On Borrowed Time

by Lawrence Edward Watkin

I cannot comment on the 'product in general,' only on my particular item. But Amazon wants something here in order to complete my listing.

Genres: Fiction

185 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1937

About the author

Lawrence Edward Watkin was an American author and scriptwriter. His first novel, On Borrowed Time, won the National Book Award as Bookseller Discovery of 1937. He has become known especially as a scriptwriter for a series of Walt Disney films of the 1950s.

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this was like sitting on a porch in Mayberry with Opie, Barney, and Aunt Bee, listening to Andy share a fanciful yarn about an old man who catches death in his apple tree. Nothing particularly deep or profound, here, but I like the Andy Griffith show, so I liked this too.

[Peggye O'Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

"On Borrowed Time" is one of my favorite movies from the 1930's. While recently watching it, I watched the credits for the first time in forever and saw that it was based on a play and a novelization of the play. I went in search of the book and finally found it. The basis is that Death comes for Gramp Northrup. He ain't going to go because he has recently lost his son, daughter-in-law and wife. He is the only one left to raise his grandson, Pud, till he's his own man. Gramp tricks Death into climbing up his apple tree and won't let him down, hence can claim no one while he is treed.
It had all of the down home atmosphere that I enjoyed in the movie. There are a couple racist comments that would criticized today. The movie followed it pretty well except for the law clerk becomes a law student who is the minister's and gets his girlfriend pregnant. She attempt's suicide by trying to touch the tree with Death in it (thankfully she fails). This portion of the story would have never made it into a 1939 movie with the Hays Code in effect.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing story about how a Grandfather and Grandmother looking after their grandson. After the grandmother dies, the little boy is just stuck on his Grandpa and loves him dearly --- grandpa manages to get Death, Mr. Brink, stuck in a tree and manages to stop death ---- the love of a grandson and grandpa is just lovely and makes death maybe not so bad....and how he ends up letting Death down so he can do his job!

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a little difficult as the language is of a long ago generation but once you get the swing of it the book flows with characters that come to life! The thought process of what the world would be if we could hold off death is so thought provoking and heart wrenching! My kind of book! Thanking my son & daughter in law for this original copy!