The Wind in the Willows

A nostalgia read. This was one of my favorites as a kid. I can’t remember if I read the original or just the Great Illustrated Classics abridgment. I had a near complete Hardcover set of the Great Illustrated Classics, all except for the “girl ones” like Heidi and Little Women. I have no idea where those hardcovers went. I probably decided I was too old for them at some point and they went to Value Village. I would pay a pretty penny to get those all back now. This was super fun. Toad is just as funny as I remembered. Our environment can play a huge factor in how we enjoy something. I accidently picked the perfect setting to read this book. I started the audiobook randomly while in the middle of a hike on the Salt Marsh Trail, which is a trail converted from an abandoned railway. It’s beautiful, tons of different views, wildlife, foliage, and smells. It was a hot day but you are basically walking on the water so it’s breezy. The trail even has its own Little Free Library for people to take and leave books. It was May 31st and it felt like the first real day of summer. I listened to this scene from the book, about the changing seasons and the first day of June: “The pageant of the river bank had marched steadily along, unfolding itself in scene-pictures that succeeded each other in stately procession. Purple loosestrife arrived early, shaking luxuriant tangled locks along the edge of the mirror whence its own face laughed back at it. Willow-herb, tender and wistful, like a pink sunset cloud, was not slow to follow. Comfrey, the purple hand-in-hand with the white, crept forth to take its place in the line; and at last one morning the diffident and delaying dog-rose stepped delicately on the stage, and one knew, as if string-music had announced it in stately chords that strayed into a gavotte, that June at last was here.” It was the perfect setting to hear that. I was looking down at my sister’s dog, who I had taken on this hike. She looked like she was smiling at me and I know I probably had a goofy smile on my face too when I heard the mention of June at the end of that passage. I should drop off my physical copy of The Wind in the Willows in the Little Free Library next time I go.

I've lost track of how many times I've read this book but I've loved it every time.

Inimitably magical.

I'm amazed that I've never read this book before. It seems like the kind of book I would have encountered at some point in my life. Words like enchanted, delighted, and charmed are not words I often use. However, I was surprised to find that this book enchanted, delighted, and charmed me. I know it's classified as a children’s book, likely because the animals in it are anthropomorphized. The writing is rich and lovely by all accounts. Grahame was clearly a gifted observer of both nature and human nature. His descriptions of various locales are splendid and make one appreciate nature all over again. His characters, equally rich and filled with wonderful mannerisms and personalities, make you feel at home. I don’t really know how to classify this book. I can't imagine a child reading it. I think it would even be somewhat challenging to read to a child without many explanations. (No child I know uses or understands words like somnolence, appurtenance, paroxysm, or habiliments.) "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" books were also classified as children’s books in that era. Perhaps folks back then didn't really know how to classify them either. Or, maybe they just expected more from children back then. While "The Wind in the Willows" isn’t a fantasy novel, in some regards, it lands closer to "The Hobbit" than a typical children's book. Perhaps the fact that I was reading an Easton Press version of this book, which has very few illustrations, influenced my judgment. But it seems to me more like a parable for adults than a book for children. Maybe it’s due to my season of life right now, but I found the major themes in this book — the significance of home, friendship, and the simple comforts of life — to be most enjoyable and satisfying. Sadly, Grahame didn’t write any more books about these four friends, but I intend to read more from this author to see if his other works are as wonderful. All of this is to say, this very old child thoroughly enjoyed this children’s book.

This was cute book! I quite liked reading the stories and adventures of the animals!

Just as delightful reading it now as when I was a kid.

cute! charming! would not have made it through this when i was a kid if i was being honest and would not make it a 2nd time if i tried!

The illustrations were hilarious omg! So good :)

Not fully enjoyed. 🔺All the characters in the book are male animals and Graham portrayed humans simply as stock-type, indistinguishable. Main characters include Mole,(hero, ordinary home-loving), Ratty(free-spirited, imaginative and adventurous) and Toad(proud and always looking for troubles). 🔺The novel reflects Edwardian era in term of both characters' manners and author's writing style. Besides it also refers to Grahame's childhood memory, for instance, the setting of the novel and the characters' depictions. When I was reading about Mole and Ratty's relationship, living in the same house, and doing house chore together, I found it quite queer but it all sorted out after I learnt that the author might have be a homosexual. The whole work in this novel is the manifestation of a life that Grahame longed for. 🔺Moreover, he also gives allusions to Perter-Pan and some other Greek Mythological contexts. 🔺As a reader, one can find this classic novel not only entertaining, adventurous, ridiculous, and whimsical but also as a pack of morales. 🔺Theme ~Loyalty and wise counsel in friendship is essential when one is in trouble not only physically but also morally. ~Grahame also believes in wisdom that can passed down from older generation as in the character of Badger. ~He also adds up how much one's Home is valuable after a long, adventurous journey: always one tends to come back home for retirement and relaxation. ~above all, the underlining context of the threatening class struggle (power of socialism) during mid 19th century in England is being warned in this cozy, children book novel just like other `Alice in Wonderland' and `Watership Down' and etc. ⭐3.5/5 rating

The Wind in the Willows is one of those books I managed not to read until I was in my 60s. Part of it is that I don't really care for talking animal tales/beast fables. I'm not sure why they annoy me so, but for the most part, they do. I've had this Audible version for a while now. I think it may have been a freebie, because it's a "soundtrack" version. What that means in this context is that there are little noises in the background that underline what's happening in the text (e.g., He mounted the horse ::sound of horse neigh::). That part's ok, but the other part of the "soundtrack" is what sounds like public domain classical recording excerpts. And whoever picked the musical backing picked a LOT of music that didn't match what was happening in the story, and/or made the background music SO LOUD that it really distracted from the narration. But the narration. Oh my. Michael Hordern is just so wonderful. He really brings the story to life. So I tolerated the silly music so I could listen to him. And the story? Well, let's stipulate at the beginning that Mr. Toad is a huge flaming asshole. I remind myself that this story was written to entertain a boy, so I guess that's what's going on. I would have happily listened to more about Rat and Mole and Badger and Otter, and less about Toad. But in the toad-less parts, there were some real moments of beauty and wonder in the writing. A couple of places brought tears to my eyes. I'm glad I finally got this one read. Now I can go read Kij Johnson's sequel. That will be interesting!

Love this book, I've read it so many times :)

Listened to this on audiobook while on a family road trip. The narrator was excellent, the book far from excellent. I know that this is a classic in the genre, but I didn't really enjoy it. The plot seemed thin, the characters undeveloped, and the action skipped around way too much.

a whimsical modern classic. a little dense for a children's book, but perfect light reading for adults. the kind of book that makes you want to have a picnic with your friends and bake bread (or, alternatively, help your most chaotic friend escape from prison when you'd much rather be having a picnic.)

The Wind in the Willows adalah kisah fabel yang menceritakan kehidupan Tikus Tanah, Tikus Air, Luak, dan Katak. Setiap dari mereka masing-masing mempunyai sifat dan kepribadian yang berbeda-beda; namun bersama-sama, mereka menunjukkan arti persahabatan dan menceritakan petualangan yang menyenangkan. Kisah ini dimulai dengan Tikus Tanah yang bernama Moly. Ia keluar dari rumahnya yang ada di bawah tanah untuk menikmati dunia luar yang indah dengan rerumputan dan pemandangan. Ketika itu, ia berjumpa dengan Tikus Air yang bernama Ratty. Ratty mengajak Moly menaiki perahu dan juga piknik di tepi sungai. Setelah merasakan kehidupan Ratty yang begitu menyenangkan, Moly menyetujui untuk tinggal bersama dengan Ratty di tepi sungai. Ratty dan Moly menjadi sahabat baik, dan bersama-sama mereka melewati berbagai kejadian dan petualangan yang seru.... Baca review selengkapnya di: http://thebookielooker.blogspot.com/2...

I went into this thinking it was a children’s book, but the tone didn’t really feel right with me always. Some parts of it felt very adult, and while it can probably be enjoyed by children I think many parts of the story can only be fully appreciated by someone a bit older. This will be a re read for me at some point.

I love stories with talking animals, even more so if there is a moral or lesson to be learned. Sadly, this children’s classic wasn’t what I excepted; it was too slow and boring. I didn’t enjoy it now, as an adult, and I wouldn’t have enjoyed it when I was a kid. 2.5 stars.

**** 1/2

Very funny

3.5 stars reading this, I kept thinking of how I could see a certain mr samwise gamgee enjoy it.

4.75

I wish I was a kid and had this story read to me exactly like this.

I wish I read this when I was younger, I learned a lot from the story of the mole, the rat, the badger and the toad. A must read for young readers :)

It's a classic. Glad I read it. Good story of friendship and anthropomorphic animal adventures. Only problem is that most of the characters are selfish assholes...so there's that.

I've had this book sitting on my shelves for quite a few years, and oh boy did I not know the world of wonder and beauty I was missing out on! This book is by far one of the most soothing and beautifully written novels I have ever read, and Grahame's prose is truly sublime. The very premise of the book - the adventures of Mole, Water Rat, Badger, and Toad - is absolutely fantastical and thoroughly adorable. I wish this book were the first of many, as I could read about these four creatures forever and never tire of their antics. I truly loved how each creature has a sure flaw, but together the four were unstoppable. The character development of each is undeniable, and by the end you can't help but be proud of these four and their willingness to grow. I did not read this book or watch its adaptations growing up, but I know for certain that I will be reading this to my one-day kids from early one. Absolutely loved it! 4.5/5 stars