Has anyone read 'Grimble' by Clement Freud?

[RosieMBanks]

I am looking for a present for a Harry Potter fan - a girl. In an interview, J.K.Rowling discussed some of her favourite childhood books, and 'Grimble' was one of them. Just wondered if anyone had read it, and can recommend it? It is out of print and copies are scarce and expensive, so would love to hear any opinions. Oh, and Lauren Child likes it too.

it is on sale here

www.amazon.co.uk/Grimble-at-Christmas-Clement-Freud/dp/0224083686 or is that not the one. You can get it for kindle as well.

Grimble is wonderful. He has neglectful eccentric parents and is very self sufficient. Grimble at Christmas is also brilliant. The books are old-fashioned in a Roald Dahl kind of way, the edition I have got was illustrated by Quentin Blake. I would highly recommend for any child up to about 10 or 11.

ooops sorry i didn't realise you were not looking for the christmas one.

I've got this, a very old Puffin edition with Quentin Blake illustrations. Grimble gets to have his supper at lots of interesting places and the owners (who are always out) leave him interesting notes and instructions on how to cook the food. Very funny, and you can hear Clement Freud saying the text, IYSWIM.

Try abebooks.com or ebay?

I like Grimble's poem

My situation by Grimble

When parents go to Peru
And leave cups of tea in the fridge,
It's jolly hard to know what to do
And I wish I could think of a useful word ending in -idge
The end.

We love Grimble in our house. We have a very battered copy which dh has had since he was a child. We read the Christmas one with the dc every Christmas - it is very funny.

oh i love grimble

I am going to buy it for my 7 yo for christmas (ish), thanks for link

Grimble is brilliant!

Superb. Read it as a v young child and some of the words still quoted in our family such as "chocolate spodge" for pudding and "1974 was a very good year for milk" A must!

Many thanks for the recommendations! Have bought a copy second-hand, and am enjoying a quick read before giving it as a present! I managed to track down a Puffin edition of the two books 'Grimble' and 'Grimble at Christmas' - worth getting both...they are very funny!

Many thanks for the recommendations! Have bought a copy second-hand, and am enjoying a quick read before giving it as a present! I managed to track down a Puffin edition of the two books 'Grimble' and 'Grimble at Christmas' - worth getting both...they are very funny!

one of my fave books ever but have been unable to track down a copy - so expensive second hand

There's a right old Grimble fan club on here, he pops up now and again.

DS's middle name is Clement after mr freud.

"Do not eat this biscuit as eating green ink is bad for you"