The Wind in the Willows (Dramatised)

By: Kenneth Grahame

Narrated by: Sir Derek Jacobi

Length: 1 hr and 17 mins

Publisher's Summary

A wonderful, highly-acclaimed dramatic performance of Kenneth Grahame's classic novel.

Many of the original cast from Alan Bennett's acclaimed National Theatre production appear in this special dramatisation for BBC Radio 4, including Richard Briers as Rat, Adrian Scarborough as Mole, and Terence Rigby as Albert.

When Mole goes boating with the Water Rat instead of spring-cleaning, he discovers a new world. As well as the river and the Wild Wood, there is Toad's craze for fast travel and motor-cars that leads them all on a timeless adventure.

©2006 BBC Audiobooks

Wonderful narration, not the full text though...

Being a fan of Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, I was pleased to find this reading my Derek Jacobi! He does a lovely job of narrating and capturing the various character's personalities. I was only saddend to find out (due to not paying attention) that this is not the full text of the book, but a 1hr condenced dramatized version. I would love to hear Jacobi read the full book!

4 people found this helpful

You Cannot Edit Pefection

What more could one ask for? Perhaps the most enduring work of the 20th Century, innocently unpretentiously disguised as a children’s book and arguably the best actor of our time who is willing to read it, masterfully, for us. And someone else who blows it.

It needs to be redone, just as it was originally, with Derek Jacobi…but it must in no way be edited. It is not a work that can be edited, or specifically, elided, any more than Shakespeare can. Can you imagine the listeners’ disappoint when Toad quickly bargains for the horse without that poetic description of the Gypsy’s stew? It is life without breath or marrow. What is it about? There are countless other butcheries done by some madman who doesn’t understand the work at all. Just as it’s spiritual twin, the Odyssey while depicting action, eschews it. The ideal state is peace, ease and contemplation…return to Ithaka. And some fool with scissors has decided, “Well let’s trim this down to what happens.” So we are left with plot, that is, almost nothing, except Jacobi’s curtailed brilliance.

Keep everything that has been done, but add back everything that belongs there. There is no partial perfection, and here you have two perfect actors. It were as though someone had painted wide black frames on the scenes of the Sistine Chapel and said to you, “Here, focus on what’s important.” The point of great art is that everything, and nothing is important. It all fits flawlessly, indispensably together.

Re-record it. For the sake of posterity. When will Jacobi come again? When will Grahame come again?

1 person found this helpful

Not as advertised!

What is this? It’s neither dramatized with the actors listed nor an unabridged reading by Derek Jacobi as I had hoped. It is Jacobi, who does a great job, but someone has edited it so that it’s choppy and confusing. All the story development and character development are gone! I compared it to my paper copy, and massive chunks are missing! I wish it wasn’t too late to return it to Audible, because I feel like I’ve been had.

B A Uu T Full

Loved the story and the reading was just perfect for the story. I'm 35, but I'm feeling 7 right now :)

What a treasure!

I grew up with the stories of Ratty, Badger, Mole and, of course, Toad. I have named all my houses "Toad Hall" to remind me that life is meant to be enjoyed and friends are the salt to keep the flavor fresh and fun. At 67, I suppose I should become stodgy and earnest, but what's the point? Derek Jacobi relates the tale the way it was meant to be and I have found yet another reason to appreciate his mountainous talent. Great thanks to all involved in this treasure.

Love this story

What did you love best about The Wind in the Willows (Dramatised)?

It was lovely listening to all the different voices.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Wind in the Willows (Dramatised)?

Rat and Mole being on the River

What does Sir Derek Jacobi bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His ability to change from character to character.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I would've loved to but it's not feasible.

Always great.

Have loved this book since I was a child and to hear it read to me once again, now I'm old, well, was simply delightful. Well done!

Wind in the Willows classics

a true classic children's book... even for adults without children reminded me of my classic child can you ask any better of a book

Seperb classic

I loved this and so does my daughter. Wonderfully narrated I forget this isn't real. Derek Jacobi is a master of voices and the story is a classic. Great for kids for bedtime.

Too Abridged

Derek Jacobi is brilliant, naturally, one would not expect anything else. However this is not a long book and there is absolutely no need to abridge it. It is not as if it is dramatised where you might expect it to be adapted by a scriptwriter. So very good but not enough of it. The balance of the story has been so affected the spirit is lost.

Brilliantly narrated by Sir Derek, a real treat!

Having never been inclined to want to read the book, Sir Derek breathes such life into the characters with his brilliant narrative, I was riveted throughout the whole story. Excellent, I'd recommend for all ages.

1 person found this helpful