Customer Reviews

The Willows in Winter (Willows Continued)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

It is not often that a sequel is as good as - or even better than - the original. William Horwood's The Willows in Winter is one of those rare exceptions. His style and content are true to Kenneth Grahame's original, without being a cheap imitation, and Horwood's book can be read independantly of The Wind in the Willows. The Willows in Winter was a pleasure to read.

Horwood himself asks the obvious question - "But SHOULD you have [written a sequel to someone else's classic, that is]?" - in the afterword, and I have to admit that's exactly what I thought at first as well. His re-creation of Kenneth Grahame's beloved cast of characters and their environs isn't perfect. Both the character development and the descriptions of the River Bank and the Wild Wood are less vivid than the original and a bit too dependent on the reader's familiarity with "The Wind in the Willows," which I was left thinking I should re-read for comparison. There is also an element of overt religiosity which turns out to be something of a non-sequitur in the end. Still, all the fundamental ingredients I fell in love with as a kid are here: diehard loyalty to one's friends, the conflict between a sense of adventure and the comforts of home, and of course, wonderfully irreverent adventures with Mr. Toad. If the ending isn't quite as climactic or satisfying as that of the original, it is true to the same spirit.
I admire Horwood's efforts to replicate the world of Toad et al as well as his chutzpah, and am sufficiently impressed to recommend this book to anyone else who has fond memories of reading "The Wind in the Willows" under the covers with a flashlight as a kid. It's not the original, but it's a nice addition.

What bothered me most about "The Wind In The Willows" (that it ENDED)... is here resolved! From the first line "The Mole sat toasting his toes in front of the fire" I was glad to be once again in the presence of these unforgettable Edwardian animal bachelors. In my estimation, Horwood has done a superb job of capturing again the spirit of the River Bank.
Apparently, he was inspired after acquiring in 1992, several of E.H. Shepard's original illustrations for Grahame's 1908 classic, The Wind In The Willows. Observing them in his study, they began to take on a life of their own... and then "One day, quite unexpectedly (though the drawing had not changed at all), it seemed to me that Mole was off on a journey rather different than his original one. True, he had set off from the same comfortable home he loved so much, but now he was no longer heading towards the comfort and safety of Badger's house, but instead towards the River - the frozen River - and towards disaster. The story of The Willows In Winter had begun."
This is a great book that will appeal to young and old alike. It's full of the perils and consequences of misadventure, the peace and calm of friendly reunion and the importance of forgiveness. Oh ya, and a hilariously inebriated Toad!
I find it funny that Horwood is sometimes criticized for keeping the characters so similar to what they were in the original story. Isn't that what a good sequel does? Keeps things consistent, but brings them further along the road?

Reading "The Willows In Winter" is a chilling experience after reading Grahame's classic, "The Wind In The Willows." Comparing the first chapter in each book is impossible! Grahame wrote a work of art in literary prose, while Horwood's attempt at a sequel cannot even capture the character of Mole correctly. How sad. If you thoroughly respect Grahame's Wild Wood, do not buy or read this attempt to capitalize upon another author's genius.

First let me say I love the Wind in the Willows and really looked forward to reading this sequel. But it is difficult for me to express in words how Horwood utterly fails to capture the characters and just creates an absolutely painful experience. The original was a masterpiece and the characters - even toad- were gentle, loving creatures, with transcendent subtle nature. These characters are somehow mean, shallow, and just plain awful. Reading it (and I promise you I longed to do so and meet them again) just so ruins these characters that it made me cringe page after page. Why did he do this? Did the positive reviewers fail to see the night and day difference between this and the original. Garbage just garbage.

Horwood has taken on an impossible task - to satisfy new and lifelong WITW fans. Sure, it's not the same as reading Grahame's original creation, but I really miss Ratty, Mole, Badger, and Toad, and Horwood gives us a peek into what they've been doing lately - and he's done a good job of it. If you miss the River Bankers as I did, you should read this with proper expectations. Plus, Horwood improves upon his own work in his next WITW book, so it's worth the trip to get to there.

In summary, it's nice to check in on old friends, but you can't go home again.

With The Willows in Winter, Horwood creates a dreary mimic of Grahame's beautiful world, failing miserably to recapture the wonder of the River, or the dread of the Wild Wood. The characters are pathetically portrayed and I cannot believe the writer of such stunning classics as Duncton Wood and its sister novels could ever fall so undeniably FLAT!

A delight to read! Same rich language, same folksy descriptions, same boastful Toad! I really enjoyed this book, never thinking the original could possibly be equaled, but it has!

I read this book years ago, before I was really old enough to have much literary taste. At the time, I thought it was just as good as The Wind in the Willows and was sorry to return it to the library. Then, a few years ago I found this at a used book sale. I snatched it up and was prepared to be amazed... and was, instead, disappointed. I have matured enough since the very first reading to see that what I loved the first time I read it: seeing all the characters again, finding more of the hilarious antics of Toad, etc. But now, I have many more reasons, deeper reasons, for loving The Wind in the Willows. And I can recognize that the characters of The Willows in the Winter are simply... crude copies, perhaps, of the originals. Nothing new really happens in this story. If anything, I think Horwood took too many liberties, especially with the whole "beyond" sequence. I did have to give the book two stars, however, because there is one passage that is absolutely *hilarious* in which a judge makes a little speech to Toad. I feel that Horwood is probably a very tallented author, and should turn his writing to better use.

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 it lives up to the original and is a joy to read.