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28th out of 334 books
—
538 voters
The Good Thief
by
Hannah Tinti (Goodreads Author)
Richly imagined, gothically spooky, and replete with the ingenious storytelling ability of a born novelist, The Good Thief introduces one of the most appealing young heroes in contemporary fiction and ratifies Hannah Tinti as one of our most exciting new talents.
Twelve year-old Ren is missing his left hand. How it was lost is a mystery that Ren has been trying to solve for...more
Twelve year-old Ren is missing his left hand. How it was lost is a mystery that Ren has been trying to solve for...more
Hardcover, 327 pages
Published
August 26th 2008
by The Dial Press
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Hannah Tinti’s The Good Thief well deserves (and even invites) comparison with classic riproaring nineteenth-century adventure tales and orphan narratives. With an action-packed plot and a skillfully created universe, Tinti pulls her readers in to a story about stories—a tale in which the tale-tellers have power to create and re-create the past, all the while manipulating their futures.
Ren, missing a hand and a history, falls swiftly into the world of Benjamin Nab, who claims to be Ren’s older b...more
Ren, missing a hand and a history, falls swiftly into the world of Benjamin Nab, who claims to be Ren’s older b...more
Ren had no memory of his life before St. Anthony's. The only clues to his past is the initials REN sewn into the collar of his nightshirt and his missing left hand. One day a stranger, Benjamin Nab, comes to St. Anthony's looking for him, claiming to be his older brother, and reeling off a story of high adventure that explains both how Ren lost his hand and the reason he was left at St. Anthony's. However, Ren soon discovers that Benjamin Nab is not at all who he claims to be, but instead is a s...more
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Definitely a young adult novel, although not billed as such.
This is like a cross between a Charles Dickens hard luck tale and a Stephen King creepfest. There's a chunk in the middle where it dwells too long on the grave-robbing antics, but otherwise it's quite entertaining.
Worth reading just for the weird characters. There's Dolly(man with woman's name), the giant murderer who sleeps underneath the mattress. And Mrs. Sands, the very tall landlady who says everything at maximum volume, even whe...more
This is like a cross between a Charles Dickens hard luck tale and a Stephen King creepfest. There's a chunk in the middle where it dwells too long on the grave-robbing antics, but otherwise it's quite entertaining.
Worth reading just for the weird characters. There's Dolly(man with woman's name), the giant murderer who sleeps underneath the mattress. And Mrs. Sands, the very tall landlady who says everything at maximum volume, even whe...more
5 likes · like · see review
This has lots of memorable characters and is chock full of violent and horrific plot points. Ultimately, I didn't feel that the narrative held together cohesively enough for me to highly recommend the book to other readers. I wanted to understand better why the main character Ren was so drawn to Dolly, the giant murderer or to Mrs. Sands. Why wasn't Mrs. Sands' dwarf brother's character more developed? What was the motivation behind the mousetrap girl known as Harelip's helping Benjamin and Ren?...more
10 likes · like · see review
A very enjoyable, almost pseudo-fantasy, kinda-sorta YA book. I avoided reading the inside cover and just dove into the book, not knowing a thing about it. This is an orphan escapes from his parentless, loveless world and lands amongst thieves, possibly with hearts of gold but likely not, sort of book. Definitely thinner than Dickens, but almost similar in feel. The time is ambiguous, but likely ~1800's, and the place is New England. The main character, the orphan boy, is appealing, and the unfo...more
This is a book that was almost oversold by the incredible praise on the cover. With comparisons to Dickens and Twain in the same breath, I was prepared to be disappointed by Hannah Tinti's debut novel, The Good Thief. However, I found that the characters and plot were compelling and she merits some of the comparison. The book feels Dickensian with it's one-handed, orphan hero, Ren who is whisked away from the monastic orphanage into a life of grave-robbing and thievery all while attempting to do...more
This Dickensian adventure story of an orphan boy who makes good by teaming up with a pair of grave robbers is a bit bleak in the telling, but more than makes up for it in the happily-ever-after ending (which is still realistic). Colorful characters enliven the 18th century setting and help the small bedraggled hero make his way in a confusing adult world. Accessible prose and a good eye for historical detail made the pages fly!
4 likes · like · see review
I had read a couple of good reviews about this book but it didn't live up to my expectations. I almost abandoned it when it didn't draw me in during the first chapters. I did complete it and I did become more interested in the story as it went on. It has an assortment of colorful characters and I was rooting for the main character by the end.
The reviews on the back all compare this to books by Robert Louis Stevenson or Charles Dickens. It does have that epic adventure story feel about it, but in only 200 pages it can't quite attain the scope of, say, Great Expectations. An enjoyable book, though.
I finished (an ARC copy of) The Good Thief three days ago, and have been struggling with the review. Objectively I know there's nothing new here, but the writing is so up my alley and the atmosphere of the novel is so well put-together that I want to rave and rave over it.
Tinti's main character is an orphan named Ren. It's not giving too much away to say he's a minor thief, and he's adopted early on in the book by a man whose motives are unclear at first, but quickly show themselves to be "up-to...more
Tinti's main character is an orphan named Ren. It's not giving too much away to say he's a minor thief, and he's adopted early on in the book by a man whose motives are unclear at first, but quickly show themselves to be "up-to...more
Wow. I found this to be a real page-turner--just had to find out what would happen next to Ren. I fully agreed with the "back-cover" reviewers who compared Tinti's work here to Charles Dickens and Robert Louis Stevenson; reminiscent of that type of thing (and a little bit so of, say, "Tom Jones" and "Tristram Shandy") but still with its own tone and viewpoint. I loved the twists and turns in this, and could really picture the various characters quite vividly. Couldn't exactly figure out the extr...more
Despite all the rave reviews, I found this book to be only so-so. Hannah Tinti's prose is excellent, and she certainly paints vivid scenes and characters. However, we've seen a good many of these characters before, in other books: the innocent Oliver Twist like orphan taken in by thieves; the wiley, intelligent, and good-looking thief/con-man and his drunken sidekick; the giant with the deadly hands and the heart/mind of a child, fiercely loyal to the boy who has befriended him; the motherly inn...more
This story had such promise. From the back cover: “Bejamin Nab appears one day at the orphanage where Ren has spent the 11 years of his young life. Convincing the monks he is Ren’s long-lost brother, Benjamin sweeps the boy away into a vibrant world of adventures, filled with outrageous scam artists, grave robbers, and petty thieves. But is Benjamin Nab really who he claims to be? As Ren begins to find clues to his hidden parentage, he comes to suspect that Benjamin holds the key not only to his...more
To seriously compare this to Dickens, Twain or Stevenson is like saying Taco Bell is great Mexican food. Dickensian in that there are unexpected, hidden benefactors and dangerous, illegal undertakings by a young orphan but it's shallow as a dishpan, don't expect any scope or depth. I found this in the new book section of my library, maybe it should have been in the teens or kids section. (I would say it was written to a junior high level) Never could figure out what the era of the book was, one...more
A dark, atmospheric adventure yarn in the style of Robert Lewis Stevenson and Mark Twain. Ren is a 12 year-old orphan who arrived at St. Anthony's Orphanage for boys as a young child and missing his left hand. He's been trying to solve the mystery of its loss and his parentage ever since. When Benjamin Nab arrives at the orphanage and claims Ren as his younger brother, Ren thinks he might start to learn some answers about his past. But Benjamin is not who he seems, and Ren has many adventures, s...more
Another book I was forced to read because of a book club. If I read one more review that compares Tinti to Charles Dickens or Robert Louis Stevenson, I'm gonna...well, I guess I just mentioned them too. I agree with one reviewer who said that it seems that Tinti couldn't decide whether to make this a young adult or adult novel. It feels more adult than young adult, but doesn't go far enough to shed that young adult audience. It was a fairly dark book, all things considered, but remained light he...more
Set in New England in the 19th century, ‘The Good Thief’ is the story of a twelve year old, one-handed orphan, Ren.
Ren has been an orphan at the Saint Anthony’s Monastery as long as he remembers. His parentage and his missing hand had always remained a mystery which Ren struggled to solve. He dreamt of a day that he would one day be part of a loving family.
Ren’s dreams appeared to have come truewith the arrival of a stranger, Benjamin Nab who claims to be his older brother but turns out to be a...more
Ren has been an orphan at the Saint Anthony’s Monastery as long as he remembers. His parentage and his missing hand had always remained a mystery which Ren struggled to solve. He dreamt of a day that he would one day be part of a loving family.
Ren’s dreams appeared to have come truewith the arrival of a stranger, Benjamin Nab who claims to be his older brother but turns out to be a...more
The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti has some very interesting characters, and it was a pretty decent read, but I felt the ending left something to be desired.
The story is about an orphan Ren, who longs to know his history. One day Benjamin comes to the orphanage and claims the boy as his long lost younger brother.
It turns out Benjamin is a thief and soon Ren is taught how to be a thief as well.
The pair join Benjamin's regular partner Tom. While robbing a grave, one corpse winds up not being a corpse...more
The story is about an orphan Ren, who longs to know his history. One day Benjamin comes to the orphanage and claims the boy as his long lost younger brother.
It turns out Benjamin is a thief and soon Ren is taught how to be a thief as well.
The pair join Benjamin's regular partner Tom. While robbing a grave, one corpse winds up not being a corpse...more
Here we have one of "those" books--an intriguing premise that could have delivered more. Ren, a one-handed orphan boy, learns the art of the con from a man who may or may not hold the answers to his past--namely, what happened to his parents, and what happened to his hand? Since the con man is, well, a con man, Ren can never tell if he's being fed lies or the truth.
Based on that synopsis alone, the book should have been great. Yes, the plot inches over the top by the end, but this tale is told...more
Based on that synopsis alone, the book should have been great. Yes, the plot inches over the top by the end, but this tale is told...more
I'm a little torn about this book.
Hannah Tinti is a very skilled writer- her prose is excellent. For the most part, the story was gripping and exciting. In fact, I missed my bus stop a couple of times because I was so absorbed in it. And I was glad that when I was done, I didn't get that icky feeling that I get after reading something really crappy that goes for the cheap thrill and manipulates my emotions (like the Hunger Games, for instance).
However, the pacing of this book is off. It is too f...more
Hannah Tinti is a very skilled writer- her prose is excellent. For the most part, the story was gripping and exciting. In fact, I missed my bus stop a couple of times because I was so absorbed in it. And I was glad that when I was done, I didn't get that icky feeling that I get after reading something really crappy that goes for the cheap thrill and manipulates my emotions (like the Hunger Games, for instance).
However, the pacing of this book is off. It is too f...more
When unwanted boys are abandoned at St. Anthony's monastery, they face one of two futures - adoption or conscription into the army. With just one hand, young Ren is excited and relieved when a man claiming to be his older brother adopts him. Benjamin Nab tells a fascinating tale of how their parents were killed and Ren's hand was cut off. Ren wants to believe the man is his brother but Benjamin soon proves himself to be an accomplished liar and thief. On the other hand, Ren, is a thief, too, ste...more
This book just didn't hold my attention. I wouldn't say it's a bad book, but rather the wrong kind of book for me. I think this would be a better book for young boys.
Ren is in an orphanage at a Catholic monastery, which is the only life he remembers. Because he's missing a hand, he's never adopted by the people who come to the monastery looking for boys.
But then a man arrives who swears that Ren is his long lost brother, telling a convincing tale about how Ren lost his hand, and what happened to...more
Ren is in an orphanage at a Catholic monastery, which is the only life he remembers. Because he's missing a hand, he's never adopted by the people who come to the monastery looking for boys.
But then a man arrives who swears that Ren is his long lost brother, telling a convincing tale about how Ren lost his hand, and what happened to...more
A douze ans, Ren le manchot n'a connu que l'orphelinat et, tout en rêvant d'une famille, appréhende les dangers du monde extérieur.
Voici que survient Benjamin Nab, qui se prétend son grand frère et le prend sous son aile. Mais dit-il la vérité ? Du jour au lendemain, Ren se retrouve plongé dans une cour des Miracles, un monde de voleurs, de marginaux, de grands escrocs et de nantis maléfiques. Parmi les villes minières et les ports baleiniers de Nouvelle-Angleterre, il ne cesse de vouloir percer...more
Voici que survient Benjamin Nab, qui se prétend son grand frère et le prend sous son aile. Mais dit-il la vérité ? Du jour au lendemain, Ren se retrouve plongé dans une cour des Miracles, un monde de voleurs, de marginaux, de grands escrocs et de nantis maléfiques. Parmi les villes minières et les ports baleiniers de Nouvelle-Angleterre, il ne cesse de vouloir percer...more
Twelve year-old Ren is missing his left hand. How it was lost is a mystery that Ren has been trying to solve for his entire life, as well as who his parents are, and why he was abandoned as an infant at Saint Anthony’s Orphanage for boys. He longs for a family to call his own and is terrified of the day he will be sent alone into the world.
But then a young man named Benjamin Nab appears, claiming to be Ren’s long-lost brother, and his convincing tale of how Ren lost his hand and his parents pers...more
But then a young man named Benjamin Nab appears, claiming to be Ren’s long-lost brother, and his convincing tale of how Ren lost his hand and his parents pers...more
Rarely have I read a book that was so magical without any actual magic or fantasy in it. In fact, rarely have I read a book that was as intriguing as this one. I cannot remember giving a book a rating of five stars, though I may have, it is that rare. This book truly deserves the high rating I granted it.
Ren is an orphan being raised in a poor Catholic orphanage for boys in New England in the nineteenth century. (I was unable to pin the actual decade down, but it was after 1818 when "The Deersla...more
Ren is an orphan being raised in a poor Catholic orphanage for boys in New England in the nineteenth century. (I was unable to pin the actual decade down, but it was after 1818 when "The Deersla...more
When I began "The Good Thief" by Hannah Tinti I expected it to live up to the rave reviews and was hoping for a comeback of the Dickens style of novel. And because this book didn't live up to those expectations I was forced to give it a basic 3 stars.
The following may or may not contain spoilers.
The story is about a one-handed boy named Ren who has lived his life in an orphan home for boys wondering about his origins. Then one day a handsome stranger named Benjamin arrives claiming to be Ren's...more
The following may or may not contain spoilers.
The story is about a one-handed boy named Ren who has lived his life in an orphan home for boys wondering about his origins. Then one day a handsome stranger named Benjamin arrives claiming to be Ren's...more
I’d heard good things about this tale of a one-armed orphan adopted by a man claiming to be his brother. I’ve read two similar books in the past year – orphan adopted by ne’er do wells for nefarious schemes, although both of those were targeted to children – and this one paled in comparison to those, which both had their faults but were charming. This plot is engaging (if predictable) and some of the characters are fun, but that’s true of many books. Here, the violence was unnecessarily graphic...more
Several reviewers refer to this tale as "Dickensian" and I have to agree. It stars a young boy, Ren, an orphan who is adopted by a con man, Benjamin, because Ren is missing one hand. Benjamin makes up any number of stories about the missing hand, and uses the sympathy of others to take their money. He soon learns that Ren has a way with stealing in any case, and is glad he doesn't have to teach him that particular skill.
So we start to think of Oliver Twist and others. This story, though, is set...more
So we start to think of Oliver Twist and others. This story, though, is set...more
I'm a fan of the old-fashioned picaresque novel -- the kind of tale in which, as in (say) most of Dickens's early stuff, the end doesn't depend too much on the beginning, even though the course from beginning to end is a logical or at least comprehensible one. (Most of our lives are picaresque in structure.) Recently a few authors seem to have rediscovered the picaresque mode, and one of these is Hannah Tinti.
Ren's stuck in a late-19th-century northeastern orphanage and unlikely ever to get out,...more
Ren's stuck in a late-19th-century northeastern orphanage and unlikely ever to get out,...more
If you are looking for something different to read that has everything in it that you could possibly want, pick up this book.
A young boy named Ren is left at a monastery as a baby. He is missing one of his hands and finds that he is not suitable for adoption. Well, that is until a man by the name of Benjamin comes to the monastery and claims him as his brother.
Benjamin takes him frokm the monastery and immediately introduces him to the world of liars and thieves. Benjamin and his partner, Tom, m...more
A young boy named Ren is left at a monastery as a baby. He is missing one of his hands and finds that he is not suitable for adoption. Well, that is until a man by the name of Benjamin comes to the monastery and claims him as his brother.
Benjamin takes him frokm the monastery and immediately introduces him to the world of liars and thieves. Benjamin and his partner, Tom, m...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Did anyone else have trouble liking this book? | 4 | 13 | May 24, 2013 12:40pm | |
| Interview with Hannah Tinti, Author of "The Good Thief" | 2 | 33 | Oct 24, 2012 06:24pm |
Hannah Tinti grew up in Salem, Massachusetts, and is co-founder and editor-in-chief of One Story magazine. Her short story collection, Animal Crackers, has sold in sixteen countries and was a runner-up for the PEN/Hemingway award. Her first novel, The Good Thief, is published by The Dial Press (US) and Headline (UK). The Good Thief is a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, recipient of the Ame...more
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“When death comes, she said, all that matters is this: to be next to one another. My mother was wearing a silk dress, and as she pressed her fingers into his, all of my father's adventures and hard living melted away. He knew that he had met the woman he would love until he couldn't love anymore.”
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6 people liked it
“Is that what you wanted to hear?"
"No."
The man reached over, took hold of the lantern and blew it out. Night enveloped the barn. "Well," he said at last to the darkness between them, "that's when you know it's the truth.”
—
3 people liked it
More quotes…
"No."
The man reached over, took hold of the lantern and blew it out. Night enveloped the barn. "Well," he said at last to the darkness between them, "that's when you know it's the truth.”
