We Read The Borrowers

We Read The Borrowers

From Eleanor & Alasdair Read That by Eleanor Morton & Alasdair Beckett-King

January 19, 2026 · 35 min · Season 2 · Episode 1

About this episode

Eleanor and Alasdair discuss the themes and relevance of Mary Norton's 1952 novel The Borrowers.

She's small. She's ginger. She's very hard to get out of your house. No, not Eleanor Morton. We're talking about Arietty Clock, the tiny teenage protagonist of Mary Norton's 1952 novel The Borrowers. The Borrowers are a diminutive people who love stealing almost as much as they love the British class system. But has this tale of curtain-climbing social climbers aged well? Find out in Series 2 of Eleanor & Alasdair Read That. Buy us a coffee: ko-fi.com/readthat_podcast

People in this episode

Hosts: Eleanor Morton, Alasdair Beckett-King

Topics covered

  • literature
  • book analysis
  • social commentary
  • British class system
  • children's literature

Keywords

  • The Borrowers
  • Mary Norton
  • Arietty Clock
  • British class system
  • children's literature
  • book discussion

Sponsors

ko-fi

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Borrowers

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