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.

Childhood Classics Part One (Peter Pan)

There's a few books that are such classics people just can't help tampering with them. In particular I'm thinking of Peter Pan and Wind In The Willows. Both have been made into films numerous times and both have had sequels (official and otherwise) written by various other writers determined not to let the story end where the original author decided.
Peter Pan is a gorgeous book, beautifully written and never quite sure where it falls on the growing up issue, Peter stays a child, but Wendy and the Lost Boys grow up. In the official sequel Peter Pan in Scarlet by Geraldine McCaughrean, the grown ups have to become children again in order to save Neverland and Pan. I've only read one unofficial sequel, Wendy by Karen Wallace, as until recently when the copyright ran out, the various others were not allowed to be published or distributed in the UK. Other books reference it, such as Astonishing Splashes of Colour by Clare Morrall, which takes its title and some of its themes from Pan.
Then there are the film versions, Disney's is not good. I know some people love it, but it's so far from Barrie's original tale that it's hard to watch it now. The 2003 live action one is better, although it adds a few scenes not in the novel. I have to admit to a fondness for Hook, with Robin Williams playing a grown up Pan who has forgotten Neverland. It's quite sweet and seems to be trying to honour Barrie's story and not step all over it. Neverland is very well imagined and the pirates and Lost Boys are great fun. But really, for me at least, nothing quite beats J.M Barrie's great children's classic (which all adults should read to remember the magic of childhood) Peter Pan (Peter and Wendy as it was originally called!).