The Wind in the Willows-background information and resources

[Frances, Moderator]

July 2016 we'll be reading The Wind in the Willows. This thread is where you can add any information about Kenneth Grahame, or relevant historical or geographical information pertaining to this book.

[Frances, Moderator]

I had a quick look for some information on Kenneth Grahame-a fascinating life marred by tragedy-interesting to hear that he modelled the character of Mr. Toad on his son!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenne...

[Abigail]

Thanks, for the link, Frances! I have scurried off to add Grahame’s Pagan Papers to my TBR.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

Thanks for the link. The Reluctant Dragon is going on my TBR list.

[Everyman]

Abigail wrote: "Thanks, for the link, Frances! I have scurried off to add Grahame’s Pagan Papers to my TBR."

Oh, you evil temptress! [vbg]

You sent me to my shelves to pull the Pagan Papers, which I haven't read or even thought of for decades, only to re-immerse myself into it when I should have been reading at least three other books I'm way behind on. (My copy is an 1898 copy given to me second hand by my parents when I was still in high school, and that was a while back since my 50th anniversary was several years ago. But I am quickly rediscovering old friends, including "Non Libri Sed Liberi," which opens "It will never be clear to the lay mind why the book-buyer buys books..."

Ah, old friend, I'm taking you up to bed with me tonight. And if my wife complains when the light stays on much longer than it's supposed to, I'll just tell her to blame Abigail and her tempting me back into memory lane!

[Everyman]

I should add that my 1898 edition of Pagan Papers is in excellent shape, the cover a bit worn on the edges but the binding still strong and the pages that lovely old heavy paper that books were made of back when books were considered important possessions and were made, like so many other things then but not now, to last.

[Deborah, Moderator]

Everyman wrote: "I should add that my 1898 edition of Pagan Papers is in excellent shape, the cover a bit worn on the edges but the binding still strong and the pages that lovely old heavy paper that books were mad..."

I have many older books, and love everything about them. I guess I'm lucky. Hubby gave up long ago and resorts to a sleep mask so I can read as long as I want. Thanks hubby.

[Abigail]

Mmm, E’man, your vivid description has me right there in bed with you, savoring the pleasures of a beautifully made old book! Move on over, wife-who-doesn’t-appreciate-late-night-reading—she can sleep with my partner, who wants the light out by nine o’clock!

Having been a pagan-type soul from my earliest years (as a child I would walk for miles to collect flowers on the day of the festival of Pan), I have always appreciated the undertones of The Wind in the Willows—hence the project to translate “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn” into Latin. The first college paper I wrote was about depictions of Pan in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century literature in English. Excited to encounter the Pagan Papers!

[Mary Lou]

I've not read any other Grahame, but Everyman makes me want to curl up with an old copy THIS VERY MINUTE. I've said it before, but I'm so grateful to Goodreads for having brought me together with other people who share my love for old books.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I have always loved old books too. There is something special about a book that is over a hundred years old.

[Linda2]

I just took the Tasha Tudor edition out of the library. I found this, explaining all the editions and illustrators.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Win...

[Linda2]

For all you new Inga Moore fans, including myself, I just found this on her illustrating techniques:
http://surfacefragments.blogspot.com/...