. Enjoyed it very much. Loved the metaphors in the book and the ending was fun of purpose.

Great book with a wonderful purpose

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

this was a "children's" story that destroyes any I heard as a child by leapsnbounds!

The Thief of Always

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

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.

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

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Listener received this title free

I received this book for free. I am voluntarily posting this review and all opinions expressed herein are my own.

What a wonderful, magical story! This book was first published in 1992 and I have only just found it. It's perfect for ages 10 through adult. This is certainly a story I will read again and highly recommend.

As a child there is nothing worse than being bored [remember the kids in Cat in the Hat?] and so it is perfectly understandable when Harvey is so willing to go on an adventure - after all he reasons, it will just be for a few hours before he will return home. And during his adventure, he gets his heart's desires, completely without any responsibilities or a care in the world. A magical time. But soon, Harvey learns there is a price to be paid for neverending children's fantasies.

For younger readers, I'm sure, will believe that this book is about Harvey avenging the passage of time lost with his family. But I think, as an adult, at the heart of this book is a very simple idea: Live in the moment and don't just wait for your next big adventure, as while you are waiting, your life [time] is slipping away. I think this is a very significant message, especially as you grow older and suddenly realize how little time each of us actually has on this earth.

The narrator, Adam Verner, was a great compliment to the written word. His warm, baritone voice perfectly captures the tone of this book and evokes the emotion of this story.

Absolutely Magical! Highly Recommend!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Listener received this title free

I recieved a promotional copy for a honest review.

A really fun fantasy story by Clive Barker. Adam Verner is a really great narrator and did a great job with thus book.

A Fun Time

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews