Theft

by Rachel Ingalls

Rachel Ingalls (b. 1940) grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has lived in London since 1965. Theft, her literary debut, won the Authors' Club First Novel Award for 1970.

'Theft is a parable-parallel taking place in some dehumanizing, militarized society where Seth, a starving working man, is jailed for stealing a loaf of bread. In prison with him is a manic-messiah, a wife-killer, some affluent youngsters doing their 'mental slumming' via protest, and his protective, smarter brother-in-law.' Kirkus Review

'Imaginative and intelligent'. Sunday Times

'Tautly told with great power.' Sunday Mirror

'Every volume [Rachel Ingalls] has written displays the craft of a quite remarkable talent. Tales of love, terror, betrayal and grief, which others would spin out for hundreds of pages, are given the occluded force of poetry.' Amanda Craig, Independent

Genres: Fiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Rachel Ingalls grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She held various jobs, from theatre dresser and librarian to publisher’s reader. She was a confirmed radio and film addict and started living in London in 1965. She authored several works of fiction—most notably Mrs. Caliban—published in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

Reviews

[Marchpane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this is an impressive little book. I’m kind of in awe of it right now.

The way it moves from the timeless and generalisable — it is legitimately unclear whether this is set in the distant past, the far future or the present day — to the highly specific is a thing to behold. It feels completely contemporary despite being written more than fifty years ago, and takes a turn that feels both inevitable and completely unexpected. I’m being vague on purpose — I went into this one blind and suggest you do too.

[Megan O'Hara · Rating 4 out of 5]

hello someone else read this and discuss it w me i'm only on medium brain (on a good day). one line in this is so good and funny and I cannot stop thinking about it.

[Sachahaworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a small book, barely a hundred pages long, which tells the story of Seth. Seth is driven to stealing a loaf of bread as a result of hunger and despair when he no longer has a job. He is imprisoned just as martial law is declared against a city uprising, and the story follows his arrest and his experience in jail.

For such a small tale, not written recently, this story packs in a few snappy critiques of the current economic and social climate. There is a particularly poignant sequence where some young people are arrested protesting against the social injustice around them and where it is pointed out that these are wealthy young people who will likely grow up to be conservative and vote against the ideals they currently preach instead of working themselves into a position where they can genuinely influence social change. I felt this was particularly relevant to some of the people I've seen protesting in the Occupy movement.

There is a small twist in the tale at the end, which I didn't really see coming and made the whole story a bit more interesting.

It won't take long, and I feel this is worth a read.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay, more interesting than the book itself was seeing where the author started (this was her first published work). Like all her books, the characters had depth and life, and that was the best part.

[Eggp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too hungry to care
must be political bread
never touch the stuff.

[Bonfirebonanza · Rating 3 out of 5]

entertaining

[Mikee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ingalls' first book. Shows promise but not really engaging.