The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame Narrator: Shelly Frasier
Length: 6 Hours 34 Minutes
Published by Open Road Media on September 23rd 2014
Genres: Young Adult, Animals, General, Classics
Pages: 236
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased
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The classic story of Mole, Rat, Toad, Badger and the wonderful adventures they share
As spring begins to bloom across the countryside, so too does Mole’s desire to leave his underground home and venture into the wilds above. His journey delivers him to the banks of a river—the first Mole has ever seen—and to the blue-and-white boat captained by Rat. Their camaraderie sparked, Mole and Rat continue into the Wild Wood, meeting up with the cantankerous Badger and the impulsive Toad. No stranger to calamity, Toad and his reckless habits—including a tendency toward spectacular car crashes—will get the four friends into heaps of trouble, but their steadfast loyalty to one another always sees them through.
The Wind in the Willows is a charming, unforgettable ode to friendship and one of the most cherished children’s stories of all time.
This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
Why Did I Listen To The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame?
The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame was actually a re-read via audiobook for me. I was feeling a bit optimistic about this book as I really love listening to classics on audio – especially ones that I’ve already read. I feel like the familiarity adds a nice dimension. I had obtained this book for free when Amazon and Audible did their whispersync for audio classics promotion a few years ago. Now I am on a mission to listen to as much of my Audible library as possible before I obtain a library card in my new town, and so, here we are having listened to The Wind In The Willows.
What’s The Story Here?
So, when The Wind In The Willows opens, Mole is cleaning is home. Like you and I every time we do some cleaning, he gets bored. He’s then like, oh fuck this, and goes up to the surface and down to the river where he meets Water Rat and his adventure begins. Along the way, they make friends with Toad who is loaded. Toad also is a bit of an idiot and always spends his money in not so wise ways. At one point, Toad steals a car and then finds himself arrested. And the other animals end up with bad reputations because of this. Yeah, that’s right, The Wind In The Willows takes a kind of serious turn. Anyways, all ends up well and there’s some reforming and coming together and long, long friendships.
How Is This Book Upon Re-Reading?
I think that The Wind In The Willows is not a bad book to read more than once. I’ll admit, the first time I read it, I gave it five stars. This time around, this version and way that I read it via audio, I gave it three stars. The friendships and adventures between the animals are great, yes. However, I just was not as invested in this book as I was on the first go around. I also think that maybe if I was reading this to a kid, I would probably have liked it more than just listening to it for myself.
How’s The Narration?
The crux of why I did not love this book on this go around comes down to the audiobook. It was not very well produced. There’s static in the background, which are really apparent when the narrator goes quiet. The narrator, Shelly Frasier, tries, but I just wasn’t feeling it. I really felt like the audiobook of The Wind In The Willows was hampered by a lack of quality control. I think that the static and feedback should have been edited out. It just doesn’t feel like a finished version. I find that tends to be a common problem when I listen to classics released by this audiobook publisher. So, if you are going to read this book, don’t go with the audiobook. Go instead with an ebook or a physical copy.
Sum It Up With A GIF:
We are all Toad.
Other reviews of The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame:
Punchnels – “utterly delightful”
So Many Books – “a pleasant read”
Sarah Reads Too Much – “I really didn’t love this book all that much”
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This book is my go-to read when I’m feeling sick or just want to snuggle in bed and read all day.
I love this book! We used to have a brilliant audiobook version that I listened to all the time when I was younger, the Alan Bennett version from 1989 I think (an oldy but a goody) It’s worth a listen if you want a third try!