The Thief of Time

By: John Boyne

Narrated by: George Blagden

Brought to you by Penguin.

Matthieu Zela has lived his life well. In fact, he's lived several lives well. Because Matthew Zela's life is characterised by one amazing fact: his body stopped ageing before the end of the eighteenth century.

Starting in 1758, a young Matthieu flees Paris after witnessing his mother's brutal murder. His only companions are his younger brother Tomas and one true love, Dominique Sauvet. The story of his life takes us from the French Revolution to 1920s Hollywood, from the Great Exhibition to the Wall Street Crash, and by the end of the twentieth century, Matthieu has been an engineer, a rogue, a movie mogul, a soldier, a financier, a lover to many, a cable TV executive and much more besides.

Brilliantly weaving history and personal experience, this is a dazzling story of love, murder, missed chances, treachery - and redemption.

© John Boyne 2011 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

Critic reviews

An extraordinary début

A minor masterpiece

Boyne should be congratulated for his spirited take on an old theme

Boyne is a skilful storyteller, expertly weaving differing stories together