Can any book be more quintessentially English than The Wind in the Willows? I blame it for my early stages of Anglophilia, but I’ve only very recently realize it was originally a book. I knew it first through the Thames Productions adaptation.
I have fond memories of not only the show, but also, strangely, of Thames’ intro. When it came up you knew you were in for a treat, and although I know it was also the intro to other shows, in my memory it’s forever attached to The Wind in the Willows.
Ah to be a kid in the 80s in Portugal! I’ve no idea why, but on top of the ones dubbed in Portuguese, we got a huge mix of cartoons dubbed in other languages (originals were usually Japanese) and then subtitled in Portuguese. I can still sing parts of the generic of Alice im Wunderland and Ferdy the Ant in German, Les Mystérieuses Cités d’Or in French, Captain Planet (We‘re the Planeteers, you can be one to!) in English and Boes Boes in Dutch. Others were left in their original language and only subititled, like the soccer cartoon Tsubasa (Japanese – do you remember the Japan vs. Brasil game? A classic!) and The Tale of Tsar Saltan (Russian).
But I digress. The Wind in the Willows was very different from I was expecting. The biggest surprise was that Grahame alternates the adventures of Toad, Mr. Badger, Ratty and Mole with slower chapters that, although still involving the characters, are more lyrical and focused on things like love of home, friendship and the wonder of small things. In theory, these changes in mood could become contrived, but Grahame does it so naturally that you can’t help feeling that all works wonderfully.
It was a great and beautiful discovery, these thoughtful and happy sections. More nostalgia-happy than puppy-happy, and some parts got me all teary.
My favorite moment was when Mole, who had lived with Ratty a long time and was having too much fun to notice time fly, noticed a familiar smell while walking in the forest. The smell of his long-forgotten home.
Shabby indeed, and small and poorly furnished, and yet his, the home he had made for himself, the home he had been so happy to get back to after his day’s work. And the home had been happy with him, too, evidently, and was missing him, and wanted him back, and was telling him so, through his nose, sorrowfully, reproachfully, but with no bitterness or anger; only with plaintive reminder that it was there, and wanted him.
Also loved the descriptions of food, in particular of Mr. Badger’s winter storage. Could his home be a better safe haven, especially after you were lost in a cold, unknown and dark forest? Grahame’s descriptions of domestic bliss can only compete with those by Mrs. Gaskell.
Rows of spotless plates winked from the shelves of the dresser at the far end of the room, and from the rafters overhead hung hams, bundles of dried herbs, nets of onions, and baskets of eggs. It seemed a place where heroes could fitly feast after victory, where weary harvesters could line up in scores along the table and keep their Harvest Home with mirth and song, or where two or three friends of simple tastes could sit about as they pleased and eat and smoke and talk in comfort and contentment.
I understand the chapter “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn” is the general favorite and I can well understand why. This is the moment when The Wind in the Willows really goes beyond “children’s book” and becomes, simply, a “Classic”. Still, my favorite, the one that really made the book for me, was “Wayfarers All”. It’s about how the Water Rat gets seduced by the nomadic lifestyle of his friend the Sea Rat. It appealed to my wanderlust streak and rang true in many moments. It starts:
The Water Rat was restless, and he did not exactly know why.
I read this in a tattered second-hand copy but want to get a beautifully illustrated edition for my collection, to read to any future children.
I’ll leave you with the gang singing The Open Road:
***
Other thoughts: Just Books, The Literate Mother, somewhere i have never travelled, Rebecca Reads, Books ‘N Border Collies, A library is the hospital of the mind, Books Under Skin, Books for Breakfast, Drinks for Dinner (yours?)
11 comments
Comments feed for this article
January 9, 2012 at 7:48 pm
Melissa
I read The Wind in the Willows for the first time a couple years ago and and was surprised by the quiet sections too. I watched a cartoon version all the time when I was growing up and I loved it.
January 9, 2012 at 7:57 pm
Tiina
Oh my, that brought back memories! 🙂 I remember watching the TV-show, too & loving it. The Open Road snippet just put a huge grin on my face!
I haven’t read the book, though. It would be nice to read it.
January 9, 2012 at 8:10 pm
farmlanebooks
I haven’t read this (or most other childrens classics) I really want to read them, but feel I may be too old. I plan to read them to my children when they get a bit bigger – hopefully that way I’ll at least see my kids enjoy it. Glad you enjoyed it.
January 9, 2012 at 11:27 pm
Mady
Lindo, lindo, lindo!! Great post, brought back memories I did not remember anymore! Just looking at the first frame from the YouTube video (now that is such a familiar sight) made me sing the short piece of music! And also I associate that THAMES picture with the characters Toad, Mr. Badger, Ratty and Mole – however, I do wonder why I liked them so much, they were not particularly lovely and not even cartoons 😛 Must have been the stories! Which means that I must read this book, which I also had no idea existed!
Thank you for the memories again!
And I’m finally enjoying the luxury of having Internet at home! A 2012 resolution done 😉
January 10, 2012 at 10:52 am
Sandra Rosa
Les Mystérieuses Cités d’Or was a french/japanese production, it was ordered by the french, there is no japanese dub of the series, so the french is the original dub 🙂
January 10, 2012 at 6:49 pm
Shelley
My only exposure to the Wind in the Willows growing up was the “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride” ride at Disneyland in the US, but I had never seen the Disney adaptation and I’m sure I didn’t know it was based on a book. We did have a copy of the book in my fourth grade classroom, but the only thing I read at that time was The Chronicles of Narnia, over and over and over…
But I did read this just a year or two ago, and felt very much the same about it. I was expecting a just a fun, silly novel, but found it very thoughtful and moving.
January 12, 2012 at 7:14 am
Arti
This is a delightful book that I shared with my son when he was small. Despite its intent and characters which are meant for children, the prose and dense writing is more for adults than young children. Maybe older ones to read on their own.
January 12, 2012 at 11:01 pm
Roisin Mc Cormack
Really nice post, I had forgotten all about poor Mole and Ratty! I remember I read the books before I saw the cartoon and I was shocked by how evil Toad was portrayed in the cartoons compared to the book, I was like ‘cut him some slack, he’s rich!’ thanks for the memories 🙂
January 16, 2012 at 9:58 pm
Kristen M. (WeBeReading.com)
I also had a cheap copy of this one but last year bought the beautiful annotated version. I’m hoping to read it some time this year and learn something more about the background of the story.
August 3, 2012 at 3:09 am
sumera
Hey 🙂 xan anybody tell me the conclusion of the wind in the willows?
October 19, 2013 at 9:08 am
Christian Louboutin
Because of his Masculine Pretense, your man is afraid to admit to anyone even himself, how much he needs you. Those with a winning mind know that their vision is being tested.The heels encourage the wearer to assume a very sensual posture whereby the back is forced to arch. Before we delve into how to get rid of brown spots, I would like to inform you as to what it is that actually causes them to appear. All in all, 37 West 57th Street is the perfect location for a retailer with sophisticated New York New York, state, United States. Recreren glimp dicht bij strategien gepresenteerd, kon je uit elkaar verwerven door het diploma u misschien over het algemeen kritisch fabrikaat nodig dat kon wellicht methode op je een leven .Ensure that you purchase your Chanel purse from the respected vendor so you do not a lot of cash to get a carrier that’s not a traditional Chanel.Rivets: The rivets near leading coin pockets are produced a metallike material. Socks, on the other hand, are much like ties in the way you can be creative with them in matching them with your dress style.