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lisarhianon's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
caitlinjohnson's review
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
heather_lt's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A fun and entertaining "retelling" of the childrens classic 'The Wind in the Willows' where all the main characters are female. I liked it. But I think it's wrong to call it a retelling when the stories were not the least bit dissimilar to what the original author wrote, and to weigh in on the discussion about the gender switch... If you want to gender flip a story, sure. Go ahead. But at least re-write it. Don't just switch the gender of the characters for the sake of equality. Re-tell the actual story. Better yet, let other women write their own stories that may go on to be classics of their own.
cnohero's review
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
pinkfluffygoat's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
suniba's review
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
sarabook's review
2.0
The struggle is real.
Quintessentially British, The Wind in the Willows follows the adventures of Mole, Ratty, Badger and the eccentric Toad along their riverbank homes through the seasons.
Badger and Toad were by far my favourite characters. Badger, with the gruff exterior, demonstrates a more sensitive side when trying to deal with the extrovert Toad, often defending him against the more easily rattled Ratty. He also has a fondness for the children of the Wild Woods, rescuing lost animals caught out in the snow during the winter time with a quiet confidence. Toad, by comparison, is anything but quiet. He’s widely extravagant, over the top, childish, selfish and indulgent to everyone he meets. He loves his friends dearly, yet still thinks he’s cleverer and more interesting than them and his obsessions with ‘things’ only leads to more trouble for all involved. The relationship between Ratty and Mole in the earlier chapters was nice too, and felt genuine and pure at heart.
And that’s where the positives end. The plot and pacing for this were awful, with entire chapters that didn’t lead anywhere or have any real purpose. The descriptions of the riverbank through the different seasons was incredibly detailed, with lush descriptions of reeds and undulating river bends, but they went on for paragraphs at a time - making this incredibly dull to wade through. If it wasn’t for Toad’s chapters with their action scenes, I honestly don’t think I would have finished this.
If you want incredibly detailed descriptions of the British countryside with an almost no existent plot, this is for you. Otherwise, stick to one of the many movie versions out there (I highly recommend the version with Matt Lucas as Toad).
Quintessentially British, The Wind in the Willows follows the adventures of Mole, Ratty, Badger and the eccentric Toad along their riverbank homes through the seasons.
Badger and Toad were by far my favourite characters. Badger, with the gruff exterior, demonstrates a more sensitive side when trying to deal with the extrovert Toad, often defending him against the more easily rattled Ratty. He also has a fondness for the children of the Wild Woods, rescuing lost animals caught out in the snow during the winter time with a quiet confidence. Toad, by comparison, is anything but quiet. He’s widely extravagant, over the top, childish, selfish and indulgent to everyone he meets. He loves his friends dearly, yet still thinks he’s cleverer and more interesting than them and his obsessions with ‘things’ only leads to more trouble for all involved. The relationship between Ratty and Mole in the earlier chapters was nice too, and felt genuine and pure at heart.
And that’s where the positives end. The plot and pacing for this were awful, with entire chapters that didn’t lead anywhere or have any real purpose. The descriptions of the riverbank through the different seasons was incredibly detailed, with lush descriptions of reeds and undulating river bends, but they went on for paragraphs at a time - making this incredibly dull to wade through. If it wasn’t for Toad’s chapters with their action scenes, I honestly don’t think I would have finished this.
If you want incredibly detailed descriptions of the British countryside with an almost no existent plot, this is for you. Otherwise, stick to one of the many movie versions out there (I highly recommend the version with Matt Lucas as Toad).
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