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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
this was a challenging read for me, as i am too old to remain interested in such a book. the story itself is quite entertaining had i read this when i was younger. it's full of moral and would be a great recommendation for children.
Wind in the willows has never been my favorite story, Toad hall and the animals as they overcome different hurdles together.
Still a classic so what do i know.... Mainly read for a challenge so giving 3 star....
Still a classic so what do i know.... Mainly read for a challenge so giving 3 star....
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Re-read for BritLit book club Sept. 2024.
This time I listened to the Simon Vance version, because I FREAKING LOVE SIMON VANCE.
Ahem.
The chapter "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" is worth the whole price of admission.
Kinda crazy I first read this 6 years ago on almost the exact same days.
________________
The Wind in the Willows is one of those books I managed not to read until I was in my 60s. Part of it is that I don't really care for talking animal tales/beast fables. I'm not sure why they annoy me so, but for the most part, they do.
I've had this Audible version for a while now. I think it may have been a freebie, because it's a "soundtrack" version. What that means in this context is that there are little noises in the background that underline what's happening in the text (e.g., He mounted the horse ::sound of horse neigh::). That part's ok, but the other part of the "soundtrack" is what sounds like public domain classical recording excerpts. And whoever picked the musical backing picked a LOT of music that didn't match what was happening in the story, and/or made the background music SO LOUD that it really distracted from the narration.
But the narration. Oh my. Michael Hordern is just so wonderful. He really brings the story to life. So I tolerated the silly music so I could listen to him.
And the story? Well, let's stipulate at the beginning that Mr. Toad is a huge flaming asshole. I remind myself that this story was written to entertain a boy, so I guess that's what's going on. I would have happily listened to more about Rat and Mole and Badger and Otter, and less about Toad. But in the toad-less parts, there were some real moments of beauty and wonder in the writing. A couple of places brought tears to my eyes.
I'm glad I finally got this one read. Now I can go read Kij Johnson's sequel. That will be interesting!
This time I listened to the Simon Vance version, because I FREAKING LOVE SIMON VANCE.
Ahem.
The chapter "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" is worth the whole price of admission.
Kinda crazy I first read this 6 years ago on almost the exact same days.
________________
The Wind in the Willows is one of those books I managed not to read until I was in my 60s. Part of it is that I don't really care for talking animal tales/beast fables. I'm not sure why they annoy me so, but for the most part, they do.
I've had this Audible version for a while now. I think it may have been a freebie, because it's a "soundtrack" version. What that means in this context is that there are little noises in the background that underline what's happening in the text (e.g., He mounted the horse ::sound of horse neigh::). That part's ok, but the other part of the "soundtrack" is what sounds like public domain classical recording excerpts. And whoever picked the musical backing picked a LOT of music that didn't match what was happening in the story, and/or made the background music SO LOUD that it really distracted from the narration.
But the narration. Oh my. Michael Hordern is just so wonderful. He really brings the story to life. So I tolerated the silly music so I could listen to him.
And the story? Well, let's stipulate at the beginning that Mr. Toad is a huge flaming asshole. I remind myself that this story was written to entertain a boy, so I guess that's what's going on. I would have happily listened to more about Rat and Mole and Badger and Otter, and less about Toad. But in the toad-less parts, there were some real moments of beauty and wonder in the writing. A couple of places brought tears to my eyes.
I'm glad I finally got this one read. Now I can go read Kij Johnson's sequel. That will be interesting!
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
I’ll tell you what, chapter v had me in pieces- I sobbed my whole heart out
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated