Following the resounding success of my Locus Quest, I faced a dilemma: which reading list to follow it up with? Variety is the spice of life, so I’ve decided to diversify and pursue six different lists simultaneously. This book falls into my BEDTIME STORIES list.I have a little boy and love reading to him, so this reading list will cover the classic (and new) children’s stories we’re enjoying together. The Wind in the Willows is a funny old book, isn’t it?The adventures of Ratty, Mole and the Toad; they didn’t make much of an impact on me during my childhood. I read the book, I liked it well enough, I remembered the characters, but that was about it – it was never a favourite. I think I got a lot more out of it as an adult, reading it aloud in bitesize chunks to a drowsy baby, every night for a couple of months. It gave me time to ponder the book between readings. But I still think it’s a funny old book. I mean, we start off focused on Mole as he ventures out from his underground home, befriends the Water Rat and discovers the gently joy of the riverside life in springtime. Ratty and Moley then potter about the countryside together, meeting the different folk who live thereabouts. The focus drifts over to Toad, who – I have to agree with my wife – is a bit of a tool. Toady has a big adventure on his own, and then teams up with Ratty and Mole (and the Badger, of course) for the final big showdown.It’s all terribly episodic; it’s great for a bedtime story as most chapters reach their own conclusion, but the plot (such as it is) is all over the place and never really builds up much momentum until Toad goes off on his grand adventure. But somehow that doesn’t matter – the plot is not the important thing here. What shines through on almost every page, in some beautifully evocative, vivid and sometimes poetic description, is a passionate and articulate adoration for the British countryside, nature and the changes of the seasons. I grew up in a green and leafy suburb and my favourite place to escape away to was a quiet little lake in the woods – so I can certainly appreciate the sentiment. But Grahame goes far above and beyond that; there’s no talk of religion in this book, but there is a god (small G) – Pan – and nature is the religion here. Looking at The Wind in the Willows as a fantasy novel is somewhat confusing – the internal logic is more dreamy than scientific. These characters are animals... who walk upright, talk, dress and act like people. But they also keep animals who act like animals – Toad has a working carthorse and a pet canary, neither of which talk or wear clothes, etc. But they do live in a world dominated by humans, Toad steals a man’s car and gets sent to a human prison in a human city, guarded by humans. And humans keep animals as pets – the jailor’s daughter would like to keep Toad as a pet, but doesn’t tell him so because he’s too proud. And these talking animals of ours, eat the same food as humans – often processed food, made from animals – which is a confusing ethical dilemma. Then there’s the issue of scale and size. To some degree, the characters reflect the sizes of the animals which are their namesakes –eg, Badger and Otter are larger than Mole and Ratty. But at other times, the scale is confusing – Toad rides a stolen horse comfortably, and escapes the city dressed as a washer woman – so he seems to be in-scale with humans, and he’s of a similar size to his friends, ergo they’re all human sized. But a human sized Rat living in a hole in the riverbank seems... grubby. Whereas a rat sized rat, wearing little human clothes, living in a hole in the riverbank is... romantic?Sexism. Where are the women? Only two female characters appear in the whole book – and they’re both humans! Where are all the animal-women? We meet a wide array of talking creatures – mole, rat, toad, badger, otter, weasel, stoat, rabbit, hedgehog, mouse and bird – but all male. There’s mention of female family members, but they’re never seen. And there’s one particular scene (I didn’t note down when, I’m afraid) when the boys are sitting discussing the day’s events and dinner is bought to them. By whom, may I enquire? I get the feeling the women are all there, doing the women’s work, but invisible. It’s like a world of Oxford dons, wrapped up in their own little tweed worlds, boating on the river, while the common life drifts beneath their attention.If you get the feeling I’m overly critical of this classic story – I’m not really (hence the four-star rating) – but as I said at the beginning, it’s just a funny old book!If you find yourself reading it in the near future – try rolling some of the sentences around your mouth, rather than reading it all inside your head – there’s a real music and magic to the words. The Wind in the Willows made bedtime stories feel like a performance – one I greatly looked forward to!After this I read: Komarr
I found Wind in the Willows to be one of those rare books that contains true joy. Several times since I have moved in with the Kenyons, I have gotten in a disagreement with another opinionated member of the household over the value of "dark" literature versus "light" literature. "It is so easy to write about dark things," she might say. "Why don't we focus on happiness?" I think when most people read a "happy" story, they find it shallow, unrealistic, and boorish since, as any random perusal of the news will reveal, a lot of bad stuff happens in the world! Could we accept Hamlet and his uncle making up, "hugging it out," if you will, instead of destroying each other? This ending would not be consistent with human nature, and although "realism" does not have to be included on the list of requirements for a good book, a great literary work must be true to human nature. By the same token, I think we often make the mistake of calling "dark" art good simply because it is dark. "Ooh, did you see that new band? They wear black lipstick and sing about rat rabies. Hope you're mature enough to handle it." I think something that's dark just for the heck of it is just as shallow as something that's full of bunnies and rainbows and princess ponies. Anyway, there is a profound difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is merely an emotion while joy is a state of being that is rarely felt. It is a rendezvous with the metaphysical delights that God has created to pleasure our souls: friendship, loyalty, love, forgiveness, etc. Sure, these can be found in any sugary, sappy Christmas special or "Full House" episode, but these are just shadows of the real things. Because of its precious nature, Joy will necessarily be rare compared to the darkness but in the end is infinitely more valuable. Now, I'll step away from my ramblings and actually talk about the book. Although I don't think Kenneth Graham was an inkling, Wind in the Willows seems to fall in quite nicely with the works of Lewis and Tolkien. It not only has British charm, but it also has a healthy dose of that deep male comradarie that figures so prominently in Lord of the Rings. A bunch of bachelors who have settled comfortably into their ways, the animals in WIW remind me of retired Oxford dons who feel they need nothing more than peace, a good pipe, and the morning paper. When Mole and Rat are together, they don't have to talk about any particular thing to emotionally satisfy the other. It is enough for them to be together and in this atmosphere of acceptance, they will inevitably share their dreams with each other. The whole book just feels cozy.I also respect any book that doesn't have to resort to the whole "good vs. evil" thing for plot or theme. These are simple characters with common experiences that become profound through their commonness. Being lost, coming home, sharing a meal, fearing the wide world, conquering a foe, learning to row. Although WIW is a children's book, these themes make it feel much more real than the melodramas put out by Hollywood. Mole and Rat even get a taste of the profound when they encounter Pan, whom I believe represents the spiritual side of life which modern folks so foolishly ignore and deny.Anyway, I liked the book. You should read it. Blah, blah, blah!
What do You think about The Wind In The Willows (2005)?
I’ve just finished “The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame. I’m giving it 5 stars out of 5 because I was absolutely bewitched by the endearing animal characters, the spellbinding scenery and the sometimes touching, sometimes hilarious twists and turns of the story. The minute description of English rural scenery shows the author’s genuine love of the place where he spent his boyhood – the enchanting Berkshire countryside and Thames River vicinity. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves animals.
—Alice Poon
I was grown up with kids of my own before I ever read The Wind in the Willows. How in the world is that possible?! The story is truly magical -- we follow Mole as he breaks out of his boring routine and ventures out into the world. Along the way he meets Ratty, who introduces him to several other wonderful characters, and serves as his guide and protector in this new life. Mole is described in such wonderful terms by the author, who notes his velvety fur (as well as his reserved nature). As a shy kid (who grew into a reserved adult), I think I would have really identified with Mole as a child -- as a matter of fact, I identify with him now! He is bashful and nervous, makes a few social blunders (and feels just awful afterwards), but has a kind and tender heart.Ratty, on the other hand, is calm and confident -- he is a wonderful, caring friend to Mole, and I can't imagine any child not wishing for such a friend. On occasion, he does lose his temper with Mole, but he always takes pains to apologize and make up with Mole afterwards.Another wonderful character is Toad (of Toad Hall!) -- I'm not sure how many children would identify with Toad, but I wouldn't want to meet the person who wasn't charmed by him. Toad is childlike and impetuous, with a ridiculously short attention span. His antics are so entertaining, and he generally drags his friends along with him in his misadventures. Toad stars in one of my favorite parts of this book, (view spoiler)[when he escapes from jail by disguising himself as a washer woman at the prison (hide spoiler)]
—Lea
The audio version of this timeless classic was very charming! This was actually my very first audio book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am not certain that this format will work for me with very many books, but it certainly proved to be quite entertaining here. Narrated by Alan Bennett, this version featured some of the voices from Alan Bennett’s stage adaptation at the National Theater in 1990. The music and sound effects really added to the experience for me and the various voices were so much fun! I have not read The Wind in the Willows before, so the adventures of Ratty, Mole, Toad, Badger and company were all fresh and delightful. The dialogue brought a smile to my face and made the time pass by quickly on a couple of my solitary hikes through the fields adjacent to our property. As I walked alongside the woods, I could almost imagine my new little friends coming to life right beside me. An enjoyable story for children and adults alike!
—Candi
