Customer Reviews

The Wind in the Willows (Penguin Classics)

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Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932) was a staid Victorian banker who had a vivid imagination! In 1907-1908 he penned a series of charming letters to his son Alistair which morphed into the classic "The Wind in the Willows". No one beats the British in this kind of animal tale told with pananche and joy de vivre! Along with Grahame one has only to think of Beatrix Potter, A.A. Milne and James Barrie to relish these timeless stories.
"The Wind in the Willows" is the tale of Mr. Toad and his friends. The novel has four major characters:
1. Mr. Toad is the owner of Tudor Hall. Toad is wealthy but unwise! He enjoys bragging about his exploits and adventures. Toad is single being cared for only by a housemaid. He is sportily dressed and relishes reckless driving (no wonder a Disneyworld ride is called 'Mr. Toad's Wild Ride."!). Toad gets into all kinds of jams! He is arrested for stealing a car (which he only meant to borrow); is thrown into prison being rescued by the jailer's daughter; escapes with the aid of a nice railroad engineer
and returns home safely. Toad enjoys croaking like a frog over his exploits. At the end of the novel he is more mature giving up the adventures of the road. He is an unforgettable figure of satire and fun!
2. Water Rat. This rodent is a wise inhabitant of the river and meadows near Toad Hall. He is a good friend who will not desert his friends when they find themselves in trouble. Water Rat is brave leading the attack on the weasels and stoats who have taken over Toad hall due to Mr. Toad's incarceration.
3. Mr. Mole leaves his warm and secure home to go down the river with Mr. Rat, explore the Wild Woods and come to the aid of Toad. He is a trusting and innocent soul one comes to love.
4. Mr. Badger is a blunt old soul who lives deep in the Wild Woods. In a good chapter he welcomes Mole and Rat to his home after the two adventurers have been lost in the woods on a snowy evening. His son Piglet is rescued by Mole and Rat with the help of Pan the Piper.
These four animal friends teach children to be loyal and kind to one another. "The Wind in the Willows" has no cruelty within its pages. Grahame's charming little work ends happily as the four friends live lives of quiet joy.
The language in the novel is too difficult to comprehend for young children but remains a classic of English Young People's fiction. Kenneth Grahame is an outstanding author whose "The Wind in the Willows" will endure for generations of future readers.

True, this book is a classic. But contrary to some other reviews you may read on this site, the book earns its status as a classic. It's a brilliant adventure, and you won't be disappointed.

I am very happy with the people who work for this company... The first copy was lost so I contacted them and a book was sent out that day and I got it in 2 days. Now that is CUSTOMER SERVICE AT ITS BEST. Thank you. I will tell everyone I know to get books from this company.

This was a very interesting book. As I read it I felt like Toad was a `Prodigal Son', who came back only far enough to receive acceptance, then returned to his bad habits till he was in trouble again.

It reminded me much of myself, playing at being Christian before really giving Christ all areas of my life. Like Toad I would repent, but then not really change.

Rat was wise and resourceful, Mole was tender and caring and awe-full like a child yet also very wise. Badger is like a wise mature old mentor or guide, sent to give direction, and lead one to find one's own purpose in life.

Yet the mix of Animal and Human society just did not make sense to me. It felt like a badly planned Narnia novel. It did not explain how the animal and human worlds came to interact and share a language or culture.

But over all it was a fun read even if dry in some spots.

(First written as Journal Reading Notes in 1999.)

This is a story written for children. I honestly don't know whether this story would appeal to a child, but it seemed too cloyingly sweet to me.
It's a classic, which is the reason why I read it in the first place. I found the plot subservient to the descriptions of the way the animals live in their cute and cozy world, which did not endear me to the book.
It is quite possible that children will love this book for its imaginative drawing of a world where animals live as people. But, unlike other classics, such as "Narnia", "Peter Pan" or "Five Children and It", this one is not worth reading as an adult.