In a second enchanting sequel to The Wind in the Willows, a female character enters the bachelor world of the River Bank and Toad's three friends--Mole, Water Rat, and Badger--must try and stave off Toad's infatuation before he hurts himself.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Kirkus Reviews
In a second sequel to Kenneth Grahame's classic The Wind in the Willows, Horwood (The Willows in Winter, 1994) revisits the River Bank and the beloved characters of Toad, Mole, Rat, and Badger. Portraits of loyal Mole, practical Rat, and wise Badger remain faithfully intact (in text as well as in Benson's black-and- white illustrations); however, Horwood seems captivated with Grahame's own notion of ``an altered Toad,'' and much of the plot dances around this idea. Toad's normal vanity and conceit are seen in ``alarming transmutation,'' thanks to Cupid's arrow, which has left Toad smitten and contemplating matrimony. A parallel plot bears the overriding theme of immortality, which prompts Mole and Rat to journey up river in their desire to ``get a little nearer to the mystery we have called Beyond.'' The two threads intersect at journey's end, where Toad willfully escapes ``the eternal bond'' of marriage, proving himself as irresolute as ever. The formal style of writing adequately mimics Grahame's own; that, and the sophisticated themes may be better appreciated by adults who loved the original. Nevertheless, the River Bank animals have fans who will be happy to pause awhile in such good company. (Fiction. 11+) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Review
"With its humor, tenderness, suspense, and happy ending...["Toad Triumphant is] a pleasant story and a good read." --"The Christian Science Monitor
"The old characters pop back to life as you begin reading." --"The New York Times
"Faithful to the original...Festive...A winsome winner." --"The Chicago Tribune
""The Willows in Winter transports us back to the familiar rivery world almost as authoritatively-and entertaingly-as a sequel by Grahame himself." --"Atlanta Journal Constitution
"Patrick Benson's cross-hatched illustrations seem to have been lovingly guided by the hand of Ernest Shepard, whose 1931 drawings of "The Wind in the Willows continue to transport young readers to meadow, river bank, and wild wood." --"Cleveland Plain Dealer
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
"The old characters pop back to life as you begin reading." --"The New York Times
"Faithful to the original...Festive...A winsome winner." --"The Chicago Tribune
""The Willows in Winter transports us back to the familiar rivery world almost as authoritatively-and entertaingly-as a sequel by Grahame himself." --"Atlanta Journal Constitution
"Patrick Benson's cross-hatched illustrations seem to have been lovingly guided by the hand of Ernest Shepard, whose 1931 drawings of "The Wind in the Willows continue to transport young readers to meadow, river bank, and wild wood." --"Cleveland Plain Dealer
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Authors
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not as good as the first two,
By
This review is from: Toad Triumphant (Hardcover)
I thought the original Wind in the Willows and the sequel Willows in Winter were better executed than Toad Triumphant. Toad Triumphant is a little disjointed, the characterization a little unbelievable at times (e.g. mole's depression) and the story sags in parts (although things pick up with Horwood's clever ending). On the other hand, Patrick Benson deserves high marks for his excellent illustrations which accompany the text. I suppose Mr. Horwood wanted to try something a little different by delving into the histories of the river bank animals and bringing romantic love into their world, but I don't believe this approach worked as well. I feel the book is better than average, but as I said, I like Kenneth Grahame's orginal and Horwood's first sequel better.
5.0 out of 5 stars
The True Toad,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Toad Triumphant (Paperback)
I am a very big fan of all the willows books. I think this Toad Triumphant is a masterpeice. It truly shows the true Toad character, How he can and does give of himself for others. He even shows great courage in this book. WHY hasnt anyone made a movie of this one? I would if I could. Read this book and it will be a favorite, even from a willows super fan such as my very own self.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Almost as good as the original,
This review is from: Toad Triumphant (Paperback)
I loved reading The Wind in the Willows with my kids and was glad I came upon that piece of literature for my own sake that I wouldn't have otherwise. I was concerned a sequel by another author would ruin it. But The Willows in Winter lives up to the original and is a joy to read, and this one is almost as good.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Inside This Book
(learn more)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence:
It was a warm afternoon in early May and Toad lay propped up on the terrace overlooking his garden, gazing dreamily into the middle distance from the comfort of a wicker chaise longue. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
young ward Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Toad Hall, Water Rat, Wild Wood, Monsieur Toad, Senior Bishop, Commissioner of Police, Lathbury Pike, Mole End, Grand Opening, Established Church, Head Gardener, Imperial Caesar, Old Tom, Monsieur Prendergast, The Final Date New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
It was a warm afternoon in early May and Toad lay propped up on the terrace overlooking his garden, gazing dreamily into the middle distance from the comfort of a wicker chaise longue. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
young ward Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Toad Hall, Water Rat, Wild Wood, Monsieur Toad, Senior Bishop, Commissioner of Police, Lathbury Pike, Mole End, Grand Opening, Established Church, Head Gardener, Imperial Caesar, Old Tom, Monsieur Prendergast, The Final Date New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
5
books
cite this book:
- The Willows at Christmas by William Horwood in Front Matter
- The Wind in the Willows (Thomas Dunne Books) by Kenneth Grahame in Front Matter
- The Willows in Winter (Willows Continued) by William Horwood in Front Matter
- The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame in Front Matter
- The Willows and Beyond by William Horwood in Front Matter
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
