The Thief
The Thief
Book Brief
224
Novel • Fiction
Tokyo • 2010s
2009
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
In The Thief by Fuminori Nakamura, an unnamed, skilled pickpocket's existence is disrupted when he becomes entangled with a crime boss's schemes, forcing him to complete dangerous tasks while trying to protect a boy from a similar fate. The novel explores themes of existential dread and moral ambiguity within a heavily atmospheric, noir-inflected setting, leaving the thief to confront profound personal choices.
Dark
Mysterious
Gritty
Contemplative
Unnerving
Reviews & Readership
8,635 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
The Thief by Fuminori Nakamura captivates with its minimalist prose and a gripping portrayal of a pickpocket's existential crisis. The narrative skillfully explores moral ambiguity and societal decay. However, some critics find its character development lacking and the plot somewhat predictable. Overall, it's a thought-provoking, atmospheric psychological thriller.
Who Should Read The Thief?
Readers who would enjoy The Thief by Fuminori Nakamura are drawn to psychological thrillers and noir fiction. Fans of Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore and Keigo Higashino’s The Devotion of Suspect X will find the book's exploration of existential themes and morally complex characters compelling.
8,635 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Fuminori Nakamura won both the prestigious Japanese literary award, the Kenzaburō Ōe Prize, for The Thief and the Akutagawa Prize earlier in his career, highlighting his critical acclaim in Japanese literature.
The Thief was Nakamura's first novel to be translated into English, allowing him to reach a wider international audience and gain global recognition.
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The novel captures distinct elements of Japanese noir fiction, blending existential themes with a gripping portrayal of urban life, which has been compared to the works of authors like Haruki Murakami and Raymond Chandler.
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224
Novel • Fiction
Tokyo • 2010s
2009
Adult
18+ years
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