4Real Forums: Books by Cornelia Funke

Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.

Active Topics || Favorites || Member List || Search || About Us || Help || Register || Login

Living Literature
4Real Forums : Living Literature

Topic: Books by Cornelia Funke

Author

Message

<< Prev Topic | Next Topic >>

Liz D
Forum Pro

Joined: March 01 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 108

Posted: May 09 2007 at 4:27pm \| IP Logged

Does anyone know anything about this author or her book The Lord Thief? Dd-12yo- just took this out of the library on CD because a recommendation of a new friend. We are fairly conservative on what we read- such as no Harry Potter. I can't easily skim it because it is on Cd but the write-up on the back of the Cd case has me wondering about the appropriateness of it.

Thanks
Liz

__________________
Liz

margot helene
Forum Pro

Joined: Feb 26 2006
Location: Pennsylvania
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 350

Posted: May 11 2007 at 3:37pm \| IP Logged

I have read almost all of Cornelia Funke's books. I hope I am not responding too late to be of use to you. I was really intrigued by The Theif Lord but none of my kids really like it all that much. I'm not sure any of those that started it, finished it. The basic story is that some street kids band together and learn to steal stuff, a la Oliver Twist, and help each other to live. One boy, who is their leader, is really NOT a street kid but the son of a very wealthy man, with whom the kid has a strained/bad relationship. We find who he is by degrees. The story is told from the perspective of a detective who has been hired to find some runaways. He does find them, but . . . I won't spoil the story for you. The kids are hired to steal a piece to an old carousel and through many twists and turns find out that the carousel, once ridden can make you younger of older. The ending was kind of weird I thought. The thief lord (the kid who was only pretending to be a street kid) ends up going forward in time and it is not clear if it was a good thing or a bad thing he did that. His bad relationship with his father is never resolved, in fact, if I remember right, it is to escape the family situation that the boy goes forward. (I should say that the age of the person goes forward, but he is still in the same time.) I'm never sure whether to recommend this book to people or not. If you like fantasy, if what you like about fantasy is discussing the ramifications of fantasty-like happenings, then you would like it.

My kids really like Dragon Rider by Funke, but I didn't care for it too much. I did like Inkheart! Great idea for a story. A man reads so well out loud that the characters come to life out of the book. The catch is that when a character comes out, someone from our world has to go in the story. In Inkheart, some bad guys come out of the book and the reader's wife goes in!! All those of my kids who were old enough to read that one really liked it. I haven't read the sequel yet, but my 13 year old said it is not as good as the first one.
Margot

Liz D
Forum Pro

Joined: March 01 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 108

Posted: May 12 2007 at 9:12am \| IP Logged

Thanks, Margot. That helps. I wanted to make sure there was nothing objectionable. We aren't big fantasy people so she probably won't love it but no reason for her not to give it a try.
I appreciate the help!

Liz

__________________
Liz

If you wish to post a reply to this topic you must first login
If you are not already registered you must first register

[Add this topic to My Favorites]

Printable version

Forum Jump

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

Hosting and Support provided by theNetSmith.com