A short novel for
Children and
Adults, the
Thief of Always is a
fable by
Clive Barker. Ten-year-old Harvey is being consumed by
ennui on one gray February day when a mysterious, grinning stranger named
Rictus appears and offers to take him to a magical place full of wonders.
After some deliberation, Harvey accepts and is whisked away to Holiday House, a place where in a single day all of the Holidays occur. Harvey is at first intrigued and excited by the magic and wonder in Holiday House, but it does not take him long to notice some of the darker aspects. Harvey soon comes to realize the terrible and nightmarish costs behind Holiday House and must risk everything to unmask its horrible secret and return to his life.