From the Bookshelf of Reading List Completists…

The Wind in the Willows

Kenneth Grahame

Start date: July 1, 2019

Finish date: July 31, 2019

Discussion: Group Reads

Why we're reading this: July 2019 Completist Book Selection
[close] July 2019 Completist Book Selection

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What Members Thought

Aug 21, 2019 Matthew rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-with-kids, completist-book-club, fantasy, 2019, library, classic

I feel like I have been in a bit of a reading slump lately. It is not that I am reading a whole lot less, I am just not REALLY enjoying the time that I am reading. It might be that the whole family is in back to school mode, so schedules have changed. Or, maybe just the general ups and downs of life will occasionally put me in a “low interest in reading” category. All of this just to say that The Wind in The Willows is another victim of my “reading is meh” state.

When I first started this, I trie I feel like I have been in a bit of a reading slump lately. It is not that I am reading a whole lot less, I am just not REALLY enjoying the time that I am reading. It might be that the whole family is in back to school mode, so schedules have changed. Or, maybe just the general ups and downs of life will occasionally put me in a “low interest in reading” category. All of this just to say that The Wind in The Willows is another victim of my “reading is meh” state.

When I first started this, I tried to read it to my kids every night. I figured since it was written for a younger crowd and I found it in the kid’s books section at the library it might be perfect for them. I recently read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe to them and they loved it. So, this would be the next best step, right? Nope . . . they were not interested at all. We sat down for about 10 nights straight trying to read this and they quickly lost interest, loudly exclaiming “I’m bored” after a few pages. Around 40 or 50 pages in I finally gave up.

Then I went on to reading it on my own. Maybe my experience was tainted by my disgruntled children, but I was not getting much more excited about it than they did. Every time I read it I had to force myself to refocus as my mind was wandering. Now, this is not a complicated book, so the fact that I was losing touch with the content was definitely a red flag. And, I think another thing about it that was frustrating was that most of the book is really long run on sentences with lots of commas. You might think that doesn’t make a difference, but it is quite taxing on the brain when sentence after sentence goes on and on without a break. I kept wanted to yell “yes, yes, I get it! You can stop now!”

For many, this is a classic. If it was released now, I am not sure if it would be met with the same excitement. The story is kind of silly, which is okay as it is for kids. But, since it didn’t keep my kids interested, it must not be the right kind of silly. I need to look into the background of this story as I am sure that the anthropomorphic woodland creatures interacting with humans in a normal fashion must be an allegory for something. Or, maybe it all doesn’t mean anything. Either way, I am glad it is finally done and, on the bright side of things, I can check another classic off the list!
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142 likes · Like · see review

Oct 16, 2016 Michael Finocchiaro rated it it was amazing

Shelves: english-20th-c, fiction, kids, classics, novels

One of the great classics with animals and soft creeks and idyllic surroundings, my childhood memories can still hear that breeze rustling through the glades alongside the Thames. The adventures of Toad, Rat, Mole, and Badger are universal in their light moral messages and each is endearing and will create enduring memories in the hearts of your children. Come to think of it, it is about time I dusted this off and read it to my kids!

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