The Borrowers cover art

The Borrowers

(Puffin Classics)

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The Borrowers

By: Mary Norton
Narrated by: Samantha Bond
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About this listen

Pod, Homily and Arrietty are a family of tiny people who live beneath the floor, behind the grandfather clock in the old rectory. They own nothing - everything they have is borrowed from the 'human beans' who don't even know they exist. Arrietty's father, Pod, is an expert borrower. He can scale curtains using a hatpin and bring back a doll's teacup without breaking it.

Girl's aren't supposed to go borrowing, but as Arrietty is an only child, Pod breaks the rules. But when she is in the house borrowing, something happens which changes their lives. Arrietty makes friends with 'the boy upstairs'.

©2016 Mary Norton (P)2016 Penguin Audio
Science Fiction & Fantasy
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What listeners say about The Borrowers

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I’ve always loved the borrowers since a child

I remember borrowing a talking books copy of the borrowers and the following books from the library, and have always enjoyed them.

I was really pleased when I saw the borrowers was available on audible, as I was able to buy it for my own children.

It is a very enjoyable story and my boys loved it. We just wish the rest of the series was available on audible.

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  • Overall
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Great reading of a favourite classic

Really got sucked into the story and all the different characters came to life instantly. Very good reading and a lovely sensitive rendition of a favourite childhood classic.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved it. Will listen again!

Narrator great. Easy to follow. Very enjoyable! The book came to life and shared many adventures!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Delightful Story

Listened to this with my daughters age 7 & 9 and we were all delighted with it and eager to listen to more. The story is charming and has inspired lots of imaginative play and crafting. We now want to read the rest of the stories, such a shame they’re not on Audible too, Samantha Bond is an excellent narrator.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Absolute classic.

Enjoyed every word. I already want to start it again. Everybody should read this book at least once.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing book!

The book is amazing and the story is very captivating. The narrator did a brilliant job of keeping me engaged

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant childhood memories

Loved this book as a children read to us aged 7-8 by a teacher called Mrs porter
Every afternoon we put our heads on our arms as she read to us brilliant memories x

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4 people found this helpful

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love it only 38 chapters though and the narrator o

the narrator is just wow x x lovely story and yes I just love it

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Have been waiting for this for ages!!

Wonderful story - please hurry up with the other Borrower books!!

The sound quality is very poor - lots of distracting crackles and breaks - can it be sorted out or re-recorded?

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3 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Racist undertones are difficult to bear

Unfortunately, the story has not aged well. The way the narrator describes the borrowers from the outset is a rather negative and thinly veiled analogy to stereotypes of travelling people such as Irish travellers or so-called "gypsies": they "don't have anything of their own", essentially live by stealing and move away as soon as they are seen (i.e. identified for what they are). Add to that the casual racism of India as a "mysterious and magical land". If one is meant to critically distance oneself from the narrator, it certainly wasn't clear to me and I doubt it would be to most children. The only positive I can really see is that it served as inspiration for a much more positively-minded animé but it's quite a shame the original seems so unpalatable and problematic.

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