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Overview
Mr. Hood's Holiday House has stood for a thousand years, welcoming countless children into its embrace. It is a place of miracles 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 its darker face—when Harvey discovers the pitiful creatures that dwell in its shadows—that he comes to doubt Mr. Hood's philanthropy.
But the house and its mysterious architect are not about to release their captive without a battle. Mr. Hood has ambitions for his new guest, for Harvey's soul burns brighter than any he has encountered in ten centuries . . .
After a mysterious stranger promises to end his boredom with a trip to the magical Holiday House, ten-year-old Harvey learns that his fun has a high price.
Synopsis
Mr. Hood's Holiday House has stood for a thousand years, welcoming countless children into its embrace. It is a place of miracles 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 its darker face—when Harvey discovers the pitiful creatures that dwell in its shadows—that he comes to doubt Mr. Hood's philanthropy.
But the house and its mysterious architect are not about to release their captive without a battle. Mr. Hood has ambitions for his new guest, for Harvey's soul burns brighter than any he has encountered in ten centuries . . .
L.A. Life
Barker's most ambitious work to date...Rapturously full of emotions.
Editorials
Washington Post Book World
"Charming and pleasantly shuddery."San Diego Union-Tribune
"A modern fable written with literary flare and storytelling-with-a-twist style that will entertain and enchant."Chicago Tribune
"Barker...sets up his enchanted kingdom with plenty of wit and atmosphere."New York Newsday
Taut pacing and sound structure…None of Clive Barker's admirers are likely to go away disappointed.Denver Post
A wonderful story for adults and teenagers, profusely illustrated by the author.Miami Herald
Menacing demons, wondrous miracles, sinister magic, and vivid characters make Thief a compulsive, lightning-paced tales that almost begs to be read aloud.Virginia Pilot/Ledger Star
Certain to satisfy anyone who just wants to take a fun little trip into one of Barker's worlds.Midweek
An impressive piece of storytelling.Today
The interplay between innocence and evil does have a refreshing familiarity.Camden Courier-Post
Barker's prose is as solid as ever, and to this book he lends his artistic talents with impish pen-and-ink illustrations.Rocky Mountain News
Appropriate for all ages.Atlanta Journal
Spellbinding.L.A. Life
Barker's most ambitious work to date...Rapturously full of emotions.Washington Post Book World
Rich in plot twists, byzantine intrigues and hidden secrets, Imajica is a Chinese puzzle box constructed on a universal scale...Barker has an unparalleled talent forenvisioning other worlds.New York Newsday
Taut pacing and sound structure...None of Clive Barker's admirers are likely to go away disappointed.Denver Post
A wonderful story for adults and teenagers, profusely illustrated by the author.Miami Herald
Menacing demons, wondrous miracles, sinister magic, and vivid characters make Thief a compulsive, lightning-paced tales that almost begs to be read aloud.Virginia Pilot/Ledger Star
Certain to satisfy anyone who just wants to take a fun little trip into one of Barker's worlds.Rocky Mountain News
Appropriate for all ages.Atlanta Journal
Spellbinding.L.A. Life
Barker's most ambitious work to date...Rapturously full of emotions.Washington Post Book World
Rich in plot twists, byzantine intrigues and hidden secrets, Imajica is a Chinese puzzle box constructed on a universal scale...Barker has an unparalleled talent forenvisioning other worlds.Publishers Weekly
When a 10-year-old boy wishes to be delivered from a boring afternoon, a creature takes him to the Holiday House. "Barker masterfully embroiders this fantasy world with a mounting number of grim, even gruesome details," wrote PW, "in a tale that manages to be both cute and horrifying." Ages 10-up. (Feb.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.Children's Literature
Ten-year-old Harvey Swick is bored. He's bored with his parents, he's bored with school, he's bored with "the great gray beast February" and its dismal, dreary days. When the fanciful character Rictus offers Harvey a retreat at the enticing Holiday House, Harvey scarcely gives it a second thought. Soon enough, he's whisked away to a magical place where all the seasons go through their paces each day, and all the best holidays, from Halloween to Christmas, are celebrated in high style. Soon, though, the house begins to show a darker side; what is that foul-looking pond in the corner of the property, and why does there seem to be no way out of the house's high walls? When Harvey begins to investigate, his discoveries are frightening indeed. The novel's climactic confrontation is a little too long and results in a ham-handed moral. For the most part, however, this is an engaging fable whose occasionally nightmarish episodes nonetheless provide glimpses into the dark, even horrific images for which the author's adult works of fiction are well known. 2002 (orig. 1992), HarperTrophy,— Norah Piehl