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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
The fact that it took my kids and me 3 months to finish this short book means that we just weren't into it. It's a good idea poorly executed.
I read this as a test to see if it would be a good book to read aloud to my five-year-old. I remember adoring it as a kid, but hadn't read it since about age 8 or 9. It's still a little too advanced for my daughter (I don't feel like stopping every five words to explain what a night-nursery is, or a hairpin, or a mantle, or a...you get the idea), but this is still a winner. It's really a lovely little story with enough world-building details to enchant a certain kind of kid, one with a bent to the old-fashioned. I clearly was, and still am, that kind of kid.
This was a reread for me and it never disappoints! Warm and cosy and full of wonderful characters and adventure; what more could you want?!
I have been reading The Borrowers aloud with my 7 year old before bed. It seems particularly fitting right now, and we talk about what it would be like to *never* leave the house or even be outside, feeling lonely, making a new friend, how it can seem like the outside world and unknown is dangerous. There are plenty of vocabulary stretching words and not too many voices to master if you're the kind of person who likes to voice the characters. I selected this book from the library back in February, and I admit I'm both excited and a little sad to be reaching the end of it.
"'Then that proves it,' she said finally, 'underground chamber and all.'
"'Not quiet,' said Mrs. May."
Sweet and fun; is it real or is it all made up?
"'Not quiet,' said Mrs. May."
Sweet and fun; is it real or is it all made up?
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was such an adorable book!
loved the film, didn't love the book - it was a lot duller compared to the film which is a real shame!
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Stories never really end. They can go on and on and on. It's just that sometimes, at a certain point, one stops telling them.
I used to love this book as a kid. The last time I had read it must have been when I was eight or nine, which is... a scary number of years ago. Re-reading it now was a fun experience: apparently, I still remember a lot of the scenes by heart, while others felt so new. I legitimately thought something else happened in their place. Then again, as a kid I read this book in translation; perhaps because of that, some accents were placed differently.
As a kid, I naturally was more invested in Arietty and that call of adventure she constantly feels. Now, I found myself looking closer at her parents. For my child self, they were nearly background characters; now, I was amazed to realize how nuanced their characterization is. They're not exactly the people I'd want to hang out with, but their personalities and their relationships to each other and their daughter were so fun to follow.
I also found myself really enjoying how the story was told, with the "story within a story" framing device, the semi-ambiguous ending, the way the boy who could be the main character of his own tale—someone who's moved overseas to discover a magic world under the floorboards of his new home—simply had a part to play in those not-quite-magic creatures' story.
There were definitely some issues here that I overlooked as a kid; classism was the most notable. But it was still a very enjoyable read, even now, and the nostalgia might have made it even better. After all, revisiting the books you loved as a child is a lot like revisiting your own past.
Great children's book
My daughter and I really enjoyed this book. She had to read it for school. I would definitely recommend it!
My daughter and I really enjoyed this book. She had to read it for school. I would definitely recommend it!