The Willows in Winter

Rating:
Summary: Better than I expected
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Abomination
Review: Horwood's effort, writing a sequel to another author's classic work, fails as one might expect. The characters are wooden cutouts from Grahame's wonderful classic and the humor and charm of Grahame's work is only imitated here. If you read part or all of this abomination, after tossing it out the window, go and re-read Grahame's "The Wind in the Willows" and cleanse your mind and heart of this book and as usual with readings of "The Wind in the Willows" of much else as well.

Rating:
Summary: Doesn't miss a beat...
Review: 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?