The Borrowers Review
ISBN 0590341502 - I'm going to start by qualifying my 5 stars. There are some things in this book that, while they didn't cause any uproar in 1952, will bother some parents today. I think the book is very worth reading, but if any of the following freaks you out, perhaps you'll disagree with me. The very premise of the Borrowers, that they survive by taking from the human beans of the house, might be seen as stealing, rather than borrowing. This is even brought up in the book; it's possible to see the ending of the story as evidence that "borrowing" isn't the best way to live, anyway. Several human beans get drunk on a routine basis - the word "drunk" is never used, but it is what they do, and it's used as an explanation for certain sightings of Borrowers. If those are things you simply can't get past, don't read this book. If you're able, however, to look past those things, read on!
The Borrowers, a race of small people, live in the floorboards and walls of old, quiet country houses. While Kate and Mrs May work on a quilt, Mrs May tells the story, as told to her by her brother, of the Borrowers who'd once lived in the house of Great-Aunt Sophy. Pod and Homily and their teenage daughter Arrietty are the last of their kind in this house, all the others having emigrated after one of them was seen by a human bean. Sent there to recover from rheumatic fever, Mrs May's brother befriends Arrietty. Her parents consider this a danger but when he gives them gifts from the dollhouse, they accept him and the new life of ease that he brings. No longer will Pod need to venture out to support his family! Unfortunately, the boy's borrowing has come to the attention of Mrs Driver and the secret of the Borrowers is revealed. The fears of Arrietty's parents are all about to come true!
There's so much to this book! It's a fun fantasy title that offers an entertaining explanation for all those things that go missing in every house. If that was all there was to this, I'd say it was a nice book for kids, but there's actually some good messages (mixed in with the drinking, lol). You might expect the Borrowers to be afraid of humans, but it turns out that the humans are also afraid of the Borrowers. This fear and intolerance is a good opening for discussion. Borrowers fear, but need, humans; humans don't need Borrowers and set out get rid of them. The Borrowers are chased out of their home and will, in many ways, cease to be borrowers and become more independent. The glimpse of their life after they leave the house sounds pleasant, possibly better than before. Will independence make them happier than a life of ease?
Author Mary Norton creates a realistic, tiny world and a surprisingly exciting tale. The Borrowers live on in The Borrowers Afield, The Borrowers Afloat, The Borrowers Aloft, The Borrowers Avengedand Poor Stainless: A Story About the Borrowers. The illustrations, by Beth and Joe Krush, are interesting. For the most part, they're not attractive drawings. The Borrowers and the boy are drawn well, while the other humans resemble apes more than humans. This must be intentional, but I just don't find these images a pleasant addition to the book. Still, they somewhat satisfy the curiosity to see how the Borrowers live and how they use the items they borrow and to highlight the smallness of them against the size of the human world. For younger readers, 8 and up, this is probably best read to them (the British tone may be off-putting for them alone). Readers 11 and up will be fine on their own with this one - and adults will enjoy it too!
- AnnaLovesBooks
The Borrowers Overview
The Borrowers live in the secret places of quiet old houses; behind the mantelpiece, inside the harpsichord, under the kitchen clock. They own nothing, borrow everything, and think that human beings were invented just to do the dirty work. Arrietty's father, Pod, was an expert Borrower. He could scale curtains using a hatpin, and bring back a doll's teacup without breaking it. Girls weren't supposed to go borrowing but as Arrietty was an only child her father broke the rule, and then something happened which changed their lives. She made friends with the human boy living in the house...
The Borrowers Specifications
Anyone who has ever entertained the notion of "little people" living furtively among us will adore this artfully spun classic. The Borrowers--a Carnegie Medal winner, a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award book, and an ALA Distinguished Book--has stolen the hearts of thousands of readers since its 1953 publication. Mary Norton (1903-1993) creates a make-believe world in which tiny people live hidden from humankind beneath the floorboards of a quiet country house in England.
Pod, Homily, and daughter Arrietty of the diminutive Clock family outfit their subterranean quarters with the tidbits and trinkets they've "borrowed" from "human beans," employing matchboxes for storage and postage stamps for paintings. Readers will delight in the resourceful way the Borrowers recycle household objects. For example, "Homily had made her a small pair of Turkish bloomers from two glove fingers for 'knocking about in the mornings.'"
The persistent pilfering goes undetected until a boy (with a ferret!) comes to live in the country house. Curiosity drives Arrietty to commit the worst mistake a Borrower can make: she allows herself to be seen. This engaging, sometimes hair-raisingly suspenseful adventure is recounted in the kind, eloquent voice of narrator Mrs. May, whose brother might--just might--have seen an actual Borrower in the country house many years ago. (Ages 9 to 12)
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Customer Reviews
One of the finest books ever written - David Seaman - Boston
In 1953, English writer Mary Norton introduced to the world the concept of The Borrowers: little people who lived in our old, over filled homes under floor boards or behind mantels and they sustained themselves on the waste that "human beans" discarded or forgot about. Within this book we learn of the family of the Clocks, P:od, Homily and Arriety, the entrance to their home being beneath the ancient grandfather clock in the front hall. The story takes place in the rural areas of England around the turn of the 19th century.
The test of a really good childrens book is how enjoyable it is to an adult. This book is a classic (and the four that follow itas sequels) because it is so well written. It's in a catoagory with "A WRinkle in TIme", "Mrs. Frisby and The Rats of Nimh", "Things Not seden" and "The Currious Incident of the dog after Moidnight." Mrs. Norton wrote beautifully and is best known for her book, "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" though this book-and the subsequent books- have you fall in love with thesedtiny creatures, so human like, to the point where one almost wishes that they shared a house with you; that somewhere beneath the floor board or in your pantry is a small house set up with your blotting paper or left over wall paper, furnished with old scicorrs and doll house firniture and fed by the food that is carelesslhy left pout. These creatures "Borrow" items-things that aren't likely to be missed, The adventure in this tale is when a small boy, recovering at his great aunts summer home from scarlett fever, discovers and befirneds the Clocks.
Read this to your children so that some day they will read it to their own. If you can manage to find this bookm in first edition, treat it with care as it is rare and valuable.
I would not read John Irving or Barbara Kingsolver to my children, but Mary Morton is just as good.
I promise.
depressing - Cleo - USA
I never found this story to be a fun read. It was given out as a reward for good test grades in my grammar school. It is about a miniature (1:12) family in hiding, living in constant worry and fear and under siege. Their lives are essentially subsistence living and in survival mode. I only liked the chestnut they ate for tea. I preferred Stuart Little. There just didn't seem to be anything nice or happy about this story. The writing is very good especially in evoking the sadness of being broke, not having enough money which I think is a frequent theme in English books and films.
Enchanting - Kurt A. Johnson - North-Central Illinois, USA
Unknown to the humans who seem to rule the Earth, they actually share the world with a race of little people, the Borrowers. Living beneath the floorboards, and anywhere else they can remain unseen, the Borrowers live by "borrowing" what they need from the "human beans." This is the story of one family (Pod, Homily and Arrietty Clock), their life in a spacious home, their borrowing, and their efforts to stay unseen. But Arrietty wants to see what else there is to life, and she is going to see it!
This is such a wonderful book. The story is charming, with the illustrations showing a realistic (if tiny) family. My children loved this story, and even have developed some games based on the story. If you have children, then please consider buying this book for them.
fun to read to young children - Frances G - Texas Pineywoods
My mother, aunt, and the county bookmobile kept me in books. I'm reading my favorites to my grandchildren, laughing, explaining, discussing and enjoying them all over again. The Borrowers were the first books from my aunt at age 8.
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