Line #1 Literature/TheBorribleTrilogy


1	[[quoteright:330:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/borrible_trilogy_tor_uk.jpg]]
2	The Borrible Trilogy is a series of three YoungAdult novels by British author Michael de Larrabeiti (1934-2008), set in London and comprised of ''The Borribles'' (1976; also known as ''The Borribles: The Great Rumble Hunt''), ''The Borribles Go For Broke'' (1981), and ''The Borribles: Across the Dark Metropolis'' (1986).
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4	Borribles are runaway children who are transformed by obscure means, gaining pointed ears and ceasing to age -- unless and until their ears are clipped by their various malevolent enemies, who despise their freedom. They may be intended as a savage {{satire}} of Literature/TheBorrowers; their antagonists in the first novel, the rat-like, fascistic Rumbles, are certainly a clear {{parody}} of WesternAnimation/TheWombles.
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7	!!These books provide examples of:
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9	* TheAgeless: As long as they keep their ears.
10	* AlasPoorVillain: [[spoiler: Dewdrop's]] a nasty piece of work, as his son, but his death scene, [[spoiler:stunned by a shot in the forehead with a sling-shot marble, forced to watch his son killed before his eyes, and dispatched while still weeping over him and begging him to wake up]], is damned hard to read.
11	* BlueAndOrangeMorality: Borribles value freedom and independence above all else, and disdain money and (even worse) work. Theft is much more honorable in their eyes.
12	* BratsWithSlingshots: Slingshots are the Borribles' most common weapon.
13	* BroughtDownToNormal: Clipping a Borrible's ears turns them into a normal human child. After years, perhaps decades of freedom and adventure, [[DrivenToMadness this is an incredibly traumatic experience]].
14	* {{Deconstruction}}: Of the ArtfulDodger and KidHero tropes. A Borrible's life may be free, but it's also dangerous and difficult. They tend to be savage little brats as a result, and kill their enemies without remorse.
15	* DoNotGoGentle: "It is better to die young than to be caught."
16	* EarnYourTitle: The ''only'' way for a Borrible to get any kind of name: until you've earned a name by an impressive feat of daring [[spoiler: such as assassinating a leader of a rival gang]], the best you can expect is to be referred to as "hey, you!" The plot of the first novel is driven by the protagonist's desire to get a ''second'' name (which is not unprecedented; one of his associates has several names, each commemorating some memorable deed).
17	* FellOffTheBackOfATruck: A phrase used with much irony by the thieving Borribles.
18	* {{Hobbits}} as a trope are subverted by Borribles, as they are urbanized, adventurous, scruffy, and tough. They do share stereotypical hobbits' small size, stealthiness, distaste for authority, compassion for animals, and tendency to steal whatever's not nailed down, though.
19	* ImmortalImmaturity: Played with. Borribles are essentially ageless children, but their harsh lives have affected their outlook.
20	* KingOfTheHomeless: As a rule Borribles don't have leaders, but sometimes one (such as Spliff) may gain a level of power and influence that makes them a de facto one of these.
21	* OlderThanTheyLook: That ten-year old kid might actually be over a hundred.
22	* PointyEars: The easiest way to tell Borribles from actual children.
23	* PuppyLove: Being children, any relationships between Borribles amount to this.
24	* RightUnderTheirNoses: One of the recruits for a new adventure is noted for the clever place he's made his hideout, to avoid the Borrible-hunting police: he lives in a disused basement ''underneath the police station.''
25	* RodentsOfUnusualSize: Rumbles are described as rat-like, and are the size of human children.
26	* StreetUrchin: Successful street urchins may transform into Borribles, retaining many features of the trope.
27	* TakeThat: With various targets
28	** The Rumbles are a vicious parody of the Wombles.
29	** Dewdrop and his son are an equally-cruel parody of the central characters of ''Series/SteptoeAndSon''.
30	* WainscotSociety: The Borribles live on the fringes of London's urban society. The Rumbles too have a hidden society of their own.
31	* WiseBeyondTheirYears: Borribles start out as children who were exceptionally bright and independent for their age.
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Context Literature / TheBorribleTrilogy