About this title: This charming classic, first published in 1908, is set in an idyllic, fantasy Edwardian England, in which some animals can talk and interact with humans. The story chronicles the adventures of four friends who make their home in the lush countryside, the busy riverbank, and the mysterious woods: good-hearted Mole, clever Water Rat, the reclusive and wise Badger, and the reckless Toad, whose new obsession with motorcars has some very unfortunate consequences.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Trade Paperback
Publisher: 1st World Library
Date Published: 09/2004
ISBN-13:9781595400468ISBN:159540046X
Description: Fine Like New, Unread, not previously owned. May show signs of wear including remainder marks or stickers on book or cover. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 224 p. read more
Binding: Trade Paperback
Publisher: 1st World Library
Date Published: 09/2004
ISBN-13:9781595400468ISBN:159540046X
Description: Fine Like New, Unread, not previously owned. May show signs of wear including remainder marks or stickers on book or cover. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 224 p. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: modern publishing
Date Published: 05/2005
ISBN-13:9781421806464ISBN:1421806460
Description: Fine in fine dust jacket. Like New, Unread, not previously owned. May show signs of wear including remainder marks or stickers on book or cover., In like new dust jacket. Glued binding. Cloth over boards. 224 p. read more
"Mole is cleaning his cozy little hole on a bright spring day. He feels the rush of spring air flutter through his home, and he bolts outside. Mole, being a rather unadventurous individual, has not often been out in the world. He makes his way to a beautiful river and lies in the grass. He sees a rat poke its head out of its home. The rat then invites him into his house. Mole stays with Rat and lives along the river, learning about it and basking in its calmness and grandeur. This simple meeting is the beginning to one of my favorite books. Sure, it's meant for a young audience, but does that really matter? Usually people pride themselves on reading a huge book full of complex and archaic language, but short and sweet books can be just as, if not more, fulfilling. The Wind in the Willows is definitely an example of this. The book paints a vivid and beautiful picture in the reader's mind. The main setting of the book is a river, which is a calm center in which the animals live out their peaceful and proper lives. They understand the beauty of nature and life. As Rat says, "There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." The animals obviously enjoy their existence and are happy with their lives, not caring about the rest of the world. The simple language used by Grahame makes the characters easy to relate to and makes them seem like real people, unlike many novels which portray characters using language that I would never expect to hear uttered from a real person. "Beyond the Wild Wood comes the Wide World, and that's something that doesn't matter, either to you or me. I've never been there, and I'm never going, nor you either, if you've got any sense at all," says Rat about the world. The setting of the book is an important element of the novel. The river is a peaceful ecosystem that has a profound effect on many characters. Rat's life is built around the river. Mole is thrust into the adventures of the book because of his appreciation of the river's beauty. The novel also parallels the upstanding and kind nature of the inhabitants of the riverside. The characters are all interesting individuals with a jovial nature, although they do have shortcomings that can make some of them seem less than nice at times, such as Toad's childish obsessions and Badger's reclusiveness and disdain for society. Sometimes the characters appear quite generic and have nothing to offer besides their archetypal roles, but what I find to be more interesting than the characters is the characters' relationships with one another. The main themes of friendship and compassion are compelling and heartwarming. Grahame has a knack for writing truly captivating scenes showing the camaraderie of the animals. An example of this is a section at the end of the book. ""No, not one little song," replied the Rat firmly, though his heart bled as he noticed the trembling lip of the poor disappointed Toad. "It's no good, Toady; you know well that your songs are all conceit and boasting and vanity; and your speeches are all self-praise and -and -well and gross exaggeration and - and -," "And gas," put in the Badger, in his common way. All the animals cheered when he entered, and crowded round to congratulate him and say nice things about his courage, and his cleverness, and his fighting qualities; but Toad only smiled faintly, and murmured, "Not at all!" Or, sometimes for a change, "On the contrary!"" In this section, the animals are all celebrating after driving the residents of the Wild Wood out of Toad Hall. This scene shows Toad's transition from a selfish excitable "child" to a well-adjusted adult. I love how Grahame really captures the happiness the animals are feeling. Once again, simple but realistic language can be observed. The Wind in the Willows is a great book. It has enthralled young and old readers alike since it was first released. It expertly illustrates the greatness of friendship. I loved it when I was five, listening to my dad reading about all the different animals, and I love it now. This book really shows that simplicity is beauty. One of my favorite things about books is the great escape they provide. You can spend time in a world different than your own. Books give you a nice break from the stress of everyday life, and the world of The Wind in the Willows is definitely a place I enjoy spending time in."
"A book that appears to have been part of everyone's childhood except mine. We had a lovely hardbound copy as long as I can remember, but I never read it until now. And it doesn't translate well to adults. Having been written a century ago, I expected it to be dated, but I didn't expect it to be quite so...odd. Each chapter is more or less a separate story about the same group of characters: poetic Rat, generous Mole, selfish Toad, gruff Badger, and friendly Otter. Toad has by far the most personality, what with his utter conceit and his obsession with motorcars, but he's less entertaining than tiresome. I don't have any issues with the idea of talking animals in general, but when they begin interacting with humans it can get a little strange. For example, the illustrations in this book show Toad at roughly half the height of an adult human - which he would have to be, given part of the storyline. Maybe I would like this book more had I grown up with it, but as it stands I just see it as a really bizarre little tale that I will most likely never read again."
"I really wanted to love this book. And on the surface, I did. I loved the theme: A Mole, Water Rat, Badger, and Toad scamper around, having cute, early 1900's-esque adventures, all the while saying things like, "Oh, bother!" and "O, Ratty! Why ever did I do such a thing?" I loved that my edition (isbn 068971310X) was accented with beautiful black and white illustrations by Ernest H. Shepard. But, to my disappointment, I found the story lacking.
Maybe it's that the book was written at such an earlier time, but I was disappointed in the quality of the events. At times, I felt my eyes glazing over as I read pointless chapters that seemed to have no real significance to the book as a whole. The chapter where Mole and Rat come across a heaven-like place was cryptic and strange. I wondered if it was a divine reference...or what? I puzzled over that one but couldn't find any answers. However, when Toad's escapades began, the book got interesting.
One other point I wasn't crazy about was Grahame's tendency to fill pages with flowery descriptions of each change in setting. Yawn. Let's hear what the characters have to say, not what the author has to say about his imagined setting. Boring.
However, the characters made up for these flaws in many ways. I loved all of them, quirks and all.
In conclusion, this book probably wouldn't be good to read to a young child, chapter by chapter, as many parents do. However, if you're looking for an old classic for an intermediate reader, this may be just what you're looking for."
I've been familiar with the basic story for years; however, I hadn't read it. I've decided to start filling in some of my literary gaps.
Mole: amiable, but not admirable. Sweet, and lucky. He enjoyed life and the opportunities he encountered. He was a simple and malleable creature who was improved by his close contact with Rat and Badger.
Mr. Toad: irritated me to no end. He was completely self-absorbed and blind to the affects of his actions on the lives of the people with whom he came in contact. Of course, he didn't have to suffer deleterious consequences for his own choices; so, he never came to learn any empathy. He took the loyalty and devotion and self-denial of his friends as a matter of course, and caused damage (in some cases serious) to those whom chance brought to his path. Irritating. There are many characters found that could fit this profile: but, not frequently cast as a hero.
Water-Rat: open and resourceful. Intelligent. He loved the river, and did his best to bring joy into the lives of his friends. I loved the generous Rat.
Badger: reclusive and loyal. He just wanted to be left alone; yet, he sublimated his own inclinations to the needs of others. He saw the needs of those around him, and did his best to fulfill them. He was grumpy and solitary - simultaneously devoted and patient and protective. Mr Toad might have been fun at a passing party, Badger is the one who you would want as your friend.
"After this climax, the four animals continued to lead their lives...""
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