Reviews with content warning for Violence - The Wind in the Willows

I never read this book as a kid, and read it more now to finally get around to it rather than because I necessarily thought it would be massively my thing, but I completely unexpectedly absolutely loved it. I actually think I enjoyed it a lot more now than I would have when I was younger, though of course it's impossible to stay for sure. It's got the perfect mix of cosy and wholesome vibes on the one hand, and sense of danger and adventure on the other. I adored the focuses on friendship and on bettering yourself, and I adored the prominent role nature played and all the brilliant descriptions.

There is unfortunately some misogyny and fatphobia that comes through, and while I can appreciate the context of when this was written, it still doesn't make for an enjoyable reading experience in that aspect and I still think it's important to view critically. Separately, I also found that, while the pacing is generally good, there's a bit of a 'time jump' towards the end that didn't quite work for me. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this overall, and I'm so glad that I finally got to this book; I can absolutely see why it's such a classic and why it's stood the test of time.

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silverthorn's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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jkpiowa's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

My dad read this to me when I was little, though I didn't remember it at all. I was disappointed that there wasn't much plot, and there was quite a bit of misogyny. I know it's from 1908, but there are writers from before then that could write without denigrating women.

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miagw962's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Why not stay on quietly here, like us, and be jolly?

This was such an absurd little book. Definitely something I wouldn't have picked up on my own (thank you Mikala) and something that I was very sceptical about initially. I eventually ended up growing to love the characters (yes, even Toad) even though I had no idea what they were doing at the time. There's not really much going on with the story except for these randomly funny moments that see our characters in unexpected circumstances. It was quite surreal really. I have so many questions about the logistics of the animals in regards to the humans (at least I thought they were humans) they interact with. Also baffled at how so many people could think a toad in a dress was a washerwoman. I thought that was hilarious. I enjoyed my time overall even if it was really weird.

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