The Wind in the Willows

After a short but thoroughly enjoyable journey with Kenneth Grahame's book, I have come to the end of the story. I loved it! This was my first experience with this book. We never read it or any of the condensed versions when I was a kid. All that I distinctly remember about the story at all is that I rode on "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" at Disneyland. That being my only prior exposure to the story, I was already excited to read it.

Just in general, I loved the writing. Grahame is so eloquent. His language is carefully chosen and poetic, lovely to read and even more lovely to listen to. Because of the beautiful writing the book was a treat for me and I was sad when I got to the end. I also loved the parts where he played with the language...like on page 125 he writes, "...and Toad was a helpless prisoner in the remotest dungeon of the best-guarded keep of the stoutest castle in all the length and breadth of Merry England."

Something that I noticed more than once in the book was the call to adventure. We talked a little about his in class back in the first or second week and this book exemplified that to me. On page one Mole is just casually minding his own business, cleaning his house and BAM! "Something up above was calling him imperiously." How many of us would just do that? Just up and leave for...I don't even know how long. Just go where we go. The adventurous spirit takes Rat over too as he listens to the seafaring Rat tell stories. The sea rat says, " 'And you, you will come too, young brother; for the days pass, and never return, and the South still waits for you. Take the Adventure, heed the call, now ere the irrevocable moment passes!' " (185) I love that! I wish that I was so free spirited and unattached that I could just go to the places I've always wanted to go. I think that this sea rat is telling us something very important. For all that we want to do and feel like we should do out of responsibility rather than desire, we are only guaranteed THIS one life. We can pretty much do with it what we want but the days will pass and they cannot be given back to us. DON'T WASTE THEM!!!!

The connections with Ulysses and the Odyssey were interesting as well. When I read that Toad Hall was taken over by squatters I didn't really make the connection right away. But the title of the last chapter really hits you over the head with a 2 by 4. Going back through Toad's journey, one can definitely see similarities with Ulysses. Especially on page 155 when Grahame writes, "It was hard [Toad] thought, to be within sight of safety and almost home, and to be baulked by the want of a few wretched shillings.." Poor Toad, like poor Ulysses, is sooo close. He just can't seem to get out of his luck. I think though that Toad and Ulysses are two very different characters. Ulysses had Poseidon against him which made his journey ten times as har. Toad, however, just made dumb decisions and was arrogant. It's a lot easier to feel sorry for Ulysses than Toad.

It's late and I have a ton to do tomorrow so I'll ponder the rest of my notes and especially "The Pipers at the Gates of Dawn" next time.