Quarter 2: Blog 3

I thought I'd add more detail to the last post; this overlaps with Quarter 2: Blog 2

While Mosca (another orphan), Prosper, and Scipio are with the Conte, who is Scipio's first client, Riccio, Hornet, and Bo wait outside. A man comes up to Bo and starts talking to him. He turns out to be the detective that Esther had hired to find Prosper and Bo, Victor. Since Bo is naive, Victor easily persuades him to tell him his name. When Victor realizes he is who Esther is looking for, he immeadiately asks him where he lives, and Bo tells him that as well. As Bo is talking to Victor Hornet sees that Bo is talking with Victor, and heads over to him. When Prosper starts walking towards Victor, he quickly takes a picture and runs off (probably to confirm with Esther). But the damage is done, and Victor now knows that a bunch of orphans live in an abandoned movie theater, but he needs to figure out that it is the Star-Palace. Victor quickly puts on a disguise and keeps observing the kids. Meanwhile, Prosper scolds Bo, and Prosper realizes that the man was Victor because of the way he walked and because he ran away. When they return to the Star Palace, the orphans have a little chat about what happened that day, and leave to get food. As Victor follows them he spots Hornet in an alley, he approaches her and Hornet pretends to be grabbed by Victor. Nearby civilians "help" Hornet and she manages to run away. As Victor is beat down by civilians, Hornet manages to take Victor's wallet and shows it to everyone. The find a detective ID, and all are concerned for Prosper and Bo.

bLog E (Blog 3)

I AM REALLY BORED OF TYPING SUMMARIES, SO FOR TODAY'S BLOG I THOUGHT I MIGHT ANALYZE THE BOOK A LITTLE BIT MORE (AND WRITE IN CAPS LOCK T00). SO FAR THERE IS NO APPARENT THEME TO THIS BOOK, ITS JUST TWO MISFIT CHILDREN WHO RUN AWAY. I KIND OF RELATED THIS TO MC'CARTHY'S (HORRIBLE) BOOK, aLL tHE pRETTY hORSES. IN BOTH BOOKS THE MAIN CHARACTERS RUN AWAY FROM THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES TO SOMEPLACE THAT IS A WORLD AWAY. mC'cARTHY'S BOOK HOWEVER IS MEANT FOR HIGH SCHOOL AGED PEOPLE AND UP, WHEREAS tHE tHIEF lORD IS MEANT FOR A YOUNGER AUDIENCE. aLTHOUGH THIS BOOK IS A LOT MORE LIGHTHEARTED, IT PROVIDES A RELIEF TO THE BLOODINESS OF tHE iLIAD AND tHE oDYSSEY. oNE THING THAT i HAVE OBSERVED ABOUT THE AUTHOR, cORNELIA fUNKE, IS THAT ALL HER BESTSELLERS ARE ABOUT CHILDREN GOING ON AN ADVENTURE. fOR EXAMPLE, iNKHEART IS ALSO ABOUT A GIRL WHO RUNS AWAY TO A MAGICAL PLACE (and looks for her mother, i think). "Dragonrider", another one of her bestsellers is about a boy who runs away with a dragon and goes to a fairytale land. The "Thief Lord" uses terminology that is in Italian to give a feel of how the two children must be feeling not knowing all the words. This was another connection I made to ATPH, I was instantly reminded of how McCarthy used Spanish so frequently throughout his novel. So that's all, and next time I'll post a summary again to keep everyone involved in the book

Quarter 2:Blog 2

Recently, I started reading The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke, who is also author of Inkheart and Inkspell. The Thief Lord is about two brothers named Prosper and Bo, who run away to Venice, Italy after the death of their mother. After their mother dies, Bo (5 years old) is sent to his aunt, Esther; who the book portrays as evil. Prosper (12 years) is sent to a boarding school. Sick of their lives, the two brothers escape to Venice, Italy, a city they always had heard about from their mother. The two brothers become friends with four other orphans: Hornet, Riccio, Mosca, and Scipio (who is later found out to be the Thief Lord). Prosper and Bo are led to an abandoned movie theater, which is the home of the other orphans. The children get the money they need to buy food by selling things that Scipio steals to an old shopkeeper named Ernesto Barbarossa. When things are looking great for Prosper and Bo, their aunt Esther soon finds out that the boys are in Venice. She hires a private-eye, named Victor Getz, to find where they are . Meanwhile, Barbarossa tells the children about one of his clients (Barbarossa runs a black market) that needs someone to steal something for him. Scipio accepts the challenge and meets the client, who is called The Conte. They find out that the object they are to steal is a wing (which attaches to a magical carousel of youth) and that they are to steal it from a wealthy photographer's house, whose name is Ida Spavento. Unfortunately his house is as secure as a prison. That’s all I read so far, but it is a pretty good book so far. I'll keep you guys posted