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Oxford Bookworms 5: Brat Farrar
Ideal for confident learners of English looking to improve or consolidate their English. The book is filled with useful vocabulary that is carefully graded to level, it also comes with audio, so that you can listen to the story at the same time as reading. 'You look exactly like him! You can take the dead boy's place and no one will ever know the difference. You'll be rich for life!'And so the plan was born. At first Brat Farrar fought against the idea; it was criminal, it was dangerous. But in the end he was persuaded, and a few weeks later Patrick Ashby came back from the dead and went home to inherit the family house and fortune. The Ashby family seemed happy to welcome Patrick home, but Brat soon realized that somewhere there was a time-bomb ticking away, waiting to explode ...
104 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1999
4 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Ralph Mowat
12 books1 followerRalph Mowat is a published adapter and an author of children's books
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
October 5, 2014
This isn't a normal mystery book.This books is written by the famous crime book author "Josephine Tey".This book includes a bit of crime in it. This story happens on 1940's at the South coast of England. The main character of this book is "Simon" which is a son of Ashby family. Actually, Ashby family was a rich family before Simon's father and mother's death. After 8 years, Simon met Brat Farrar (Title character) which looks so much same with him. So Brat and Simon made a plan to start a crime ......
I think this book's story is not well organised (maybe I didn't caught the important details because I didn't payed attention really well.). The character's introduction were not too bad but this book made me boring. However, The story's topic was well picked but I hope the story make the readers to follow the storymore easily. So I recommend this book to the readers that like some complicated stories.
So I'm going to try another level or another book.
I think this book's story is not well organised (maybe I didn't caught the important details because I didn't payed attention really well.). The character's introduction were not too bad but this book made me boring. However, The story's topic was well picked but I hope the story make the readers to follow the storymore easily. So I recommend this book to the readers that like some complicated stories.
So I'm going to try another level or another book.
March 5, 2018
The story tells you about a young man called Brat, he has been recognised by a man who thought that he was another young man who has recently committed suicide. The man told Brat that he had to go to the family of that specific young man and that he needed to pretend that he was Patrick (the young man who committed suicide), the man told him that if he would do this he would inherit a large farm and tons of money.
He would inherit all of it because of the fact that Patrick his parents have passed away due to a plane crash.
At first everybody believed that Brat indeed was Patrick, by the simple reason that he had learned all the things which Patrick rather liked and which he did not from the outside.
After a while you do find out that Patrick actually did not commit suicide, but that his brother Simon did murder him, because he was jealous for the sake of the fact that Patrick was going to inherit everything from their parents.
In the beginning I thought that the story was rather boring because you did not know that much about the characters that take place in the storyline, but after a while when I was getting to know more and more about them I just could not stop reading the book.
Every situation that was taking place from this moment on was very well described and very stirring. I could really empathise into the story due to the fact that Brat did make up many excuses hoping that nobody would find out that he actually is not Patrick.
I really do recommend the book to other readers because the book is very well written and as I already said, you can really empathise into the situations and this is what every reader searches in a book, at least from my stand of viewing.
He would inherit all of it because of the fact that Patrick his parents have passed away due to a plane crash.
At first everybody believed that Brat indeed was Patrick, by the simple reason that he had learned all the things which Patrick rather liked and which he did not from the outside.
After a while you do find out that Patrick actually did not commit suicide, but that his brother Simon did murder him, because he was jealous for the sake of the fact that Patrick was going to inherit everything from their parents.
In the beginning I thought that the story was rather boring because you did not know that much about the characters that take place in the storyline, but after a while when I was getting to know more and more about them I just could not stop reading the book.
Every situation that was taking place from this moment on was very well described and very stirring. I could really empathise into the story due to the fact that Brat did make up many excuses hoping that nobody would find out that he actually is not Patrick.
I really do recommend the book to other readers because the book is very well written and as I already said, you can really empathise into the situations and this is what every reader searches in a book, at least from my stand of viewing.
June 5, 2021
What could be better than studying something you really love? And I had the chance to include reading in my studies, so it didn't seem to be studying at all, and most importantly, I really enjoyed it.
It was a nice book.
It was a nice book.
May 19, 2015
Good story. I enjoyed it. It was predictable in a lot of aspects, but it was worth it.
October 17, 2025
Maybe because this book is a classic story, or because I do not stiii get used to reading various English sentences, so there were some parts were not easy to understand. However, the parts didn't almost became an obstacle, and I enjoyed reading this story very much. The composition of this story was fascinating and unexpected, even though I first felt that this introduction is sometimes seen. Even not deep conversation of characters in the middle of this story, I felt that they were important for their emotions to be leaded the end of this story.
February 24, 2020
Creo que ha sido el peor libro que he leído en mi vida. A pesar de ser tan corto se me ha hecho eterno.
Los personajes en su mayoría me parecen muy planos y prácticamente insignificantes, excepto 3 o 4. La narración es pesada y se hace realmente interminable. No lo recomiendo para nada
Los personajes en su mayoría me parecen muy planos y prácticamente insignificantes, excepto 3 o 4. La narración es pesada y se hace realmente interminable. No lo recomiendo para nada
August 24, 2020
Really nice story...
January 2, 2021
A unique story of a young man impersonating a boy who disappeared years ago. Great plot. Vivid characters.
January 16, 2021
Incesto ???????
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2022
Un final totalmente predecible desde la página 1.
February 21, 2023
A very interesting story. It is easy to read.
February 4, 2024
no te ni caps ni peus
es molt random, passen coses que et quedes flipant
es molt random, passen coses que et quedes flipant
February 15, 2024
Ñe no está mal para ser una lectura de clase, bastante amena y original.
December 9, 2024
Pedazo plotwist (se sabía desde la segunda página)
March 10, 2025
prva lektira iz eng. koju lajkam
March 31, 2025
It’s the worst book I’ve ever read the original one might have been fine but this school retelling is awful
October 26, 2025
leído en la ESO
January 6, 2025
1ra lectura.
2nda lectura. a sido un poco pesado volverlo a leer justo el día después, las cosas q se hacen por el insti.
2nda lectura. a sido un poco pesado volverlo a leer justo el día después, las cosas q se hacen por el insti.
September 17, 2014
Brat Farrar, written by Josephine Tey, was one of the books that made me go 'wtf is happening in here'.
Story is happening in a rich family of Asbys with a long horse tradition.
Eight years before, tragedy happens, when one of the twins (Patrick & Simon), Patrick, decides to end his life when too much pressure and expectations are suddenly put on his shoulder. Eight years after, Uncle of twins meets boy, Brat Farrar, so similar to Simon and Patrick. He persuade him to agree on his criminal plan to pretend to be Patrick. In his plan, Patrick did not die, only travelled away. After Brat agrees and meets the family, a real crime is starting to happen.
Story was nice and appealing. There was lot of imagery and figurative language used what made it easier to imagine events happening. The characters were described clearly (too clearly) and soon I've made an impression on them. One of the main character seemed very pleasant to me, but to the end he turned out to be a real a**hole with no feelings and heart made of a stone. At the end he luckily die, but in much more subtle way than he deserves. The protagonist turns out to be an antagonist and opposite.
It is not story for people who get angry too easily.
Story is happening in a rich family of Asbys with a long horse tradition.
Eight years before, tragedy happens, when one of the twins (Patrick & Simon), Patrick, decides to end his life when too much pressure and expectations are suddenly put on his shoulder. Eight years after, Uncle of twins meets boy, Brat Farrar, so similar to Simon and Patrick. He persuade him to agree on his criminal plan to pretend to be Patrick. In his plan, Patrick did not die, only travelled away. After Brat agrees and meets the family, a real crime is starting to happen.
Story was nice and appealing. There was lot of imagery and figurative language used what made it easier to imagine events happening. The characters were described clearly (too clearly) and soon I've made an impression on them. One of the main character seemed very pleasant to me, but to the end he turned out to be a real a**hole with no feelings and heart made of a stone. At the end he luckily die, but in much more subtle way than he deserves. The protagonist turns out to be an antagonist and opposite.
It is not story for people who get angry too easily.
May 11, 2013
I enjoyed the story very much. It is clear that who are bad and who are good. It is fun to think about an ending that I like, and this story's ending is not bad. I like the characters, including Bee, Eleanor and the twin sisters. I also like to read about horses. Once a year there is a horse show which farmers get together and after that they have a Dance. I remember my friends in Cebu told me they have some competitions.
March 3, 2012
Una historia llena de misterio y bastante entretenida. A un joven le ofrecen una oportunidad única en la vida y decide aprovecharla, sin saber que estaría entrando un mundo donde no todo es lo que se parece. Además, nada es tan sencillo en la vida. Entonces nos preguntamos nuevamente: ¿Quién es Brat Farrar?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2014
This was a strange story about a man who fakes his identity to be air to an English families fortune. I couldn't identify with any of the characters, I found the family that was being scammed as extremely naive. A lot of characters come and go in the story which became a bit confusing after a while. This book left me feeling cold.
January 9, 2013
Classical mystery/thriller using a dead-likeness contrivance. Still delightfully "English" in a very old ash ironed way (rural, just post-war).
April 2, 2013
My wife liked it so I guess that means I like it, too. A little light on the mystery and more on the characterization. Brat's a likeable character, though, so it makes for an engaging read.
December 22, 2016
Brat Farrar mystery story, good for beginner to read English book .
I liked the storyline and the way they know about simon.And the end was good.
I liked the storyline and the way they know about simon.And the end was good.
January 28, 2024
Fer teories amb la Sara del que passarà>>>>
June 26, 2025
El libro es bien entretenido. Se trata de un joven que se hace pasar por otro porque se parecen mucho. Se hace pasar por un gemelo que había muerto y engaña a toda la familia.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews