zondag 23 september 2012

50 Books Challenge 2012 - # 41: The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Title: The Wind in the Willows
Author: Kenneth Grahame
Story: Meek little Mole, willful Ratty, Badger the perennial bachelor, and petulant Toad. In the almost one hundred years since their first appearance in 1908, they've become emblematic archetypes of eccentricity, folly, and friendship. And their misadventures-in gypsy caravans, stolen sports cars, and their Wild Wood-continue to capture readers' imaginations and warm their hearts long after they grow up. Begun as a series of letters from Kenneth Grahame to his son, The Wind in the Willows is a timeless tale of animal cunning and human camaraderie. This Penguin Classics edition features an appendix of the letters in which Grahame first related the exploits of Toad.
Start: september 16th 2012
End: september 23rd 2012
Comment: I never read it as a kid, I only saw the movie. This story is about a mole, rat, badger and a toad, but could be about people. It's fun to read about it, substituting little animals for middle-aged Edwardian gentlemen. They have everyday problems and deal with daily situations. All the animals have their own character. Rat is very wise and resourceful, Mole is tender and caring, Badger is a wise mentor and Toad is self absorbed. A compliment to the writer, that you can actually identify with the characters although they are animals. The pace of the book seems to be very slow for a children's book and it's on quite a high reading level. The version I read had black-and-white illustrations by Ernest Shepherd. There's nothing like a well-illustrated children's classic! I'm sure, that as a kid, I would have appreciated it. Kids these days probably wouldn't anymore. Such a shame. There are good life lessons in it.
Rating: 4,5/ 5

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