Audiobook · read by volunteers
Wind in the Willows
Kenneth Grahame (1859–1932)
Read by Peter Yearsley, Meredith Hughes, Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023), Betsie Bush, Vinny Bove, Chip, Denny Sayers (d. 2015), Peter Eastman, Kymm Zuckert, Kirsten Ferreri · 12 chapters · 6 h 30
About the book
Mole has spent the whole morning spring-cleaning when he suddenly throws down his brush and bolts out into the sunshine. By the river he meets Rat, who takes him out in a boat, and so begins a friendship that will draw in the gruff and wise Badger and the incorrigible, boastful Toad. There are picnics and quiet evenings, but also dark woods, reckless motor cars and a great deal of trouble.
Kenneth Grahame’s classic is a story of animal friends in the English countryside, full of warmth, humour and a love of home. It has moments of high comedy and of quiet wonder, and it speaks equally to children and adults. In twelve chapters and about six and a half hours, this recording invites you to follow the riverbank and the Wild Wood in the company of some of literature’s most beloved characters.
Introduction
Kenneth Grahame (1859–1932) was a Scottish-born writer who spent his working life at the Bank of England. The Wind in the Willows, published in 1908, grew out of bedtime stories and letters he had written for his young son, and it has been in print ever since. It is one of the best-loved children’s books in English, although it is hardly a children’s book alone.
The story centres on four animal friends: Mole, Rat, Badger and Toad. They live in a setting that is recognisably English, with a river, meadows, woods and country houses, and the book is full of affection for the seasons and the landscape. It is also a book about contrasts. Mole and Rat represent the quiet pleasures of home and friendship; Toad, with his love of fast cars and his boasting, brings chaos and comedy. There are chapters of pure adventure and others, such as the one in which the animals encounter a mysterious presence on an island, that have a gentle, almost spiritual feel.
The recording has twelve sections and lasts about six and a half hours. It is read by LibriVox volunteers. Because the book contains such a variety of tones, from slapstick to reverie, a recording with several voices is a particular pleasure.
Why listen now? It is a story about loyalty and belonging, and it is told with such charm that it works at any age. It is perfect for reading aloud or for listening together on a long evening, and many adults rediscover it as one of the great comforts in English prose.
Public domain
Kenneth Grahame died in 1932: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text