Childhood Classics Part Two (The Wind in the Willows)

I have to admit that Kenneth Grahame's novel was not one of my favourite's as a child, I preferred Roald Dahl and fairy tales, but I did read it. However, it was only on coming back to it as an adult that I appreciated just what a great book it is. Grahame wrote it for his son, the back story is quite sad, and I won't go into it here. It's not the first novel with talking animals who seem more human than wild. The characters have become archetypes, Toad stands for boorish people with money who go through life without any regard for others, Badger is the wise hero of the story, and Mole and Ratty are just terrific, messing about in boats! Their honest friendship keeps them sane when Toad drags them into his misadventures and scrapes, he might be the funniest character in the book, but he's also the worst. Definitely a bad example. There have been numerous adaptations, mainly for stage and television, as well as a series of spin-off novels by William Horwood (Toad Triumphant, The Willows in Winter, The Willows and Beyond).
But the original is a strangely beautiful piece, the chapter 'Piper At The Gates of Dawn' is extraordinary and feels like it's from another book entirely. Reading it as an adult does give you a different take on Grahame's one book than the simple face value that a child reader takes. I highly recommend it for adult and child readers alike.