The Wind in the Willows: Kenneth Grahame

   Image Credit: Bookrags

 "Why have they not made a wonderful cute animated movie out of this book yet?!?!" That was my first confused thought after reading this book. Later I found out that they did - more than a decade ago, in 1996. Wonder what I was doing in '96? aah yes I remember I was preparing for university. I still wish they would do a newer version now - I mean, the technology has changed so much since then, it would be a delight to see this book come alive on screen.

Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows ranks 16th in BBC's 2003 list of 100 Best Read Novels. It is in this sense that it can be safely ranked among the classics.

It had been such a long time ago that I had read a book where animals talked, did fun things, go off on adventures, be mean to each other, make up, have more adventures - and all the while teaching valuable lessons like best friends being there for each other when you need them; even in this "life full of care, take time to stand and stare" etc.

So it was wonderful meeting Mr. Toad of Toad Hall with tons of money but not of reliable character as he is after whatever catches his fancy every now and then which leads to "adventures" of various kinds and sometimes with not so pleasant consequences. His infatuation with motor-cars is the best one!

Then there is Mr.Mole who runs off from home one fine spring morning and bumps into Mr.(Water) Rat and very soon they become the best friends ever! And then there is wise Mr.Badger who is always there to help out his friends when they get into trouble, especially Toad.

This is a slow book no doubt and it has to be read thus. Not rushed like the maniacally fast life we lead now. Read slowly, soak in the elaborate boat-ride picnics these friends have. Live the very slow pace of life they lead, pay attention to the little grasses swaying in the wind, the river gurgling with happiness, the very slowly developed friendship with the shy Mr.Badger, the lazy hazy days at Toad Hall, feel the patient pastoral poetry of Mr.Rat - basically absorb a way of life that no longer exists.

And when the adventures begin, make sure you don't miss that little bumpy ride, those witty retorts, them elaborate disguises and the funny passages where the police are left fuming and at their wits end! And then of course there is that great insight into the life of a Seafarer through a wandering sea-rat's narration of his life. And when all this is done, go for one last "war" with these four friends to reclaim the famed Toad Hall Castle from the Weasels and Snouts of the wild wood who had the audacity to take over it, while Toad was away!

Let go of the adult in you and let the child in you come out freely, THEN - this book will be like the best and most delightful merry-go-round ever created - one minute you are crying, next minute you are in splits with your belly aching, the very next minute you are anxious for the safety of one the characters and then the author kindly lets you relax and feel the time passing, from Summer to sober Autumn and then on to lazy Winter. But when happy Spring returns you are taken on an another adventure which you won't even realize until you are already right in the middle of that adventure!

The season descriptions are so real so near that I actually wore a blanket when reading through the "Winter" passages in this hot summer Bangalore of well over a 100 degrees!

To sum up I would like to use a very Indian Indian-English slang - "Cuteness only, this book is!"

Verdict: A refreshing delightful "cute" classic!

Rating: 4/5



P.S: I bought a hard cover 1987 version of this book by Galley Press for a mere Rs.10 from a "used-book" seller in Bangalore. The version of the book I  have looks like this: 

Image Credit: Antiqbook

With gold lettering on the side, I may add :)