The Borribles Trilogy | Michael de Larrabeiti | Book Report
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- Опубликовано: 19 сен 2024
- The Borribles, The Borribes Go For Broke, The Borribles: Across The Dark Metropolis. Three of the greatest, and most underrated children's books of all time!
Filled with epic adventure, danger, violence, grime, squalor, and urban decay, these gritty, no-nonsense, anarchic classics are rare in children's literature in that they are written as if for adults - bitter, cynical, jaded adults. And they are a blast! Far from pandering to any desire to "protect" or patronise the young reader, these books focus instead on telling a ripping-good yarn, with every necessary curse word, simile, and foul-smelling adjective utilised to full effect. The language and prose of these books is exquisite, fully immersing the reader in a bloodthirsty and dangerous London underworld, inhabited by mythical creatures that sprang from the worst nightmares of sensitive Womble-lovers everywhere!
'Try "The Borribles", warts and all, before they become a legend!' - Times Educational Supplement.
As usual with my videos, everything I say is unplanned, unscripted, and springs unfettered from the wilderness of my scrambled brain box. Therefore, all my yapping and jibbering could be nothing but hot air - probably is - so please, take it for what it is: opinion and nothing more!
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I grew up in Bartersea, so these books came alive for me as an 7 year old in 1980 , found the first book in school ( Latchmere Junior school) and the following two books in Battersea park library. Often shopped in the high st market with Mum and Notrianni's was a treat for us ... recommended highly, brilliant books criminally underated.
What a delightful comment. Thank you. I was also 7 in 1980, and grew up in Streatham, so we were practically neighbours. I discovered the Borribles at the same time as you, at Julian's School, in Leigham Court Road. But I spent a lot of time in Battersea, looking out for Borribles. There were more of them about back then. 😉 Great to hear from you. 😊
Thank you so much for this video, I loved these books growing up and have been hoping to find an audiobook version as my eyes are not what they used to be. Would also make a great movie and I am surprised there are not better known. These books shaped a big part of my childhood
Thank you for watching. 😊😊 Yes, these books were a huge part of growing up for me too, and I've always thought they'd make a great film. I used to imagine myself adapting and directing it. But these days I think beloved books are best left alone, as movies tend to ruin them! But it's always lovely to meet a fellow Borrible! "If you're my friend, follow me round the bend." 😉😉😁😁
Nice review. I read the Ace edition of the borribles from my school library in the 6th grade when I was maybe 12 years old. My small gang of around 4 of us passed the same edition around. We all loved it - as it captures the elusive adventure a kid dreams about. Still a huge fan - and this book helped establish my life-long love of reading. I’m indebted to the author.
Thank you so much. I didn't get a notification of this comment and only just found it by accident, so I apologise for the delay in answering! It's always delightful to meet another fan. It's still as good today as it was in the early 80's when I first discovered it. Thank you. 😊
I loved those books as a kid. I was recently in London and went for a walk around Battersea Park. Unfortunately I didn’t see any Borribles. 😢
Thanks, Ramphastos. I grew up in Lambeth and spent many happy days in and around Battersea Park. I was always on the lookout for Borribles, but sadly they eluded me too. 😉😉
this is an amazing book, sadly i have only read the all in one trilogy but i still love it. thank you for doing a video on them. god knows why they aren't that well known. also a bit late XD.
Thank you, Ravenbrook. It's always nice to meet another fan, and I'm sure your experience of the book wasn't too dissimilar from mine in essence, despite it being an altered version. I'm autistic, so I get bothered by any sort of change (and some of the ones in this book were, to me, massive) but I think overall it's the same flavour, just my one has more nuts and grains in the texture! lol
Just ordered all three books after watching your review. I have the all in one book, which I loved but I’m curious how they read as individual books. Got some great second hand copies of them. One came from Australia!
I'd be fascinated to know what the experience is like going from the revised text to the originals - if that is what you have. (Lots of confusion surrounds the different versions). I found the all-in-one revised edition impossible to get into because I noticed so many changes (like the way they steal the boat in Battersea park, for example), and so I stopped at that point. Will you find the original version better (as I do) or will you prefer the revised version because you read it first. Please keep me updated. 😊 Thank you for watching.
I have to admit it’s been a while since I read the all in one book, I’m a bit rusty with the details! I did read the last of the trilogy back in secondary school but that was a while ago too! I love the old book cover, it brings back memories. Looking forward to diving in to them.
@@afraidofthedark6739 Keep me posted. 😊
Yay, London forever! I'm a north Londoner, Camden, born '76 so I knew these books and loved them. Thanks for the review, I'm going to reread them. Does anyone happen to know the name of a book from around the same time I think, I read it at school, about someone, I think it was a girl, who road on a motorbike and stole paintings. They'd roll up the paintings and put them in a tube to smuggle them out of the gallery, something like that. If anyone knows what i'm talking about id super appreciate knowing the title of the book.
Orococo? I read this as a kid and that name just came to mind🤔🤷🏿♂️
Yes, he's the Totter from Tooting, if I remember correctly. The black one. It's a while since I read them.
I have the one volume edition. Are all three books edited in it?
Hi Alan. I can't say for sure, because I stopped reading once I knew it was edited.
I had been feeling that there was something "off" about it right from the beginning, but I couldn't be certain, and my original paperwork was on holiday with a friend, so I couldn't compare them. But the whole thing just seemed dumbed-down. It was less verbose, some adjectives seemed to have been swapped for simpler ones, and it seemed less sweary. But, again, without my original book I wasn't sure if it was just me having a faulty memory.
But then it got to the scene in Battersea Park when the borribles are stealing the boat - and that scene had been completely and utterly re-written. Changed totally. There was no doubting it any longer, and that's when I stopped reading.
I'm sorry I can't give any more specifics, as the whole thing happened well over 10 years ago, and although I've since got my original paperback back, I no longer have the three-book edition, so I never did do a proper comparison. But that scene in the park was enough for me. Someone obviously decided they just didn't like how the story went, and since they were altering the book anyway, I guess they just decided to re-write it the way they preferred.
Anyway, thanks for visiting my channel. It's still a work in progress, but you are officially the first person to comment on ANY of my videos (apart from spammers) so I'm very pleased to have had a genuine visitor.
Cheers,
Kit.
Thank you so much Kit for your advice. I managed to buy the first two books off EBay and have loved reading them. I heard The Dark Metropolis had to be edited down a lot for it to be published. Apparently it was because of the London bombings then the publisher insisted on major changes to it. I would have loved to read the full version. Hopefully it will be published some day.
Still, the first two books are fantastic and have some of the best characters ever. I especially love Spiff and Adolf, they both make my imagination run. Best wishes.
Thank you, Alan. This comment made my day! It feels good to know that there is at least one other person out there who likes these books. It's such a shame that you can't read the version of Dark Metropolis that I did - it's the best of the three! I find this new information about the bombings bizarre - where did you hear this? There's nothing about bombings in the book (the original version). I also love Spiff and Adolf. Spiff was so complicated, and there were moments when he seemed like a baddie, but of course he turned out to be something else entirely. I just wish he'd trusted the other borribles and shared his plans! Adolf - what an AMAZING character; so incredibly likable, witty, smart, and heroic. And, avoiding spoilers, what happened to him...!!! Such excellent writing and character building. Thanks for your contributions to my channel. Please stick around and stay in touch. 😊
@@kitsworld Hi, I read that it was not any bombing but rather the riots and the death of PC Keith Henry Blakelock (murdered on 6 October 1985) that spooked the publisher.
Ah, this rings some distant bells. I think there may have been some spookage over that, but I don't think there was any censorship in the version of Dark Metropolis that I own from back then. At least, it's pretty graphic and intense, and the cops' deaths are written with relish. Hmmm... 🤔