The Wind in the Willows

De: Kenneth Grahame

Narrado por: Shelly Frasier

Mole is happy with his life until, one day, in the middle of spring-cleaning, he emerges from his hole at Mole End and starts meandering around the English countryside. Everything is new for the simple but stalwart Mole. Never before has he seen a river, taken a boat ride, or encountered the woods.

But this is nothing compared to what awaits him when he gets tangled up in the escapades of the indomitable Mr. Toad, the society-hating Badger of Wild Wood, and the easy-going Water Rat! Motorcars, gypsies, jailbreaks, and a weasel rebellion are all in store for these intrepid animals. Beyond mischievous life adventures, the story conveys the typical turn of 20th-century life in Britain and the struggle between the noisy, common way and the more genteel life.

An Audible for Dogs Pick: Make your dog's day. Cesar Millan shares how audiobooks can make dogs happier and calmer. Learn more.Public Domain (P)2002 Tantor Media, Inc. Originally published 1908.

A great audio read for children and adults

Originally posted at FanLit.

The Wind in the Willows is a set of anthropomorphic stories that English author Kenneth Grahame wrote for his young son and published in 1908. The story begins when Mole, who lives in a hole in the English countryside, decides one fine day to come out of his underground lair to see a bit of the world. He’s amazed by all that he sees and soon he encounters and befriends a water rat who invites him to a picnic, takes him for a ride on the river, and teaches him to row a boat. Mole spends time living with Ratty and exploring the river and the two become great friends. Ratty introduces Mole to some of his other animal friends including the amiable introverted Badger and the rich eccentric Mr. Toad. The animals have various little outings and adventures, many that are sweet, some that are amusing, and a few that are a little violent (though no more violent than the average children’s fairytale).

The main plot of The Wind in the Willows involves Mr. Toad’s bad behavior and his friends’ attempts to curb it. Toad, who inherited his mansion and money, is lazy, thoughtless, and arrogant. He does no work and is incompetent at performing simple household tasks. He spends his time impulsively pursuing and abandoning a series of expensive faddish hobbies and frequently getting into trouble because he lacks self-control. His latest passion is for motor cars. Rat, Mole, and Badger are concerned about Toad’s obsession because he has crashed several cars, has injured himself, and has been charged some fines. But when they try to reason with him, he won’t listen. There are some bad consequences for Toad and, though he doesn’t deserve it, his faithful friends band together and decide to help him get his life back in order.

The Wind in the Willows is a great read for both children and adults. On the surface, it’s a series of heartwarming stories about four animal friends who enjoy picnics and boat rides on warm summer days. Older and more perceptive children may notice the themes of friendship and loyalty and may appreciate the subtle lessons in ethics and morality. Kenneth Grahame especially succeeds in evoking a sense of nostalgic affection for a small cozy home full of good food and drink, comfy chairs, poetry and literature, and beloved friends and family. Teens and adults will pick up on the underlying thread of social commentary which pokes fun at late 19th century English societal customs. There’s something for everyone in The Wind in the Willows.

I listened to Tantor Audio’s unabridged version of The Wind in the Willows with my 10-year-old daughter. Shelly Frasier gave an absolutely beautiful performance and I feel like the story was enhanced by her narration. My daughter enjoyed the story at the surface level — she loves fantasies with animals. I loved the slightly stuffy English dialogue, the occasional little jabs at genteel society, and the beauty of the English countryside.

Step back into a gentler time.

Wonderful classic, worth every moment. I was very pleased with this audio version the narration was wonderful. Listen with your kids.

Adventurous, fun and many life lessons

This was such a fun audiobook and narrator Shelly Fraiser did an excellent job reading the story and bringing the characters to life with different voices for each one. Highly recommend this audio version!

Lovely Narration

The narrator was clear and did a wonderful job making this fun and timeless tale come alive!

Love these stories within a story!

The reader made this story come alive. Each character was so easy to distinguish, and she did such a beautiful job making them all different. I saw the play Toad of Toad Hall and Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin which was adapted from this delightful book by A A MILNE years ago and fell in love. I finally decided to listen to the book and will never be sorry I did. It is a charmer.