The Wind in the Willows-pre-reading chat

[Tracey]

This edition:
The Wind in the Willows: Candlewick Illustrated Classic by Inga Moore is abridged I believe. As is a hardcover illustrated by the same artist.

[Lori]

Tracey wrote: "The thing with children's classics is read them slow and gently. Let the rhythm and the pace of a gentler life seep into you and suddenly the story takes on a different meaning."

Well said, Tracey! I couldn't agree more. That is the approach I take when reading children's classic literature. I will see if I can unearth a copy of this so that I can join in!

[Tracey]

Lori wrote: "Tracey wrote: "The thing with children's classics is read them slow and gently. Let the rhythm and the pace of a gentler life seep into you and suddenly the story takes on a different meaning."

We..."

Thanks Lori, and is that your own little kitty in your profile pic? Such a cutie. I have my own 'Romeo' who can be cute or a terror depending on his mood.

[Tracey]

I have ordered this copy as I am collecting the Everyman Library for children but am hoping it arrives before Canada Post goes on strike.

[Linda2]

Tracey wrote: "Linda wrote: "I haven't participated with this group for awhile, but seeing that you guys are going to be reading The Wind in the Willows got me excited. :) I read it for the first time maybe ten y..."

...and according to Bookfinder, depending on the condition and whether it's a first edition, worth between $1000 and $3200.

[Linda2]

Deborah wrote: "Lynn wrote: "I'm a little red faced to admit this but I've bought the annotated version of the book though I'm still awaiting delivery. I've ordered the version with the Inga Moore illustrations fr..."

Which edition is annotated, although I wonder how much annotation is necessary in a children's book. Publisher and date please?

[Deborah, Moderator]

Rochelle wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Lynn wrote: "I'm a little red faced to admit this but I've bought the annotated version of the book though I'm still awaiting delivery. I've ordered the version with the Inga Moore ..."

I can't help Rochelle. I'm away from home until late Thursday

[Frances, Moderator]

The Annotated Wind in the Willows.

However perhaps she meant the abridged version.

I think annotations can be really interesting even in children's books-I really enjoyed the Annotated Alice in Wonderland that came out around the anniversary celebrations. I'm now tempted to buy the annotated WITW now that I've looked at it!

[Everyman]

Rochelle wrote: "Which edition is annotated, although I wonder how much annotation is necessary in a children's book. Publisher and date please? "

There are actually several annotated versions, according to abebooks. Would love to hear who has which ones, and what people think of them.

One of them has the illustrations from the first five editions, including Rackham and Shepherd. Sounds interesting!

[Lori]

Tracey wrote: "Lori wrote: "Tracey wrote: "The thing with children's classics is read them slow and gently. Let the rhythm and the pace of a gentler life seep into you and suddenly the story takes on a different ..."

Yes, that is Luna, one of my rescue kitties. Luna is my reading companion and she is always ready to curl up with a great book! She has a brother, Dobby, who is just as cute!

[Lori]

I have ordered a copy illustrated by Arthur Rackham but I must admit if it had been more affordable, I would have ordered the one illustrated by Inga Moore. I looked at her illustrations online and they are gorgeous!! I am sure I will like Rackham's artwork which has an old fashioned feel to it and if I am not mistaken, he would have worked on WITW in the 1930's.

[Linda2]

From the review:
"...would produce one of the most oft-quoted lines in British literature"

Does anyone know what that is?

[Linda2]

Lori wrote: "I have ordered a copy illustrated by Arthur Rackham but I must admit if it had been more affordable, I would have ordered the one illustrated by Inga Moore. I looked at her illustrations online and..."

Rackham did it in 1940. I believe he used Edwardian dress.

If you don't mind used books:
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Searc...
To search for Moore, write in "Graham Moore" in you search instead of "Grahame Rackham"

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

Rochelle, does the line have anything to do about messing about in boats?

[Lori]

Rochelle wrote: "Lori wrote: "I have ordered a copy illustrated by Arthur Rackham but I must admit if it had been more affordable, I would have ordered the one illustrated by Inga Moore. I looked at her illustratio..."

Thanks for the info!!! And no, I don't mind used books, so thank you!!

[Everyman]

Rochelle wrote: "From the review:
"...would produce one of the most oft-quoted lines in British literature"

Does anyone know what that is?"

Probably the line Rat says to Mole: "Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing -- absolutely nothing -- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."

[Tracey]

Everyman wrote: "Rochelle wrote: "From the review:
"...would produce one of the most oft-quoted lines in British literature"

Does anyone know what that is?"

Probably the line Rat says to Mole: "Believe me, my you..."

Yes that is the one. And it has to be spoken from the heart.

[Linda2]

I've never heard it. Not like the first lines in Pride & Prejudice or Anna Karenina.. Maybe more quoted in the UK?

[Lori, Moderator]

I've started reading the book. What a relief and joy, in today's environment with bombings, wars, and politically and socially divided nations, to read about two friendly animals messing about in a boat!

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

So have I, Lori. It is delightful.

[Lily]

@63 Rochelle wrote: "To search for Moore, write in "Graham Moore" in your search instead of "Grahame Rackham"..."

?? I presume you meant "Inga Moore"?

Appear to be quite a variety available. I don't plan to order it, but the pop-up edition with a slip case sounded/looked like it could make a charming gift. The illustrations between editions seemed a bit diverse as to how the actual books might appear.

[Frances, Moderator]

If anyone has or is considering buying the annotated version (which I am, just to get all the various illustrations) do read the reviews on Amazon-all say it's a lovely book and how wonderful it is to have the different illustrations, however most take exception to the annotations themselves, commenting that they are VERY speculative and somewhat far-fetched in places.

I just received a very moderately priced version I purchased off amazon from Pook Press-with the original illustrations by Rackham. This press apparently reissues classics with reproductions of original illustrations, commenting on how the actual originals have become so valuable that they are scarcely obtainable (take note, Linda!)

[Linda2]

Lily wrote: "I presume you meant "Inga Moore"?

Appear to be quite a variety available. I do..."

Yes.

[Linda2]

Frances wrote: "If anyone has or is considering buying the annotated version (which I am, just to get all the various illustrations) do read the reviews on Amazon-all say it's a lovely book and how wonderful it is..."

I've found all sorts of annotated ones, but no Pook Press here. Give me the name of the annotator.
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...

[Frances, Moderator]

Sorry-2 different subjects.

The Pook Press is a straight up version of TWITW with the Packham illustrations.

https://www.amazon.com/Wind-Willows-I...

The Annotated version I was referring to earlier is the one I bookmarked in message 58.

[Linda2]

Frances wrote: "Sorry-2 different subjects.

The Pook Press is a straight up version of TWITW with the Packham illustrations.

https://www.amazon.com/Wind-Willows-I...

The Ann..."

Aha, got it.

[Linda]

Frances wrote: "This press apparently reissues classics with reproductions of original illustrations, commenting on how the actual originals have become so valuable that they are scarcely obtainable (take note, Linda!) "

I've been trying to figure out which book I have. My edition is by Heritage Press, which from what I can gather did reprints? But they are part of Limited Editions Club, which I think published the originals? At least the ones by Limited Editions Club are much more expensive than the ones I find by Heritage Press, even though I find both from 1940. This is what I gathered from the Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Her...

[Linda2]

try this for details. Abebooks is a clearinghouse for hundreds of used book vendors. It's a great place for buying used books:
http://www.abebooks.com/books/george-...

Who's the illustrator? What the last copyright date on yours?

[Linda]

Illustrated by Rackham, intro by Milne. And now that I'm looking more carefully, I see I missed the list of "Printings in this Edition" - and the latest date listed is 1959, so it must be that and not 1940. I initially focused on "...special contents of this edition are copyright, 1940..."

My mom was born in 1952, so I'm wondering if she might have received it as a gift when she was young. I'll have to ask her.

[Linda2]

What's the original copyright date?

Here's something else explaining the sale of the company in 1970.

http://www.majure.net/lechistory.htm

Also you can find your edition on bookfinder.com, and current price on Ebay or Abebooks. You might have something valuable.

I was just thinking we could spend weeks tracing everyone's editions, which might as interesting as the book itself.

[Linda]

Rochelle wrote: "What's the original copyright date?."

I guess I'm not sure? This is what it says on the page listing all the dates:

The Wind In The Willows was originally published in the United States of America by Charles Scribner's Sons; and was copyright, 1908, 1913, 1933, and 1935 by that company. Special permission has been obtained for the publication of this edition, and the special contents of this edition are copyright, 1940, by The George Macy Company, Inc.

Printings in this Edition

July 1944: 25,000 copies
January 1946: 50,000 copies
March 1948: 10,000 copies
....
....
....
...
March 1956: 20,000 copies
May 1959: 20,000 copies

Since 1959 is the latest date mentioned, I thought that was the year this book was published.

[Linda2]

Linda wrote: "Rochelle wrote: "What's the original copyright date?."

I guess I'm not sure? This is what it says on the page listing all the dates:

The Wind In The Willows was originally published in the United..."

Yours IS 1959. What's the special contents?

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I have a special Canadian edition, from the library, published in 2007 in honour of the 100th anniversary of Wind in the Willows(published in 1908).
It seems to be a popular book because it has never been out of print.

[Everyman]

Rosemarie wrote: "It seems to be a popular book because it has never been out of print."

And deservedly so.

It might be fun to make a list of books which have never been out of print. We would have to limit to the last 200 years or so (it's not fair to say that the Iliad has never been out of print, is it?).

A Goodreads group about "books that have been constantly in print for at least 100 years" might be a fun group!

[Linda2]

Everyman wrote: "Rosemarie wrote: "It seems to be a popular book because it has never been out of print."

And deservedly so.

It might be fun to make a list of books which have never been out of print. We would ha..."

We've read many of them here, but I would join such a group.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

So would I.

[Linda2]

My guess would be that ALL the books we read here are still in print. I don't remember anyone searching for out-of-print copies here.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

That is probably true since they are classics and many are used in literature courses.

[Linda2]

What might be interesting is to narrow down the ones that have sold the most copies worldwide. I can easily get that info from the web.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I think that would be interesting. I always like to check off books that I have read.

[Linda2]

I've gathered collections of each illustrator's pix. Given the glitches in search engines, some might be mixed, but they're largely correct. I was dazzled by the difference in painting styles. I'm not going to present them all at once, because you'll never get back to the book.

The first is Bransom 1913
https://www.google.com/search?q=wind+...

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

Thanks for finding all the illustrations, Rochelle. There are so many, so the book must have been popular for a long time.

[Linda2]

Mostly his animals are naked, but he does add some clothes on one pic, strangely. Here are some larger pix:

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/27805...

Do you think he used watercolor?

[Karel]

Hi, so, I was wondering if the Reading Schedule posts are going to be published a little earlier. I have this beautiful ilustrated spanish copy of the book but I have to returned to the library in two weeks, so I will like to comment on the chapters before returning the book pretty please =)

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

Karel, there is a thread with the reading schedule. We are doing three chapters a week. If you have to return your book, you can do what I do in that case--I make some notes so that I can remember anything that I want to share with the group.

[Karel]

ok :(

Thanks for replying so fast.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

No problem.

[Everyman]

Rochelle wrote: "I've gathered collections of each illustrator's pix. Given the glitches in search engines, some might be mixed, but they're largely correct. I was dazzled by the difference in painting styles. I'm ..."

they did actually all show up in that link. thanks for finding!

Fascinating differences in approach, as you say. I wondered at some of them (only got about a third of the way through), for example the one titled "Ratty fishing on the river" which was a young man in a tan suit and red tie sitting on a dock. Was that from a movie version, I wonder?

[Everyman]

My wife, who is an artist in several media, says she doesn't think it's water color, Her best guess is colored pencil, but it's hard to tell just from the images on a computer screen.

[Tracey]

I found this and thought it was a wonderful comment from one author about another:
‘One does not argue about The Wind in the Willows. The young man gives it to the girl with whom he is in love, and, if she does not like it, asks her to return his letters. The older man tries it on his nephew, and alters his will accordingly. The book is a test of character. We can’t criticize it, because it is criticizing us. But I must give you one word of warning. When you sit down to it, don’t be so ridiculous as to suppose that you are sitting in judgment on my taste, or on the art of Kenneth Grahame. You are merely sitting in judgment on yourself. You may be worthy: I don’t know, But it is you who are on trial.’
– AA Milne