The Borrowers Aloft (1961)

I found this one so unsatisfying to reread. It goes nowhere, and it's becoming ridiculous how often the Borrowers just have to move on and move on and move on, never satisfied. I did like the touch of romance between Spiller and Arriety -- I hope the final book doesn't take that away -- and I do like the little details of the world Mr Pott and Miss Menzies create.

I'm sad that there's no sign of Mrs May or Kate anymore: they've vanished out of it, even though as far as I'm concerned they were as important to the story as the Borrowers, in their way. And the questioning element about their existence is totally gone. It isn't a story being told, but facts being laid out. The Borrowers are really captured, really about to be put on display... It could still have worked, with the right narrator to tell the story, but this book isn't framed that way. And somehow, it takes the uncertain enchantment out of it, rather than making it feel more real.

I do love the details of the world Mr Pott creates, and the loving attention he puts to it, and even the kindness of him and Miss Menzies. I always love the attention to detail, the thinking put into figuring out how these tiny people would survive, but...

Thinking about it now, in one way, the ending of this book is satisfying for that very reason. The harsh electric light in the Clocks' house that Mr Pott made, it isn't right for them, for the story. They have to go away and begin somewhere anew, somewhere they can make themselves, with their own hands and using their own skills. They have to go back to where they won't be seen, where they can flirt with the boundary between reality and fantasy.

It's nice to think of it that way. ( )

Another solid entry in the saga. I found this and its immediate predecessor to be much stronger, much more engaging than the first two. I love the ingenuity the borrowers show, I adore that Pod listens to Arrietty with respect and admiration, and Spiller is almost (dare I say it?) sweet. Homily is a pain, but in a realistic way. ( )

Honestly, while the story was fine, I did not enjoy this one as much as the others. The main reason is because we did not join the borrowers until Chapter 10.

Nine chapters to set up the scenario? Nine chapters without the main characters? *shakes head*

I didn’t care about the ‘big people’ or how the two small villages came about. The nine chapters could have been condensed considerably. I began reading the series for the borrowers and expect to read ‘their’ story. I felt cheated.

Once we finally got back to the borrowers, there was an excessive amount of time describing exactly how they were going to escape. No, I didn’t enjoy this book. It felt like a filler; apart from the kidnapping, nothing exciting really happened until the escape.

I can’t say you shouldn’t read it because I haven’t finished the last book yet. I really have nothing else to say. ( )

The beginning of the book barely relates to the borrowers at all, instead focusing on the creator of the miniature village they had moved to at the end of The Borrowers Afloat. When the borrowers are imprisoned by some greedy humans, they use there ingenuity to escape by balloon. The details of the escape are very thoroughly explained. The plot seems to flow with no apparent rhythm. This was a well told and enjoyable story, but the flow was not as enjoyable as the other books in the series. ( )

The Borrowers Aloft is the fourth book in the series, and was published in 1961. I believe it was originally intended to be the last book about the borrowers, because the final book (The Borrowers Avenged) was not published until 1982. It's interesting to see this as the original place that Norton wanted to leave her story and characters. Much as I love the last book, in some ways I wish she left these conclusions intact...

In this story, the Clock family has reached the mythical village of Little Fordham — a miniature model village built by a retired railway man, Mr. Pott. Here the borrowings are rich, and everything in the town is built as if expressly for the use of the borrowers. Pod, Homily, and Arrietty move into Vine Cottage, and seem to be settling down into their new life when a most unexpected thing happens. They are kidnapped by Mr. Platter, owner of a rival model village, and kept in an attic all winter while Mr. Platter builds their cage: a lovely little house with a glass front and nowhere for the borrowers to escape the merciless eye of the public. They are doomed.

For some reason Pod reminds me so strongly of my own father in this story. It's fascinating to see how they react to the knowledge of their inevitable doom at the hands of the Platters — and how they come up with an ingenius way to escape at last. The humor comes out again in Norton's choice of names: Mr. Pott and Mr. Platter, owners of the rival model villages.

In this book it becomes quite clear that Norton intends Arrietty and Spiller to marry. He is concerned — showing it only as much as his reserve will allow — and Arrietty talks to her parents quite openly about marrying him. What I don't like in the last book is the hint that Norton changed her mind, and Spiller and Arrietty don't end up together. I wish she had left it where it was in this book... on the horizon, but not in the least urgent. The last scene, in which Arrietty promises to never speak to a human being again, is quite powerful.

I adore these books and I cannot recommend them highly enough. If you've never read them, you're in for a treat. ( )