Customer Reviews:
Review of Kingdom of Willows for Changeling: the Dreaming.......1998-11-06
Ok, I just have to say, I love Changeling: the Dreaming anyway, and this book is the first in a hugely-anticipated (by me, anyway) line of Kingdom-books for Concordia. I love the way they present the information, also, by putting a continuing plot throughout the series of sourcebooks (the disappearance of High King David). I'm sure any southern fans of Changeling would get a kick out of it by recognizing some of their landmarks within the book, and it's why I'm looking forward to Kingdom of Grass. Basically, if you play Changeling, and you want a fully-fleshed setting and plot that you can do virtually anything with, buy this book.
Book Description
As Judge Dee copes with the administration of the plague-ridden Imperial Capital, he must also bring his skills to bear on the mystery of two seemingly unconnected murders that could mean the extinction of the city's oldest, most aristocratic families.
"All the charm, cruelty and fragile magic of China in the Tang Dynasty."—Chicago Sun-Times
"A tense and exotic mystery."—Publishers Weekly
Robert van Gulik (1910-67) was a Dutch diplomat and an authority on Chinese history and culture. He drew his plots from the whole body of Chinese literature, especially from popular detective novels that appeared in the seventeenth century.
Customer Reviews:
Judge Dee & Old Chinese Justice.......2004-09-20
Published in 1965, the historical mystery, The Willow Pattern, A Judge Dee Mystery by Robert van Gulik, portrays 7th century AD China and Judge Dee, the Lord Chief Justice in China's Imperial Capital. The author, a Dutch scholar writes in the manner of a traditional 18th century Chinese writer of 7th century Chinese mystery stories. Although historically Judge Dee was a magistrate in the Tang Dynasty, the stories are set in the Ming Dynasty. The antecedents of this popular mystery series is only the first complications the reader meet. Judge Dee (probably based on a real character) is an intelligent and canny Confucian Magistrate who always delivers impartial and fair justice to all. Populist hero Judge Dee and his justice are not always in line with the Imperial Rule justice. But Judge Dee's justice always solved the crimes and sends the evildoers to their doom.
But, justice did depend on Judge Dee and how he alone decided to investigate, interpret the facts, interpret the law, pass judgment and decide the sentence (if any) based on his judgment and knowledge of the case. There was no appeal after Judge Dee declared the verdict. Fair, impartial justice under the old Confucian system in China was solely dependent on the judgment of the magistrate. The mystery story, The Willow Pattern illustrates how arbitrary Chinese justice can be under the old Confucian system. Ordinary citizens of China were regulated differently from the nobility. Women were, of course even lower in status than ordinary citizens. The ability to defend their life with deadly force, a natural law that we take for granted in America, is illustrated in The Willow Pattern, "Women of the underworld sometimes carry an iron ball of about the size of a large egg in the tip of each sleeve. Since the law forbids ordinary citizens to carry daggers or other cutting weapons on their person, on the penalty of a flogging, those women have developed a special art of fighting with loaded sleeves." The "loaded sleeves" were considered deadly weapons. The people accepted their place in life since it was the will of heaven that the rulers had a mandate to rule. When they had a bad master they understood that they were expected to accommodate the situation as their fate. Speaking of a bad man (Yee) who was their master, Cassia explains, "He was a bad man, but he was our master. Heaven willed it so." Justice was also the will of heaven so when it was not arbitrary that was a blessing but not to be counted on.
The story here occurs during a time of plague and Judge Dee rules alone in the Imperial City and wears many different hats. He must administer and safeguard the city's food stores, manage the military (normally separate from civilian control) and deal with the disposal of the plague victims. Judge Dee also investigates charges of wrongdoing, conducts inquests concerning suspicious deaths and arbitrates civil affairs. He also prosecutes, defends, adjudicate and oversee sentencing of criminal cases. Judge Dee is also concerned with finding the causes of the plague, the plague sanitation problems and trying to ameliorate the conditions in the Imperial City. Justice in China during a state of martial law is also harsh with no mercy under Judge Dee. Under Judge Dee's rule when the hungry, poor men and women attempt to raid the granary for food, they are slaughtered by the military. Military iron-shafted arrows launched by the soldiers' crossbows are no match for the unarmed civilians. Judge Dee rationalizes that 30 dead men and women saved thousands of people from starving. Judge Dee does not investigate if there was a better way to deal with the hungry crowd. Floggings and beheadings are also considered rational steps for controlling the unruly crowds.
The fact that justice for all was not an ideal realized in old China escaped Judge Dee's discernment. The safeguards built into the Chinese justice system (ring a gong if something's wrong) do not always lend themselves to practical living. The pressures of Chinese life in old china for the poor to conform to the governments mandate to fulfill the will of heaven take their toll. His Confucian training and way of life does not leave room for the possibility of justice not being blind in a society mandated by heaven. "High up here in your palace, my lord, you know very little indeed about the kind of justice meted out by the minions of the law to us, the poor." In the end Judge Dee does mete out fair, impartial and creative justice and just desserts for the evil doers. But, even with Judge Dee heroics, justice in old China is not always assured or just for everyone.
A fun read on any level that you care to take it!
Great!.......2000-10-14
This book is great! I have read it 4 times!
Book Description
When Kenneth Grahame first entertained his son with letters about a petulant character named Toad, he had no way of knowing that his creation—together with his friends Mole, Rat, and Badger—would delight children for nearly 100 years. Here they are once more, pursuing adventure in gypsy caravans, stolen sportscars, and prison, but always returning to their beloved Wildwood. And although Grahame's characters are unmistakably animals, they remain endearingly human in their eccentricity, folly, and friendship.
Customer Reviews:
Read this now!.......2007-06-08
True, this book is a classic. But contrary to some other reviews you may read on this site, the book earns its status as a classic. It's a brilliant adventure, and you won't be disappointed.
Children's story.......2006-05-30
This is a story written for children. I honestly don't know whether this story would appeal to a child, but it seemed too cloyingly sweet to me.
It's a classic, which is the reason why I read it in the first place. I found the plot subservient to the descriptions of the way the animals live in their cute and cozy world, which did not endear me to the book.
It is quite possible that children will love this book for its imaginative drawing of a world where animals live as people. But, unlike other classics, such as "Narnia", "Peter Pan" or "Five Children and It", this one is not worth reading as an adult.
Book Description
". . . an unusually heartwarming novel no reader can ever forget. Opening doors into the heart, Gaddis writes about love and loss and about the important small things that are missed unless one takes time to look closely. He spins a warm, gentle tale about dogs and about people." --Sanford (SC) Herald
"It is a treasure, JENNY WILLOW, a rare find . . . one no selfrespecting sporting library should be without." --The NRA's American Hunter
Ben Willow loves above all else setter dogs, the mountains of West Virginia, and grouse. At eighty-three years old, widowed and lonely, a twist of fortune brings one last setter into his life: Jenny, a pup of undeniable brilliance. Jenny proves to be the best bird dog Ben has ever known, but more important, she becomes the old man's reason to live. He hopes he can last her lifetime. The greatest betrayal to a gun dog is to deny her her reasons for being: her master, the gun, and the hunt.
But when Ben's heart gives out while hunting, Jenny is suddenly alone on the mountain. A winter snowstorm comes in; Jenny is lost, attacked by a pack of wild dogs, and dog-napped by a sadistic hermit. Her hair-raising rescue by Ben's friend, Clyde-the local storekeeper-requires nothing less than murder.
JENNY WILLOW is more than a dog story. Beautifully told, steeped in the wonders of the natural world, it is about the relationship between a man and a dog, one man's transcendent love of freedom, and the loyalty true friendship requires. No one who reads this first novel will ever forget Ben or Jenny Willow.
Customer Reviews:
Dogs, hunters, relationships and poetry.......2003-03-24
Mike Gaddis has caught the mood of many things in this beautiful novel: with a poetic narrative and believable dialogue, he has outlined the life of a dog in relation to the human lives she touches. First, there is Ben Willow, yearning for another pup to train and hunt and still grieving the death of his beloved wife. In quick succession, we meet his best friend, his daughter, some local characters and a caring family with a son about to embark on his own set of adventures. All of these center upon the dog, and the description of her reaction to things rings true, from her first discovery of curious things to her instinctive response to the call of her senses.
The language of the book is wonderfully descriptive, recalling mind-pictures of nature seen, smelled and sensed. The reader is swept up into the story line, impatient to turn the page. There is a small glitch in the center of the book, a confusing description of local politics, but one can forgive this in a first novel, especially when it is overshadowed by so much of the book that works.
The only problem with this book is one encountered before, the inability to put it down for a moment before reaching the satisfying conclusion.
Great dog book.......2002-11-29
All the hunters in my family read and loved this book - although not a training book but the love between a dog and man is clearly defined. If you loving hunting and especially with a bird dog you will love this book.
Gettin' it.......2002-10-09
Live your own life, for you will die your own death
This is chiseled on a grave stone in the book, Jenny Willow by Mike Gaddis and is the pivotal point for the human characters in the book.
On the surface, the story is about an elderly widower who decides to train one more English Setter to hunt grouse before he dies.
However, it is much deeper than that - it is a story about an individual who is true to his own nature and feeds his love of dogs, hunting, nature. He manages to have a loving marriage, close friends, earn a living and be true to the essence of his avocation. It also is about a life long friend, voluntarily fulfilling the bonds and promises of friendship at the end of life.
Finally, it is about the rhythm of the Earth, the call of nature, man's abilty to age with grace and love.
Through the book the little tri-color setter, Jenny Willow, stitches the story together, just like she would stitch the undercover looking for a grouse.
"Live your own life, for you will die your own death" applies to everyone. Are we doing what we love? Are we true to our nature? Do we meet our own expectations? Do we stitch together relationships to last a lifetime? At the end our our days, will we still take joy our lives?
Give the book a read and a thought beyond the story line. It is not "just another dog story."
A Dog's meaning to Man and Vice Versus........2002-10-07
For someone looking for a book to learn how to train bird dogs or information on how to hunt the ruffed grouse, this is not the book.
This is a book to sit down and savor how a beautiful little tri-colored English Setter and her master interacted over the last years of the man life. Jenny, was the "fountain of youth for her master, Ben.
There are passages that will make, "a grown man cry." Any person who has owned good hunting dog will enjoy this book.
Don't miss the enjoyment of reading this excellent novel.
Good wingshooting book, but enough with the tears already!.......2002-08-17
Jenny Willow is the last hunting dog owned by Ben Willow, a taciturn, curmudgeonly West Virginian. Ben abandoned his career, and at times his family, to hunt grouse in the mountains. Now a widower, he takes on one last project, finishing a remarkable setter.
Mike Gaddis has the hunting and dog work down to a tee. He doesn't miss. He even manages a bit of the age old argument of bells versus beeper collars as a way to track a gun dog in the fielf. Ben would prefer the anachronistic tools of the trade, but his advanced age has him surrender to the modern. The rich lore of wingshooting or hunting tales has waned in the face of the barrage of gun control and the politically correct. Along with some recent books released by Wilderness Adventures (Brag Dog comes to mind)and David Gutterson's latest, we might be witnessing a minor resurgence in hunting literature
What Gaddis does not handle well are the emotions of his characters. This is the cryingest bunch since Charles Dickens penned some of his overblown characters. There is also a tedious sidetrack about getting it over on a small town blowhard that is confusing and unnecessary. And the sexual habits of septugenarians is not in my top ten literary pursuits.
A tough editor could have tightened this book into a minor classic.
Average customer rating:
- A light read!
- Worth Reading
|
Willow: A Novel
Linda Lael Miller
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
 Miller, Linda Lael | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Historical | Romance | Subjects | Books
Miller, Linda Lael | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
General | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
General | Historical | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:
-
Wanton Angel
-
Lauralee
-
Moonfire
-
Angelfire
-
Memory's Embrace
ASIN: 0671737732 |
Book Description
Montana was a wide-open, lawless land when the golden-haired Willow married Gideon -- a railroad magnate turned U.S. Marshal. Their union was tempestuous and passionate, a mating of two fiery, strong-willed souls destined for each other.
But Willow's love for her husband was matched by her devotion to her outlaw brother, a renegade pursued by a man sworn to hunt him down -- Gideon! Willow had to choose....She could betray her own kin, or risk everything -- even the love she had dreamed of all her life -- to save him.
Customer Reviews:
A light read!.......2002-07-29
This was the first book I read by Linda Lael Miller and I don't believe it will by my last. I enjoyed the main characters Willow and Gideon. I also enjoyed how Ms. Miller developed the other characters in the book like Daphne and Devlin. I truly felt Willow's undying love for her mis-guided brother.
I did find some parts confusing like how the bloodline worked between Willow, Steven and Devlin. And I didn't feel completion between Willow and Zachery; and Gideon and Zachery.
But all in all, I would recommend this book if you are looking for a light, entertaining read.
Worth Reading.......2000-05-20
Willow is not one of my favorite books by Linda Lael Miller, but I enjoyed it.Willow was a very strong willed young woman torn between love for her husband Gideon, who is a US Marshall and her outlaw brother, Stephen. However, in the end , love does conquer all and everyone has a happy ending.
Book Description
Buffy the Vampire Slayer's own Amber "Tara" Benson takes up scripting duties on these collected stories of everyone's favorite Wiccan couple with the help of writer Christopher Golden (Angel, Buffy TVS: The Watcher's Guide, BPRD). This volume will collect the Willow and Tara one-shot "WannaBlessedBe" drawn by Terry Moore, the two-part Willow and Tara: "Wilderness" story and Andi Watson's two- part Willow and Tara comic strip featured in Dark Horse Extra!
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful collection.......2003-10-17
This collection contains three stories , "WannaBlessedBe", "Wilderness" and "Demonology Menagerie".
The first one, "WannaBlessedBe" is five by five! This story is written by two of my favorite people, Chris Golden & Amber Benson. I loved the way they handled Willow & Tara's relationship, very subtle, very BtVS 4th/ fifth season.(This story takes place in the fifth season.) What I also loved about this story was the way it was drawn (done by Terry Moore, Strangers in Paradise genius).Beautifully done.5/5
Oh, and check out Tara reading "Strangers in Paradise"!
The second story, "Wilderness" was awesome! It takes place in the sixth season. I love this action-packed story of Willow, Tara and Dawn taking a fieldtrip. Also written by Amber Benson and Chris Golden. The graphics aren't as beautifully done as in the previous story, but it totally suits the story. 5/5
The third instalment is a short story written by Andi Watson. It's a cute story that takes place in the fifth season. 3.5/5
I recommend this collection to any Buffy fan or comics fan, especially if you're a fan of Willow and Tara.
Wonderful collection!.......2003-10-17
This collection contains three stories , "WannaBlessedBe", "Wilderness" and "Demonology Menagerie".
The first one, "WannaBlessedBe" is five by five! This story is written by two of my favorite people, Chris Golden & Amber Benson. I loved the way they handled Willow & Tara's relationship, very subtle, very BtVS 4th/ fifth season.(This story takes place in the fifth season.) What I also loved about this story was the way it was drawn (done by Terry Moore, Strangers in Paradise genius).Beautifully done.5/5
Oh, and check out Tara reading "Strangers in Paradise"!
The second story, "Wilderness" was awesome! It takes place in the sixth season. I love this action-packed story of Willow, Tara and Dawn taking a fieldtrip. Also written by Amber Benson and Chris Golden. The graphics aren't as beautifully done as in the previous story, but it totally suits the story. 5/5
The third instalment is a short story written by Andi Watson. It's a cute story that takes place in the fifth season. 3.5/5
I recommend this collection to any Buffy fan or comics fan, especially if you're a fan of Willow and Tara.
Average customer rating:
|
The Wind in the Willows (Junior Classics)
Kenneth Grahame
Manufacturer: Naxos Audiobooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
General | Classics by Age | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Comics & Graphic Novels | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Grahame, Kenneth | ( G ) | Authors & Illustrators, A-Z | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Fiction | General | Animals | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Children's Fiction | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
Animals | Children's Fiction | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
Classics | Children's Fiction | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
General | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
Animals | Children's Books | Boxed Sets | Formats | Books
Literature | Children's Books | Boxed Sets | Formats | Books
Comics & Graphic Novels | Boxed Sets | Formats | Books
Similar Items:
-
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (Classic Literature With Classical Music. Junior Classics)
-
Tales from the Greek Legends (Junior Classics)
-
Winnie-the-Pooh (Pooh Original Edition)
-
The Wind in the Willows
-
Frog and Toad CD Audio Collection
ASIN: 9626342773
Release Date: 2002-09-02 |
Customer Reviews:
Great for fans of the movie, so-so otherwise.......2004-08-05
Willow Ufgood is a nelwyn (little people) farmer who aspires to being a good farmer, a good father, and (if possible) the village sorcerer's next apprentice. However when he finds a daikini (tall people/us) baby, his whole world is turned upside-down. This baby is Elora Danan, a child of prophecy, destined to be the end of the evil witch-queen Bavmorda, and Bavmorda's army is looking for her. There's a destiny at work here, and Willow must see it through. But along the way he will find help in unexpected places, most unexpectedly in the form of Madmartigan, a rogue of rogues and self-proclaimed "greatest swordsman that ever lived."
All right, this book is a novel based on the screenplay for the movie of the same name. It doesn't seek to be a mere text edition of the movie, but sets out to expand and improve upon the screenplay. Do you want to know where Vohnkar learned to be a great warrior? Do you want to know about the rise of Fin Raziel and Bavmorda? Do you want to know the past of Madmartigan and Airk Thaughbaer? Well, this book is the place to look! Being a fan of the movie, I deeply enjoyed all of the background information that this book gave me. It really filled in a lot of blanks.
Now, that said, how does the book do as a standalone novel? Overall, I found it to be somewhat thin when it came to motivation. That is, the characters often seemed to be marionettes going through an act, rather than living, breathing people, caught up in a dark adventure. But, in spite of that, I did enjoy the book, and am very glad I read it. I highly recommend it to all fans of the movie, and guardedly recommend it everyone else.
Mostly enjoyed. A couple disappointments........2003-11-05
Overall I enjoyed the book. I liked seeing the new background to the story. I wonder how much of it was cut from the movie, and how much of it was created by Wayland Drew. The beginning starts out well. There were a few small but nice scenes from the movie that were not in the book. That was a bit disappointing, because there was no need to cut them out. Madmartigan's character seemed to be slightly off, and in my opinion the ending in the book wrapped things up a little too quickly.
Willow's Missing Bits Made This Good.......2000-03-28
I am a big fan of the film and decided I would read the Chris Claremont/George Lucas trilogy that carries on the story recently.
I figured I would start with the novel before the trilogy, Willow (the film's novelization).
I have read some pretty terrible novelizations, and some really great ones. This one I'm giving an average rating. Overall it moves just like the film, although some of the action and most of the comedy that was in the film, is missing in the novel. Madmartigan's humour must have totally relied on Val Kilmer's performance. The other characters are up to par though.
The greatest reason to read this novel as a fan of the movie are the few scenes that must have been cut, or too expensive for the film. One thing that totally shocked me was the entire new character and storyline that was missing from the film! Sorsha's father! In the film you never meet him. In the novel it is great!
It's a short novel that took me a sitting to read. I don't recommend this novel to anyone other than fans of Willow, who will really enjoy the missing bits from the film!
Loved The Film, Not The Novel........2000-03-07
I have always been a huge fan of the Willow film. Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley had great chemisty and it worked perfectly.
In the novel Kilmer's Madmartigan character doesn't come through as well. His wise-cracking antics and such are not presented well, if they are present at all.
The novel lacks description. Not of just places and people, but of actions. Too much does it rely on script-like dialogue to tell the story. Leaving the reader to figure out on their own what s happening during dialogues.
Like most novelizations, I read this one to hopefully hear a little more that went on in the story. Thankfully it was there. Some strange additions and welcome additions were in this novel. Entirely new characters and small new storylines are there. To my shock there is a red-haired king involved of which I don't want to go into too much detail, but the novel really surprised me with this little tidbit.
I grabbed a copy of this novel mainly to introduce me to the stories by George Lucas and Chris Claremont series that takes place after this story. Shadowmoon, Shadowdawn, and Shadowstar.
I don't regret that I read this novel as it only took me one sitting, but hopefully the rest of the Willowish novels will be better.
This is possibly my favorite book.......1998-04-15
I got this book when I was in second grade (nine years ago) and now I have read it so many times the book is almost falling apart! I also watch the movie very often. I can't wait until all the books following this one are out!
Average customer rating:
- A strange mix but entertaining
- Said the Mole...
- Never stumbled over it until adulthood, still thought it was great
- Don't Read This Book
- A charming classic
|
The Wind in the Willows (Signet Classics)
Kenneth Grahame
Manufacturer: Signet Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
20th Century | British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Mythology | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
British | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Fairy Tales | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Fairy Tales | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
British | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
20th Century | British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
General | Mythology | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:
-
Just So Stories
-
The Secret Garden (HarperClassics)
-
The Jungle Books (Signet Classics)
-
Charlotte's Web (Trophy Newbery)
-
A Wrinkle in Time
ASIN: 0451530144 |
Amazon.com
If you ever feel like falling into a beautiful comic-book story--in the same way one falls back into a warm field of grass--reach for Michel Plessix's lush adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows. The artwork is an aquarelle, with thin, precise, detailed lines. It's no wonder he received numerous awards for his previous effort, Julien Boisvert, a contemporary take on the Tintin character type. In Wind in the Willows, Plessix breathes life into Mole, Rat, and Toad (of Toad Hall) as they picnic on the riverbank, indulge in Toad's latest fad, and get lost in Wild Wood. The pacing is masterful: each panel lingers just long enough to make you appreciate the simple pleasures of life.
This review refers to ISBN 1561631965.
Book Description
A classic of magical fancy and enchanting wit, this children's tale follows the adventures of an intrepid quartet of heroes-Mole, Water Rat, Badger, and the incorrigible Toad.
Customer Reviews:
A strange mix but entertaining.......2007-08-22
A children's classic that escaped my childhood readings, I read this as research for a short story I did.
A rich vocabulary with a strange mix of sometimes natural and sometimes human characteristics for the animals, the short sections were enjoyable and fast paced.
I think I prefer either the simpler Pooh stories or the more complex Watership Down, however.
Said the Mole..........2007-07-24
"What's a little wet to a water rat?"
If it's been a while treat yourself to a re-read of this story. There's something for everyone inside, but WIND IN THE WILLOWS must be read for itself. Take it slow and easy, and let the story grab hold. This is not the book to be read among throngs; but it will become a perfect vacation treat, to be consumed on a beach, or a cruise, or a quiet backyard weekend.
"I'm more in the water than out of it most days."
Never stumbled over it until adulthood, still thought it was great.......2007-06-04
I've read a lot of heavy stuff in the last year or so, and I decided to stick to children's fiction and other light reading for a month to sort of clear my palate. I picked up The Wind in the Willows and started into it without expecting much; I'd seen cartoon versions of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride quite a bit when I was a little kid, but never really felt interested in the book itself.
The book is like no other children's book I've ever read. It's ostensibly set in England, but obviously the anthropomorphic animals and idyllic setting make it more of a fantasy England than a real one. Kenneth Grahame loved the countryside, loved the relaxed life of someone who spends entire days drifting down a river in a boat, and one of his best achievements in this book is making you feel every ounce of pleasure that he ever got out of that lifestyle.
The funniest and most entertaining chapters center mostly on Mr. Toad, his boisterous personality and his exploits. He is an arrogant fool, but it's impossible to dislike him. Grahame draws him perfectly, and his story is never dull, but if this book were only about Mr. Toad's comical adventures it would be merely a great children's book and not a great book for all ages.
Fortunately, we also have Mr. Toad's three friends, Water Rat, Badger and Mole. The best chapters for the adult reader center around these characters and their relationships. The chapter in which Water Rat and Mole go looking for a friend's lost child and end up meeting a god is incredibly affecting. The chapter Wayfarers, in which Water Rat almost leaves the riverside life to go traveling, is also incredible. There is a depth of adult emotion in many of the non-Toad chapters that make the book well worth reading for anybody, and what makes the book so singular is that these very adult yearnings and feelings are addressed in a way that makes them entertaining even to children, who will not relate to them in most ways. The book goes to some very odd and peculiar places for a children's book, but it does so in a way that allows the children to come along as well. Anybody seeking to write for a universal audience should take notes from Grahame.
I wish I'd read this as a child so I could better know the child's perspective on it, but as an adult, I'm saying go ahead and read it no matter who you are. This book really does have something for everyone.
Don't Read This Book.......2007-04-13
Wind in the willows by Kenneth Grahame is a very childish book that I would recommend to my two year old cousin. I would not recommend this book to kids are age because it is childish and it isa fast read. It is about talking animals that get their house stolen by weasels and they steal it back by running at them and hitting them on the head with sticks.
Toad go's off on a trip, he gets put in jail for stealing a car. He escapes jail, finds some washer woman close, so every one things he's a washer woman. He gets on a train, he's the only passenger. When they are about halfway to Toads house they see a train coming after them faster and faster. Toad finally tells the Conductor that that is the police and they are coming after him because all he had done. so the conductor helps him get away. Then he runs into a barge woman, he asks if he can get a ride after a while she figures out he is not a washer woman but a frog so she throws him off. So he steals the horse that's pulling the boat and rides off on it. He runs into a man the. He asks man if he wants to buy a horse but Toad wants more money than the man is offering but Toad makes a deal "if you give me a meal and that money I will give you this horse. When he was done eating he left with the money and a full belly. He found a road while walking he saw a car coming but then he figured out it was the car he had stolen before, he froze he could not move. so the people thought he was in trouble so they put him in the car.
Like I said this is a very childish book, the only reason anyone would read this is to get an easy A.
A charming classic.......2007-04-09
No child who loves a good story should be without this book. The illustrations are indeed wonderful and will delight the adult and the child. This story is loaded with life lessons. The characters represent a mixed sampling of life's offerings.
The story is a little difficult to read and will be very frustrating for children 4 to 8 to attempt on their own. In fact, depending on the child, some 10 year-olds might very well require assistance.
Reading it aloud is a good idea for several reasons: it is British and therefore doesn't read like an American novel and the characters are old fashioned. There is magic in that "read aloud time" one spends with their little ones. The characters and storyline itself will lead to questions and we are then amazed at how much our child understands. And because of these elements and simple charm of this story our children acquire a taste for better literature.
There are too few books that help us grow and recognize what to avoid in life without preaching to us, and The Wind in the Willows is one of those. I am rating this 4 stars, because as good as it is some my get lost in translation from British to American.
Books:
- Knuffle Bunny (Bccb Blue Ribbon Picture Book Awards (Awards))
- Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting
- Lone Star Nation: The Epic Story of the Battle for Texas Independence
- Lovers: Great Romances of Our Time Through the Eyes of Legendary Writers
- Magic Tree House Boxed Set 1, Books 1-4: Dinosaurs Before Dark, The Knight at Dawn, Mummies in the Morning, and Pirates Past Noon
- Morning Comes Softly (Harper Monogram)
- Morning Glory
- My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding
- My Descent Into Death: A Second Chance at Life
- Never Be Lied to Again: How to Get the Truth In 5 Minutes Or Less In Any Conversation Or Situation
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- History: Fiction or Science
- A Princess Primer
- Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic Chemicals: Volume I: Fate and Exposure
- The Manhattan Directory of Private Nursery Schools
- The Glass Castle: A Memoir
- American Corrections
- Twins: A Practical Guide to Parenting Multiples from Conception to Two Years Old
- Tales from the Art Crypt: The painters, the museums, the curators, the collectors, the auctions, the
- The Art of Seeing: An Interpretation of the Aesthetic Encounter
- THE LETTERS OF PRIVATE WHEELER 1809-1828
Freeholds and Hidden Glens (Changeling - the Dreaming)
Isle of the Mighty (Changeling - the Dreaming)
Noblesse Oblige, the Book of Houses (For Changeling, the Dreaming)
