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The Wind in the Willows/The Willows in Winter

The Wind in the Willows/The Willows in Winter

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: My favourite of the children's classics.
Review: This book was just absolutely fantastic. Mr. Grahame creates characters that will stay with you for the rest of your life. I thoroughly enjoyed Wind And The Willows and will definately pick it up again because it's worth a second or third read.

The illustrations that were drawn by Ernest H. Shepard were fabulous and really added to the imagery to the story.

This is another novel where regardless of your age, it is definately worth a read.

Wind And The Willows is quite magical.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Truly wonderful book!
Review: Wonderful stories for your child from a kinder and gentler age. We love these along with Thronton Burgess books. What a refreshing change from the 'extreme' cartoons and stories that are prevalent these days.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Quickie review of The Wind in the Willows
Review: Grahame combines reality and fantasy to create one of the greatest books of our time. It is funny and E.H. Sheperds illustrations are 5 star. A masterpiece.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Book that Teaches about a Lesson in Life
Review: This book is a great way to express a lesson in life. It all started when Mole was spring-cleaning his house. He then had enough of cleaning so he went out to explore his surroundings. He suddenly spotted a water rat. Rat invited him to a boat ride and a picnic. Mole and Rat began eating when they spotted Toad and his new boat. Rat began explaining that Toad was a rich animal but spend his money on things he didn't enjoy. Afterwards, it was snowing and Mole began to wonder what Badger was like. Rat warned him not to disturb him, but Mole's curiousity got into him, so he set out to find Badger. Soon, Rat found out that Mole had gotten himself lost in the woods. They were about to turn back when a sudden storm had hit them. They were surprised to see Badger's underground home when they dug in the snow. Badger welcomed them and gave them food and beds to sleep in. In the morning, they all discussed about what to do about Toad. They all agreed to go to Toad Hall in Spring and confront him.
Spring arrived and Rat, Mole, and Badger set out to Toad Hall. They saw a brand new motorcar that Toad had purchased. They seized him and took him to a room where they can talk to him privately. After a few minutes, Toad pretended to cry and was put to his room. He mananged to escape once more and ate at an inn. When he came back out, he saw a beautiful motorcar and unfortunately, broke it. He was put in trial and was put into the darkest dungeon of England. The jailer's daughter decided to help him out and disguise him as a widow. He escaped and went to a train station. He suddenly remembered that he had no money. He hitched a ride and discovered that he was being followed! He jumped out and slept through the night. In the morning, he saw a woman in a barge and fibbed that he was a washerwoman. He washed the clothes and laughed to himself about him being a washerwoman. The barge woman heard him and threw him out. He stole her horse and rode through the countryside. He found a gypsy with food. They traded: food and money for his horse. Toad was excited, now he can get home with money. As he was walking, he spotted the motorcar that he had broken! He fainted and found himself in the car with two men. They allowed him to drive the car but then noticed that he was the Toad that jacked their car! He crashed the car into the river and jumped out. He found the police after him again. Toad was swept away by the river until he met Rat!
Rat told him that weasels and ferrets had taken over his home. He also told him that Badger and Mole had tried to protect Toad's home but they were all too strong for them. They all went to an underground passage and popped out of Toad's pantry. They all fought the weasels and ferrets and managed to win the battle.
They had a party in Toad Hall and were surprised that Toad had really changed! He gave credit to Mole, Rat, and Badger for helping him rescue his house back. When everyone would see Mole, Rat, Toad, or Badger; they would remind themselves to think about the brave animals.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Extraordinarily Beautiful Book
Review: Somehow, I missed The Wind in the Willows when I was growing up. I knew the basic story from the movie and from an extremely abridged version, but I had never experienced Kenneth Grahame's actual novel. I didn't expect it to be very much different, but I was amazed by the reading experience of the actual novel. The world Grahame created is truly original and fascinating, and I don't think it can be captured in another medium besides the actual novel. I don't know if wonderful books like Watership Down and the Redwall series could exist without this. The characters are also so enjoyable. Rat, Mr Badger, Toad, and (my favorite) Mole are written with such warmth. They (with the contrast of Toad of course) exemplify old-time values. Grahame celebrates friendship, homelife, and the wonder of nature. My favorite section of the book is the chapter "Pipers at the Gates of Dawn." In it, Mole and Ratty find such beautiful in the sound of the wind blowing through the reeds on the side of the river. The effect of the section (written in such gorgeous prose) is almost metaphysical. The two friends see such joy in a life where you can experience such beauty in the world within such a strong friendship. The Wind in the Willows is truly a magnificent read which deserves to have lasted this long. Grahame's creation is still fresh and children and adults will surely continue to enjoy it for many years to come.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good, but it fails to be a masterpiece
Review: I'm afraid I must dissent from the raves usually given to the Wind in the Willows. I gave it four stars because rating it "average" would be an injustice - it's well better than average - but it was NOT the masterpiece I was expecting.

What I found most frustrating was that it is HALF of a great book: the first half of the book IS a genuine masterpiece. The writing is marvelous, thick and strong,and it haunts you. It is hard to believe that something written like this was EVER considered a children's book.

The running theme is Desire - that deep longing which permeates the human soul for we know not what, so sweet it hurts - and in the reading of the book Desire rises up and engulfs the reader. C.S. Lewis is also fascinated with this theme, and Tolkien cites it as the key to the charm of the fairy story. Both of them were no doubt strongly influenced by the Wind in the Willows, and you can feel the influence on every page.

And if Mr. Grahame had continued with the theme of Desire, I WOULD call it a great book. Unfortunately, the climax of the theme comes in the middle, with The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (one of the most marvelous things I have ever read), and the book is all downhill from there. It devolves from there into being a rather common adventure story. Not a BAD adventure story, mind you, but not at all extraordinary, and it was (for me) quite a bring down from the dizzying heights achieved in the middle of the book.

The Toad stuff just didn't interest me much, and Grahame turns into the book's centerpiece. At first, I thought Toad represented plain old lust - the dark side of Desire - and in a way, I still think so. But Grahame pulls away from his theme, and just turns the Toad into a picaresque rogue whose conversion is neither particularly moving nor particularly convincing. The Toad Adventures were enjoyable - but they were ONLY enjoyable, not brilliant.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Ms. Summit is a Disgrace to the English-Speaking World
Review: Ms. Summit has obviously never read a book as fine a work as this. Her inability to distinguish good from evil is apparent through her poor opinions, terrible grammar and lack of intellect. If Ms. Summit wishes to look for the "pure essence of all that is evil and boring" she should look in the mirror for once. She is obviously a "harverd inglesh magor" as she uses unenlightened vocabulary, and has poor critical skills.
The humble thought that people as sick and as poor-minded as Ms. Summit walk the earth sickens me beyond any comprehensible measure.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Eh...
Review: This "Loveable" Tale of adventure and friendship is anything but rememerable, infact it was the pure essence of all that is boring and evil only closely 2nd place from the most unenjoyable Golden Compass Series. During this book I felt all my emotions coming to life, the insesent gagging, my eyes drooping, my nose being clogged with the sheer stupidity, the ever resisting urge to rip the pages up and burn them and then laugh. My brain even hurt from the simplicity and I was about 6 when I read it. I just couldn't stand it, the only good part about it was that it was short so it ended quickly so I give it three stars for, Lame, Smelly, and stupid.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A great cartoon if it's what i think it is
Review: Since no one has revied this DVD and since I've never seen the DVD I don't know if this is the right movie. But if it is, it is classic.
I remember watching this during the holidays at my aunt's and uncles. Wild Mr. Toad and his crazy adventures and Ratty Mole and Badger. And the final battle between the heroes and the weasels to get them out of Mr. Toad's mansion.
The four stars are for the movie I saw as a kid, I don't know if this is that movie, but I hope it is.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Great Book
Review: "The Wind in the Willows" was a great book.
It takes place in England, back in in the early 1900's. The main characters are Mole, the Water Rat, Toad and the Badger. It is very enjoyable, and it really has some good adventures with Toad in it. It really gets you into it and it makes you feel like you are really there. It is a great classic, and it's one of my favorite books. It has both human traits and animal instincts. Sometimes the animals smell certain things, like animals do, and also the animals are like humans, such as the Badger, who is a non-society character. Toad is very lively and he has interesting adventures in the book. A great book indeed!


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