Thief, Liar, Gentleman? (2004)

Fascinating plot, but not enough life breathed into it. ( )

Another slightly fluffy though overall quite enjoyable book. Montmorency didn't touch me anywhere near as deeply as my favorite thief, but his journey was interesting and pulled me along nicely.

Montmorency is a fairly low-level thief who, when the book begins, has been caught and put in prison (boy, when I type that I realize that I could put Gen in for Montmorency and I've got The Thief...how odd). He suffered extensive injuries in the event that led to his capture and after his eventual recovery and release enters the world as two people: Montmorency, the gentleman (fashioned after the doctor who treated him) and Scarper, his servant. Scarper uses an ingenious system to rob houses and shops while Montmorency learns to love the opera and good food.

I believe there's a sequel, and possibly another book after that, which I will read sooner or later. ( )

Another slightly fluffy though overall quite enjoyable book. Montmorency didn't touch me anywhere near as deeply as my favorite thief, but his journey was interesting and pulled me along nicely.

Montmorency is a fairly low-level thief who, when the book begins, has been caught and put in prison (boy, when I type that I realize that I could put Gen in for Montmorency and I've got The Thief...how odd). He suffered extensive injuries in the event that led to his capture and after his eventual recovery and release enters the world as two people: Montmorency, the gentleman (fashioned after the doctor who treated him) and Scarper, his servant. Scarper uses an ingenious system to rob houses and shops while Montmorency learns to love the opera and good food.

I believe there's a sequel, and possibly another book after that, which I will read sooner or later. ( )

When we meet Montmorency (not his real name), he's in a London prison for thieving: caught during his getaway when he crashed through a glass roof. Dr. Robert Farcett used Montmorency as an experiment - to see if he could be saved, and to see how much the human body could recover from. When Montmorency is freed from prison, he is set on living the high life, and he has a plan. He decides that he cannot trust anyone to be his accomplice, but will play both necessary roles himself: as "Scarper," he will use London's new sewer system to make quick escapes from the shops and homes he robs, and as "Montmorency" he will reap the benefits of this plunder.

Montmorency/Scarper displays much cunning and cleverness, but little empathy or even sympathy for others. When London police catch "Freakshow Frank," his cellmate (who was released soon after he was), they blame all of Scarper's thefts on him (the "Hopping Horror" - Frank has only one leg), and Frank goes to the gallows. Montmorency's conscience pricks slightly, but the instinct to save his own skin is much stronger than the urge to save Frank. However, as the novel progresses, Montmorency does develop more of a conscience, and even experiences different emotions depending on whether he is Scarper or Montmorency at the time (adopting different clothing, mannerisms, and even addresses for each).

Montmorency makes a friend - Lord George Fox-Selwyn - and becomes drawn into a matter of national intrigue, using the sewer system to sneak into the "Mauramanian" embassy. He succeeds, and feels a measure of personal and national pride. At the end of the book, he "found himself acting in unusual ways" - that is, displaying generosity (e.g. to Scarper's old landlord) and making restitution (e.g. returning Dr. Farcett's bag, giving Scarper's old clothes to a tramp from whom he had stolen clothes in the past, returning a valuable book to a man he respects). Thus, the story is concluded and Montmorency is "set for a career of travel and espionage in the service of his country."

Overall I quite enjoyed this book. Without focusing on a well-known historical figure, it evokes the lives of lower- and upper-class Londoners circa 1875 in vivid detail. It differs from many YA novels in that the main character is not himself a young adult, but he does grow and change. The ending is neat, while still leaving open the possibility of more books featuring this character. ( )

Taking place in the late 1800's, Montmorency is the psuedynom of a jailed thief recovering from injuries obtained during his bungled last job. As he heals from radical -- and groundbreaking -- surgeries, he formulates a plan to become a master thief.
After his release, he puts his careful plan into place. During the day, he is Montmorency, a gentlemen with a penchant for fashion and opera. At night, he's Scarper, a thief who scurries through the sewers of London, robbing the very wealthy. His plan is thorough and complete. However, the more he enjoys his role as Montmorency, the less he enjoys his part as Scarper. Finally, he's given an out: a way to leave Scarper behind and still make a living in the role of Montmorency with a chance for societal respect. ( )