A Bear Called Paddington - Michael Bond
Narrated by Stephen Fry.
Book 1 in the 'Paddington Bear' series. Followed by 'More About Paddington.'
Originally published 1958.
Elise and I both love the Paddington movies. We've seen the first two, and are hopeful that the third will also be worth a watch. So, after getting into the habit of listening to 'light' audiobooks while washing the dishes, we decided that this first Paddington Bear book would be worth a go.
Happily, we can report that the book, like the movies, is a mix of light-hearted whimsy and awkward scrapes for our hero. A trip to the seaside, or to the shops, can result in Paddington bumbling into a situation that escalates out of his control. More so than in the movies, Paddington also occasionally does something that he realises may get him into trouble on purpose(!), although he still always has the best of intentions in mind. There is a real pattern to these episodes, as things start off relatively normally, before escalating ridiculously out of control, but even when things look their worst (such as Paddington destroying a window arrangement in a shop window, or painting over a pre-existing painting with wild colours), Paddington seems to inevitably come out on top.
It's all quite fun.
The book is definitely a children's book, and its original date of publication means that the books do feel a little more dated in patches than the movies do. This doesn't detract from the stories in any way, but may mean that younger children need certain aspects explained to them a little more than the author intended.
This audiobook is narrated by Stephen Fry, who has just the right 'posh English' tone mixed with a humorous undercurrent to add nicely to the stories.
We really enjoyed this.
Completed, with Elise, 13 August 2024.
(Elise Books)
(Paddington Series)
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