'The Wind in the Willows' by Kenneth Grahame

The Wind in the Willows is a story about little animals dealing with big problems in the English countryside. The flowing streams, the darkening sky at night, the softness of the winter’s first snow – all these descriptions of nature show that the author, Kenneth Grahame, was a true lover of the wilderness. The realistic and diverse personalities of the four main characters indicate Grahame’s evident knowledge of the psyche. The story’s self-contained chapters are demonstrative of the author’s grasp on the tale-telling and narrative arches. The interesting characters, idyllic natural settings and the satisfying plot all make this a memorable read.

Grahame was a Scottish banker who was very bored with his work at the Bank of England. Published in 1908 The Wind in the Willows is an expansion of the bedtime stories that Grahame used to tell his children. It certainly has the comfortable and snugly feel of a bedtime story. You can read one chapter and comfortably put the book down; each chapter reads like its own short story. As it happened, the book’s well-reception allowed Grahame to retire from that stuffy job at the bank and to move by the River Thames in Berkshire, and spend his time much in the same way as the animals in the book – messing around in boats, exploring the wild wood, having supper with friends etc. His love of this almost Daoist way of life shines through. In the story, he succeeded in capturing a true love of nature.

It all begins with Mole, a nervous and somewhat naïve creature, scurrying around his underground home, doing spring cleaning. He ventures outside, meets Rat and Toad and Badger, and learns the way of the river. Although it begins with Mole, he is not really the main character. A lot of time is devoted to the other characters as well. They each are featured in their own chapters. Toad is probably the most memorable character, because of his antics, and Rat and Badger are respectable and admirable. Badger is a sage father-like figure, while Rat is the epitome of a good friend.

One of the most obvious recurring themes in the book is the tension between the love and comfort of home and the seductive call of adventure. There are points in the story where each of Mole, Rat and Toad have to deal with this tension. Mole is drawn back to his home and his heart is torn apart by the realization that he had left it, rat is tempted to move south to the Mediterranean by a particularly interesting encounter with a Sea Rat merchant, and Toad is constantly engaging in adventure so destructive that it threatens to ruin his life. In the end, though, the creatures always come back home. Badger is the one character who is not tempted by adventure too much. He is comfortably settled, and enjoys hibernating in the winter.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I love stories about animals who can talk and who act like humans. It was so simple to read; each chapter was easily digestible and the story never felt boring. I could either read one chapter and put it down satisfied, or I could read a couple and be totally engaged. It was calming, meditative, funny and intriguing. I was really inspired by the simplicity of the story. There was also a spiritual nature to it that was attractive. In one chapter, for instance, the Mole and Rat met Pan, the Greek demigod of nature. He is somewhat of a ‘guardian of nature’ and it is clear that there is a spiritual component to the lives of the animals. The descriptions of nature also portray beauty and spirituality that is highly enjoyable.

I feel that this is almost a perfect little book. It is not challenging to read. It could be enjoyable by a teenager or an elder. I’ve seen some clips on YouTube of TV adaptations of this book, but overall I felt that they were not interesting. The book stands alone. I hope that everyone is compelled to pick this book up from their local library or shop. It’s a classic tale and it should encourage us to connect with nature.