A review by megelizabeth
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

adventurous emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5

I never read this book as a kid, and read it more now to finally get around to it rather than because I necessarily thought it would be massively my thing, but I completely unexpectedly absolutely loved it. I actually think I enjoyed it a lot more now than I would have when I was younger, though of course it's impossible to stay for sure. It's got the perfect mix of cosy and wholesome vibes on the one hand, and sense of danger and adventure on the other. I adored the focuses on friendship and on bettering yourself, and I adored the prominent role nature played and all the brilliant descriptions.

There is unfortunately some misogyny and fatphobia that comes through, and while I can appreciate the context of when this was written, it still doesn't make for an enjoyable reading experience in that aspect and I still think it's important to view critically. Separately, I also found that, while the pacing is generally good, there's a bit of a 'time jump' towards the end that didn't quite work for me. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this overall, and I'm so glad that I finally got to this book; I can absolutely see why it's such a classic and why it's stood the test of time.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings