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The Borrowers #1-4
The Complete Borrowers Stories
Includes:
The Borrowers
The Borrowers Afield
The Borrowers Afloat
The Borrowers Aloft
The Borrowers
The Borrowers Afield
The Borrowers Afloat
The Borrowers Aloft
700 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
17 people are currently reading
571 people want to read
About the author
Mary Norton
74 books831 followersMary Norton (née Pearson) was an English children's author. She was the daughter of a physician, and was raised in a Georgian house at the end of the High Street in Leighton Buzzard. The house now consists of part of Leighton Middle School, known within the school as The Old House, and was reportedly the setting of her novel The Borrowers. She married Robert C. Norton in 1927 and had four children, 2 boys and 2 girls. Her second husband was Lionel Boncey, who she married in 1970. She began working for the War Office in 1940 before the family moved temporarily to the United States.
She began writing while working for the British Purchasing Commission in New York during the Second World War. Her first book was The Magic Bed Knob; or, How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons published in 1943, which, together with the sequel Bonfires and Broomsticks, became the basis for the Disney film Bedknobs and Broomsticks.
Mary Norton died of a stroke in Devon, England in 1992.
She began writing while working for the British Purchasing Commission in New York during the Second World War. Her first book was The Magic Bed Knob; or, How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons published in 1943, which, together with the sequel Bonfires and Broomsticks, became the basis for the Disney film Bedknobs and Broomsticks.
Mary Norton died of a stroke in Devon, England in 1992.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 27, 2024
The perfect word that describes this book is delicious. This book was delicious.
Sometimes (because it is written in a rather old fashioned language, which I have nothing against) you sometimes don't really understand what's going on, as if the pictures in your head get blurry.
It was rather like reading "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" for the first time, and not really understanding some of the parts in the book that well until you read it for the second time. I don't mind that kind of books, I think the reading experience feels magical that way.
But maybe it's just me, who knows!
The storyline was full of adventure, thrills, and changes. I was enchanted of the Borrowers' creativity in their journeys. For example using a boot as a house, and a neddle as a sword!
Reading this book was a comforting, magical cozy and whimsical experience! Just after I finished reading it I thought, "what if Borrowers are real?" I mean, how can you explain all the little things that go missing all the time? Hairpins, matches, needles and many other things...
Sometimes (because it is written in a rather old fashioned language, which I have nothing against) you sometimes don't really understand what's going on, as if the pictures in your head get blurry.
It was rather like reading "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" for the first time, and not really understanding some of the parts in the book that well until you read it for the second time. I don't mind that kind of books, I think the reading experience feels magical that way.
But maybe it's just me, who knows!
The storyline was full of adventure, thrills, and changes. I was enchanted of the Borrowers' creativity in their journeys. For example using a boot as a house, and a neddle as a sword!
Reading this book was a comforting, magical cozy and whimsical experience! Just after I finished reading it I thought, "what if Borrowers are real?" I mean, how can you explain all the little things that go missing all the time? Hairpins, matches, needles and many other things...
July 22, 2008
These books are a family tradition. I always wanted to believe in Borrowers when I was little.
February 3, 2019
My mum has always been saying I should read these books, as I was hooked on the BBC TV series adaptation of their adventures when I was a child. I never got round to doing so until recently though, which is an awful shame.
This Omnibus contains The Borrowers, The Borrowers Afield, The Borrowers Afloat, and The Borrowers Aloft. All four novels are wonderfully quaint in their style (they were written in the 1950's and it shows in the language used). I don't think I would have pictured the main characters quite the same way as I did if I hadn't seen the TV series first (the portrayals by Penelope Wilton et all were filling my head when I read about Homily, Pod and Arrietty).
They're lovely stories about a family of small people who live in human houses, but under the floors, or behind the crack in the mantelpiece, or some other left-alone cranny or nook. I can well imagine such beings 'borrowing' a dropped needle, forgotten hankie or something, and putting it to use as they see fit. Part of me feels it's a shame no more books were written about them, but part of me also likes that there aren't any. It's a bit like Fawlty Towers - much as I wish they had done more than the 12 episodes, I also don't, because there is the risk it would have lost its appeal if more had been filmed.
I recommend these books to anyone who (like me) hasn't yet read them. Loose yourself in the world of little people who could well still live among us.
This Omnibus contains The Borrowers, The Borrowers Afield, The Borrowers Afloat, and The Borrowers Aloft. All four novels are wonderfully quaint in their style (they were written in the 1950's and it shows in the language used). I don't think I would have pictured the main characters quite the same way as I did if I hadn't seen the TV series first (the portrayals by Penelope Wilton et all were filling my head when I read about Homily, Pod and Arrietty).
They're lovely stories about a family of small people who live in human houses, but under the floors, or behind the crack in the mantelpiece, or some other left-alone cranny or nook. I can well imagine such beings 'borrowing' a dropped needle, forgotten hankie or something, and putting it to use as they see fit. Part of me feels it's a shame no more books were written about them, but part of me also likes that there aren't any. It's a bit like Fawlty Towers - much as I wish they had done more than the 12 episodes, I also don't, because there is the risk it would have lost its appeal if more had been filmed.
I recommend these books to anyone who (like me) hasn't yet read them. Loose yourself in the world of little people who could well still live among us.
January 3, 2015
As a child I had a box set of the four in this book but one got misplaced when I loaned it to someone. The Borrowers in my opinion are better than the Littles although they are similar except I think its the Littles that have tails. My first inclination is to say oh my gosh I love the Borrowers they're amazing. The thing I like about them is their ingenuity, how that take everyday objects some of which we find useless and do some pretty cool things with them. The Author has an amazingly creative, think outside the box kind of mind.
The movie although good from what I remember about the books it was loosely based on them. I expected the book brought to life but it had its own story. Its wasn't disappointing however and I wouldn't mind owning it.
In my opinion the book is a definite must for any Library not only good for reading to any small children in your life but for a good nostalgia read of days gone by.
The movie although good from what I remember about the books it was loosely based on them. I expected the book brought to life but it had its own story. Its wasn't disappointing however and I wouldn't mind owning it.
In my opinion the book is a definite must for any Library not only good for reading to any small children in your life but for a good nostalgia read of days gone by.
April 14, 2014
Fabulous collection of books. I'd not read them as a child, so to get all four together was great. I could easily imagine sitting amongst a group of children reading these magical tales about small people who lived under the floors, in the walls and in model villages. I can see their eyes wide with surprise and delight, because in truth, these books surprised and delighted me.
April 16, 2021
Interesting premise, but really dull and annoying characters
May 30, 2019
Enjoyable and imaginative stories.
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May 17, 202338. A book you read more than 10 years ago
still as delightful as it was in 1966.
still as delightful as it was in 1966.
July 22, 2015
It's risky to return to something as an adult that you loved as a child but I really enjoyed rereading the Borrowers which were some of my childhood favorites. (Also a nice break after reading about childhoods in poverty and broken homes.) I noticed some weird issues with her literary devices that I probably didn't as a childhood, but the adventures were just as fun and the borrowers' techniques as interesting. It was a good revisit.
July 22, 2008
This series became part of my family culture when I was growing up. Anything that went missing... the Borrowers took it.
A friend was raving about the television movie (from a few years ago). I told her, "READ the books!" She realized that the TV movie was NOWHERE near as good as the books were.
A friend was raving about the television movie (from a few years ago). I told her, "READ the books!" She realized that the TV movie was NOWHERE near as good as the books were.
October 20, 2007
Love the Borrowers -- all of them -- glad I have the complete version -- loved the film/s with Eddie Albert. Very nicely done. Love these tales populated by oddment borrowing little folks whose lives are entwined closely with our own.
March 17, 2012
I think I read this when I was about 10. Quite a slog for me to get through, but I loved the idea of those little people and how everything from crossing a river to walking through a field was a huge adventure to them!
June 7, 2012
A little bit of heaven. I read these four books as a young child and go back about every decade to re-read them. Very detailed descriptions, beautiful story telling! Read to your kids, they will love it.
February 24, 2014
A great read-aloud. Pod, Homily, and Arriety are little people- "Borrowers" that live secretly in a human world, taking odds and ends to survive. This collection of books of their adventures is amusing and also fun to think about the many ways our belongings could be used and reused.
March 13, 2015
My lovely Mum bought me this book on my eleventh birthday. She always encouraged my love of reading and seemed to know exactly which books to buy to do so. Special memories and it is one of my most treasured books on my bookshelf.
July 18, 2008
One of my favorites from when I was little. Still awesome today! I always wondered what it would be like to be very small like that.
July 29, 2010
Another wonderful book from my childhood that dad used to read to me before bedtime.
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February 7, 2012Read these in grade school and loved it! Full of adventure and whimsy. :-)
March 21, 2012
Not quite sure if I have read them all, since I read them over 25 years ago....but I do know that I LOVED them!
November 24, 2016
Read on Aug 1st, 2012.
Read
June 22, 20104-in-1 Anthology
July 2, 2013
I read these in my youth and loved them!
June 19, 2015
I loved these when I was young.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews