Clara’s Verdict
Paddington Takes the Test is Michael Bond at his most gleefully inventive, sending the bear from Darkest Peru into the worlds of prize competitions and, remarkably, the driving test. It is a premise ripe for comedy, and Bond harvests it with the sure hand of a writer who knows exactly how his hero will behave in any given situation.
I have always felt that the genius of Paddington lies in his absolute conviction. He does not doubt for a moment that he can win the grand prize, or pass the test, and it is that unwavering self-belief, so often at odds with reality, that makes the stories so funny and so oddly moving. This volume is a fine showcase for it.
Warm, silly and thoroughly good-natured, it is another couple of hours very well spent in Paddington’s company, and I enjoyed it enormously.
About the Audiobook
In Paddington Takes the Test, a glossy leaflet promising that all of this could be yours, complete with a picture of a large, sleek, silver-grey car, sets the bear on one of his most characteristic quests. Determined to win, Paddington works his way through fifteen packets of currants simply to enter the competition, only to discover that the Rolls-Royce he had confidently expected is in fact one of ten thousand consolation prizes: a single bookmark.
Undeterred, as always, Paddington’s adventures carry him onward, and before long he finds himself sitting a driving test. To his own considerable amazement he emerges with a licence, one that permits him to drive a rather unusual vehicle. It is a perfect Paddington sequence, in which sky-high expectations meet a very modest reality and the bear simply carries on regardless.
Michael Bond built these stories on exactly this kind of everyday ambition gone gently awry, and the collection delivers a run of them with all the charm the character is famous for. It stands comfortably on its own, offering newcomers an easy way in and longtime readers another dose of the humour they love.
The Narration
Hugh Bonneville narrates, and his reading brings out the best in the material. He voices Paddington’s boundless optimism with a perfectly judged sincerity, so that the bear’s inevitable disappointments and unlikely triumphs both land with maximum effect. The competition and the driving test are given real comic shape, and the supporting characters are drawn with just enough colour to keep every scene clear.
Running to around two hours and twenty-nine minutes, the audiobook is an ideal length for family listening, easily spread across a few sittings or enjoyed all at once. Bonneville’s pace is relaxed and assured, giving the humour room to breathe and letting young listeners savour each mounting complication. His warmth and obvious affection for Paddington make the whole thing feel like a treat rather than a task.
The two central escapades play wonderfully as spoken comedy. Paddington doggedly working his way through fifteen packets of currants, and later contending with a driving test that his paws are simply not built for, both gain from Bonneville’s measured, deadpan delivery. It is the sort of listen that draws laughter from children and adults together, which is exactly what these stories are for, and its compact length makes it easy to slot into an afternoon or a bedtime.
What Readers Say
The audiobook holds an excellent 4.7 average across more than a hundred ratings, and the reviews are affectionate and enthusiastic. One reader described the range of stories in the life of Paddington, his family and his friends as really entertaining and a joy, while another, full of praise for the mischief and adventure, admitted they could not wait to start the next book in the series.
Parents are particularly appreciative. One noted that their ten-year-old was working through the Paddington novels and loved them, adding that the quality of the writing could only help a young reader’s confidence. Another, coming to the stories for the first time as an adult, found the driving test especially funny, given that Paddington’s paws do not even reach the pedals, and pronounced the whole thing well worth a read. The reviews speak to a book that entertains children and grown-ups in equal measure.
As with the rest of the series, the reviews cross the generations. One long-standing fan, revisiting stories first met in childhood, found them as wonderful as ever, while parents repeatedly single out the quality of Bond’s writing as something that quietly helps young readers along. The consensus is of a book that entertains first and, almost as a happy side effect, does a young reader’s confidence some genuine good in the process.
Who Should Listen?
This is a wonderful family listen, well suited to children who enjoy short, funny, self-contained stories and to the parents and grandparents reading along with them. Its gentle comedy is entirely wholesome, which makes it an easy and reassuring choice.
If you would like to find out exactly what sort of vehicle Paddington is licensed to drive, you can Listen to Paddington Takes the Test on Audible. Knowing Paddington, it is unlikely to be anything ordinary.
