Borrible Trilogy [Paperback]

M De Larrabeiti (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 4, 2003

A small group of feral, street-wise Peter-Pan-type beings set out on three very different but related missions across the darker side of London. They are missions combining excitement, violence, low cunning, betrayal, loyalty, greed, generosity, cowardice and insane bravery. This is an epic fantasy adventure that is both thought-provoking and thrilling until the very last second, set against the backdrop of an all too familiar yet weirdly different urban landscape. For the first time, Michael de Larrabeiti's much-loved, classic novels "The Borribles", "The Borribles Go for Broke" and "Across the Dark Metropolis" are brought together in one volume. 'A strong and vivid fantasy, much recommended' - "Observer". 'There are books we like, and books we love, and books we need. And then there are books that mean so much to us that they embed themselves in us, irresistibly, and become permanent parts of our mental landscape. Ever since I first read it, "The Borribles" has been such a book for me' - "China Mieville".

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

After working as an assistant cameraman and travel guide in France, Spain and Morocco, Michael de Larrabeiti took up full-time writing in 1974 and has since published ten books and written travel essays for The Sunday Times.

Product Details

• Paperback: 736 pages
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan (April 4, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0330490850
• ISBN-13: 978-0330490856
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 1.4 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #351,334 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reprinted at last! All three stories in one volume!, May 22, 2003

By 

Mark Daniels (Anywhere, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Borrible Trilogy (Paperback)

Michael DeLarrabeiti's "Borribles Trilogy" is something of a cult classic, especially among fans of fantasy-fare like "Watership Down" and "Lord of the Rings." For years his "Borribles" books have been out-of-print, leaving fans scrambling to find used copies wherever they could. Now, at long last and after some prodding from fans, they've been re-printed into this single volume.

The fantasy-inspired "heroes" of these stories are the Borribles: rebellious kids with pointy ears who live in London's deserted buildings and steal food to live. They fight with slingshots and have a culture and moral code all their own.

Far from the "goody-goody" stories that children are fed these days, the stories here are sometimes violent and morally ambiguous; definitely not for younger readers. As an example of DeLarrabeiti's condemnation for goody-goody children's stories, take for a start his farcical send-up of the "The Wombles" in the first tale of this trilogy. The Wombles of Wimbledon are re-cast as the "Rumbles of Rumbledom," and the sticks which the Wombles use to pick up litter on Wimbledon Common are actually (in DeLarrabeiti's book) weapons! The Rumbles are the mortal enemy of the Borribles, so our pointy-eared heroes strike out on a quest to murder the 8 most prominent Rumbles (Wombles). DeLarrabeiti is careful to give each Womble a different (and increasingly violent) end. If you're a fan of "The Wombles" (popular with children in the UK, especially in the 70s) you probably won't appreciate this book... but otherwise, I highly recommend it!

Fans of this fantasy-inspired cult classic, rejoice! The Borribles are back!

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome, and stands the test of time!!!, June 8, 2003

By 

David J. Finn (North Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Borrible Trilogy (Paperback)

I was a major Borribles fan back in the mid 80's when I discovered these books in my school library, and they have always stuck in my mind, throughout my adult life. When I heard the books were being released in one volume, I rushed to the bookshop to buy it straight away!!! They are AWESOME!!! Yes, there is violence, but there is also so much bravery and a moral code the characters live by. These are books for anyone interested in a good read and something to think about afterwards too!!!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Epic For The Street, January 12, 2010

By 

Sean Patrick Craven - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Borrible Trilogy (Paperback)

I ran across The Borribles when I was a street kid back in the late 70's, playing pinball, dumpster diving... I read a lot of fantasy back then. This was something special. It was a straightforward quest fantasy with characters whose lives, while exotic, were still recognizable. The adventures were brilliantly daffy daydreams, the details were as real as asphalt or cold feet. And there's a bit of pleasantly nasty class-war satire as well.

I recently went through a phase of having difficulty reading for pleasure. The Borribles trilogy helped break the ice; while I gritched about the prose for the first few pages, I soon found myself fascinated by the way simple, direct motivations propelled the story as if it were a bullet. These books fall under the heading of Periodic Re-reads; I've probably read 'em ten or twelve times over the years. I'd highly recommend them to anyone who'd appreciate a sublimely grimy gutterpunk noir Iliad.