Fuminori Nakamura

An anonymous Tokyo pickpocket finds his past catching up with him when his first partner reappears in his life and enlists him for a seemingly uncomplicated heist involving a prominent politician who is subsequently found dead.

The Thief

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Martin Lukanov

The book is a kind of philosophical neo-noir written from a first person perspective, possibly influenced by the shishosetsu genre. Although in no was as mind-blowing as the works of Dazai, for example, the book is nevertheless very interesting. 

One of the things I liked the most about the book is that it feels very personal. For example, all the characters, whether new people or ones he knows, seem to just appear the life of the narrator. They are never introduced properly and very little is said about their backgrounds. Almost everything the reader learns about them is extremely vague. This makes sense because the book is written as either the narrator’s internal dialogue or maybe his personal diary. The fact that the reader feels like entering someone’s thoughts is amplified even more by the fact that a big part of the book consists of very detailed descriptions of the main character stealing other people’s belongings. The style and detail of these descriptions is in contrast with the other parts of the book, in which the narrator sounds pretty uninterested.

The plot of the book also helps the feeling of entering someone’s thoughts. Rather than a clear story, it is more like a slice of the thief’s life. Almost everything that happens, even things like heist, sex, or murder, seem kind of boring. I think that this works very well because it shows that nothing is interesting for the narrator, save for stealing. As a result, only the parts in which he steals convey some kind of emotion and excitement.

What makes this book very interesting is the narrator himself. The reader is told extremely little about him, not even his name. The only things we know is that he is a very skilled pickpocket and that in the past he used to be in a relationship with a woman who killed herself. However, it is vague if her death had any impact on his life. Also, from the way he narrates, we know that his sole interest is stealing. Yet, most probably interest is not the right word because he does not seem interested in taking other people’s belongings. Rather, for him it is a part of life, it is his nature. Although he isn’t passionate about it, the fact that only the parts in which he steals are exciting, seems to imply that it is the only exciting aspect of his life. Yet, he never explains why he is a thief or if he enjoys it. The closest he comes to an explanation is when he says that he does it so he can see how a pickpocket’s life ends or something similar to that. This, coupled with his aloofness, might imply that he might be a psychopath. Yet, his relationship with a young boy puts this possibility into question. Still, I couldn’t really figure out if he helps him because he likes the boy or just out of boredom or something like that. It might as well be that in his relationship with the boy, he shows his real nature, whereas in everything else, in all his other interactions and even in his internal dialogue, he pretends and tries to put a mask. 

If there is something I didn’t like about the book, it is the villain. I understand that the book centers on the narrator and a bigger part for the villain would not make sense and would feel unrealistic, however I would’ve liked to read more about him and maybe try to understand him better. From what is explained about him in the book, he seems to be kind of similar to the old father in Evil and the Mask.

Danial Imran 

Taut, with prose that's frenetic. Imagery pops into the mind as I'm dragged into a flow that's quick and suspenseful. Scenes are stylish, as I read I feel as if I'm watching a movie in my mind. In short, extremely fun and entertaining. 

Half Yeti, All Man

Nishimura is a seasoned pickpocket, weaving through Tokyo's crowded streets, in search of potential targets. He has no family, no friends, no connections . . . But he does have a past, which finally catches up with him when his old partner-in-crime reappears and offers him a job he can't refuse. Suddenly, Nishimura finds himself caught in a web so tangled and intricate that even he might not be able to escape. Taut, atmospheric and cool, The Thief will steal your breath away.

Jake H

A literary crime masterpiece that follows a Japanese pickpocket lost to the machinations of fate. Bleak and oozing existential dread, The Thief is simply unforgettable, and is now reissued in a brand new deluxe edition. The Thief is a seasoned pickpocket. Anonymous in his tailored suit, he weaves in and out of Tokyo crowds, stealing wallets from strangers so smoothly sometimes he doesn't even remember the snatch. Most people are just a blur to him, nameless faces from whom he chooses his victims. He has no family, no friends, no connections . . . But he does have a past, which finally catches up with him when Ishikawa, his first partner, reappears in his life, and offers him a job he can't refuse. It's an easy job: tie up an old rich man, steal the contents of the safe. No one gets hurt. Only the day after the job does he learn that the old man was a prominent politician, and that he was brutally killed after the robbery. And now the Thief is caught in a tangle even he might not be able to escape.

The Thief (Deluxe Edition)

Emilie 

S. R. Spencer

azliana aziz

Er betreibt sein Metier in den belebten Straßen Tokios und den überfüllten Wagen der U-Bahn. Er stiehlt mit kunstvollen, fließenden Bewegungen. Der Diebstahl ist der Kick in seinem Leben, das Gefühl, seinem Schicksal zu entrinnen – für den Moment. Doch seine dunkle Vergangenheit holt ihn wieder ein. Ein grandioser Thriller und eine dunkle, abgründige Geschichte über Schicksal und Einsamkeit.

Der Dieb

sarah

Karolina Södergren

The thief is a seasoned pickpocket. Anonymous in a tailored suit, he weaves through Tokyo crowds, smoothly stealing wallets from nameless, faceless strangers. He has no family, friends or connections, but his past catches up with him when his old partner-in-crime offers him a job he can't refuse.

Mirella Hetekivi

Nishimura is a seasoned pickpocket. Anonymous in his tailored suit, he weaves through Tokyo's crowded streets, stealing wallets from strangers so smoothly that sometimes even he doesn't remember the snatch. To him, people are nameless faces, potential targets. He has no family, no friends, no connections . . . But he does have a past, which finally catches up with him when his old partner-in-crime reappears in his life and offers him a job he can't refuse. It should have been easy: break into a penthouse apartment, tie up an old rich man, steal the contents of his safe. Nishimura plays his part. No-one gets hurt. But the day after he learns that the old man - a prominent politician - has been found dead, brutally murdered. Suddenly, Nishimura finds himself is caught up in a crime so tangled that even he might not be able to escape.

The Thief

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