Clara’s Verdict
There are children’s audiobooks, and then there are the Paddington books — a category entirely their own. More About Paddington, the second instalment in Michael Bond’s beloved series, is read by Stephen Fry with such warmth and comic precision that you’d be forgiven for thinking the bear himself had wandered into the recording studio. This is comfort listening at its most artful, and the 2 hours and 38 minutes pass in a haze of marmalade and gentle mayhem that leaves adults and children equally satisfied.
What elevates Paddington above other anthropomorphic heroes is Bond’s gift for situational comedy rooted entirely in good intentions gone gloriously awry. Paddington’s catastrophes are never malicious — they are the catastrophes of a small Peruvian bear doing his earnest best in a world whose rules he has not quite mastered. That combination of sincerity and chaos is one of the most reliably joyful things in English children’s literature, and this second volume delivers it in full. With a rating of 4.7 out of 5 from over 577 listeners, this audiobook commands the kind of affection that accumulates over decades rather than trending briefly and fading.
About the audiobook
The Brown family have settled into a rhythm with their Peruvian lodger at 32 Windsor Gardens — or at least, they have settled into the kind of rhythm that allows for regular and good-natured disruption. As Mrs Bird observes with characteristic precision: « Bears like Paddington are very rare, and a good thing too, or it would cost us a small fortune in marmalade. » In this second book of the Paddington series, the bear turns his paws to home decorating, detective work, and photography, with results that are predictably anarchic and thoroughly entertaining.
Bond writes with a lightness that belies his craft. Each of the stories in this volume is self-contained — a feature that makes the audiobook ideal for short listening sessions with children — yet they build a cumulative portrait of a very unusual bear navigating a very English world with tremendous earnestness. Bonfire night, Christmas, snow, amateur sleuthing: each adventure places Paddington in a new situation and allows him to respond to it with his signature mixture of politeness, confusion, and hard stare.
The comedy operates on multiple registers simultaneously, which is why it has endured for generations. Children laugh at Paddington’s literal-mindedness; adults laugh at the adults around him who really ought to know better by now. There is also a quiet moral architecture to Bond’s work. Paddington is always trying to do the right thing. The chaos is accidental, never careless, and the people who love him love him for exactly who he is, chaos and all. That is not a trivial message, delivered or otherwise.
One reviewer notes feeling an identification with Paddington from childhood — « I felt rather like that when I was small too » — capturing something true about the bear’s enduring appeal: he is the child who tries very hard and never quite gets it right, surrounded by adults who notice and appreciate the effort even when the result is a minor domestic catastrophe.
The narration
Stephen Fry is not merely a good narrator for Paddington — he is the narrator. His vocal range accommodates the full cast of Windsor Gardens characters without ever descending into caricature, and his sense of comic timing is impeccable. He gives Paddington a slightly puzzled, earnest quality that is deeply endearing, while his Mr and Mrs Brown are suitably exasperated yet affectionate. Mrs Bird, under Fry’s stewardship, becomes a one-woman Greek chorus of magnificent dry wit.
This is a HarperCollins production that has been crafted to last, and it shows. Fry’s affection for the material is palpable in every line. This is not a professional obligation; it is a genuine tribute to a story he clearly loves, and that love transmits itself to the listener with complete reliability.
What readers say
Listeners are unanimous in their enthusiasm. Krys calls it simply « a very funny, classic children’s book » — which is as neat a summary as one could wish for. Judy notes that the series is « not just for children, » having devoured two books in a single week and finding them consistently funny and enjoyable. Loobylou writes that it « made me smile, which is what I need right now, » and remarks on the « utterly charming » quality of the stories and their illustrations. One thoughtful reviewer observes that Paddington’s adventures in this volume — photography, home improvements, detection, snow — function as a kind of autobiography, and that the bear « tries his paws » at everything with equal sincerity and variable results. Alan’s four-star review is refreshingly economical: « Not much more to say about Paddington Bear — he is the best. »
With a rating of 4.7 out of 5 from 577 reviews, this audiobook has earned genuine and lasting affection across a very wide audience.
Who should listen?
This audiobook is ideal for families with children aged five and upwards, for adults who were read Paddington stories as children and wish to pass that pleasure on, and for anyone who needs a dose of uncomplicated warmth. It works brilliantly on long car journeys, at bedtime, or simply when the world feels a little heavy. The individual episode structure makes it easy to listen in short bursts without losing the thread.
If you’re new to the series, note that More About Paddington is the second book, but each story stands alone so you can begin here without issue. For the full experience, pair it with Book 1 and lose an entire afternoon to marmalade sandwiches and mild chaos.
At just under three hours, this is also the ideal audiobook for a commute, a short journey, or the period between putting children to bed and falling asleep yourself. However you arrive at it, you will not regret the time.
Listen to More About Paddington on Audible UK — and perhaps keep a jar of marmalade within reach.
