The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
Narrated by Michael Hordern.
Originally published 1908.
Like Peter Pan before it, this is a classic book that I've heard of on many occasions, but have discovered in the reading that it is far stranger than I realised, yet still charming.
The book tells the adventures of Mole, Rat, Toad and Badger, four animals living in rough proximity to 'the River'. These animals - for reasons never explained other than 'its a children's story' - act very much like humans: they wear clothing, eat human food, live in houses (even if those houses are mostly in burrow entrances), and even occasionally have pets of their own! Yet it is not a world fully populated by anthropomorphic animals - humans also inhabit the world and generally interact with the animal protagonists as equals.
Mole is our first primary protagonist, arriving at the River from his own former home after becoming bored with his life. Through his eyes - and his growing friendship with Rat - we are introduced to the world of the River, as well as the Wild Woods (where Badger resides). Toad is introduced through Mole's point-of-view as well, but as the book carries on Toad begins having chapters dedicated to his solo adventures; eventually the book alternates between Toad-centric and Mole- or Rat-centric chapters. Most of the Mole and Rat chapters are told as self-contained stories, and are somewhat ponderous, or even philosophical. One of them even briefly leans into the supernatural world, acknowledging a particular Roman Deity that seems to take the animal place of God.
The Toad chapters, on the other hand, tell a single stretched out narrative of Toad's misadventures. Toad is not really all that likeable, but he is amusing in his unlikeability. He is proud, self-centred, unable to learn from his mistakes, and always focusing on his own heroics. As a result he keeps getting into trouble and needing to be saved from his own worst instincts. The final chapter presents a mildly reformed Toad, but it remains to be seen if this character development will last, as nothing to this point suggests that it will.
Michael Hordern has quite an 'old' voice, giving the story the feeling of a grandfather telling a story to his grandchildren. This suits the whimsical and old-fashioned feel of the text.
Elise and I both enjoyed this one quite a lot.
Completed with Elise, 25 December 2021.
(Elise Books)
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