January Classic–The Wind in the Willows.

This is the second time I have set the goal to read a classic each month of a year. As I have gotten older, I have had the feeling that I haven’t read as many classics as I should have. We read a few in school but not as many as I would expect. So I have set out to mark 12 more off my list this year.

I decided to start the year with an easy one. I guess you could say that I didn’t want to set myself up for failure by choosing something like Moby Dick. After the last semester I had in school, I really wasn’t in much of a mood to read anything. The Wind in the Willows, a classic novel written for children, seemed like a good choice to ease myself back into reading.

I read most, if not all, of this book while at the gym. It kept me going on the elliptical many nights while Elizabeth was at swim practice. I may have read an illustrated storybook or two of The Wind in the Willows when I was a kid but never the complete novel. I knew it was about Toad and some of his pals, but I didn’t remember much about it. I have to say that I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Since finishing it, I have encouraged both Elizabeth and Stewart to read it.

So if you’re not familiar with the story, it was written by Kenneth Graham in England and published in1908. It’s neat to think that this was probably a favorite story when my grandparents were children. The animals in the story remind me a lot of Winnie the Pooh and his friends. Toad is always finding himself in trouble, and Badger, Rat and Mole are the dear friends who are always trying to look out for him. The characters are so loveable, especially Mole and Rat. It’s probably safe to say that we all know a Toad.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book:

Rat speaking of his home on the river: “It’s my world, and I don’t want any other. What it hasn’t for iis not worth having, and what it doesn’t know is not worth knowing.”

Badger, Rat and Mole walking to Toad Hall: “Animals when in company walk in a proper and sensible manner, in single file, instead of sprawling all across the board being of no use or support to each other in case of sudden trouble or danger.”

The birds speaking of migrating: “Ah yes, the call of the South, of the South!”

This is an enjoyable read for children or adults. It would be a wonderful book to read aloud to your children. I’m glad that I started the year off with it. I give it two thumbs up!