Smith: The Story of a Pickpocket
by Leon Garfield
I just finished this book. It is truly one of the best books I have read in quite a while.
It is a wonderful Dickensian story about a young urchin pickpocket, Smith, who unwittingly picks the pocket of a man who a few moments is killed for the item that Smith has just pocketed.
It is adventurous and page turning. The kind of book you read at night and think "I must get to bed...but just one more chapter..."
The language of Leon Garfield is also wonderful, skillful and rich. I realize that a book is clever and the language is dense and delightful when I need to slow my reading pace down a bit to take in all the words. He writes akin to classic literature.
This is a great book to read as a read aloud. There are a few scenes of murder, very Dickensian Victorian alley way types, yet they do happen.
Leon Garfield is a master and I cannot recommend his books enough. He is the author of the wonderful Shakespeare stories also. A wonderful first exposure to the stories of Shakespeare.
Happy Reading!
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