The Willows in Winter [Paperback]

Traditionalists might well shudder at the thought of a sequel to a classic--especially one written by an author other than the original. But even devout fans of Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows will breathe more easily once they pass the first sentence of The Willows in Winter. William Horwood, while resisting slavish mimicry, remains true to the spirit of the original. Not many writers could follow such a tough act, but Horwood manages to create a story every bit as heartwarming and exciting as the first. Blustery Toad is up to his naughty old tricks, after a long period of enforced goodness. Through a comedy--and near-tragedy--of errors, Toad, along with resourceful Rat, loyal Mole, and wise Badger, is drawn into an extended wild goose chase that lasts all winter. With plummeting airplanes, tumbles in the freezing river, and courtroom high drama, this is not to be a winter of cozy hibernation. Patrick Benson's finely crosshatched illustrations transport the reader back to the familiar River and the always-looming great Wild Wood. Horwood and Benson's masterful teamwork is a tribute to the 90-year-old classic that Grahame himself would have been proud to see. (All ages) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Horwood revisits Kenneth Grahame's classic, The Wind in the Willows, to transplant its characters to a new adventure. His story, like Grahame's, involves a series of comic misunderstandings that lead different animals into a variety of odd journeys. The trouble starts when Otter's son Portly sends Mole into a blizzard on what proves to be an unnecessary rescue mission, and Mole disappears, thus mobilizing other would-be rescuers. Meanwhile Toad, having exchanged the motor car of Wind in the Willows for a flying machine, wrests control of the plane from the pilot and sails off on a chaotic joy ride. There's a bit of mistaken identity, another disguise for Toad (who previously impersonated a washerwoman), incarceration and a ludicrous trial. Toad even has an out-of-body experience. Horwood captures most of the atmosphere of the original work, although its wild, sublime silliness escapes him. Toad, for example, remains irremediably pompous and wayward, but he is no longer Grahame's larger-than-life mock-epic hero. Nevertheless, Horwood manages a lot of mirthful moments, and those who can't get enough of the River Bank and the Wild Wood will be grateful for his work. All ages.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Well, it happened to Scarlett O'Hara, why shouldn't it happen to Mr. Toad? Behold the sequel to The Wind in the Willows. Actually, the further adventures of the Willows gang work rather well both as follow-up and as freestanding story. Set by the same familiar riverbank and in the same Wild Woods, the new tale picks up the animals' lives after a few years have passed. Rat, Mole, and Badger continue to be clever, loyal, and wise, respectively, but Toad seems to have had a change of heart. Chastened by his previous experiences with automobiles and his brushes with the law, the once obstreperous Toad has been living in relative calm. But all that changes when Toad catches airplane fever, a malady that makes his former entanglement with autos look like the sniffles. Horwood treats readers to two parallel stories--the disappearance of Mole and Toad's troubles after a wild flight--and the tale is at its best when these plots converge. Horwood also does a good job of mimicking Kenneth Grahame's rather formal and very British style. While younger fans of the original novel may well take to this sequel--and certainly they will enjoy Patrick Benson's charming pen-and-ink illustrations--one suspects that the publisher sees the book's primary audience as adults who fondly remember life on the riverbank. The strategy worked in England, where the book was originally published and spent 12 weeks on the London Times best-seller list. A 100,000-copy first printing suggests that the same fate awaits here. Ilene Cooper --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Mole, Water Rat, Badger, and Toad return, but they are mere shadows of their former selves. Horwood has a talent for mimicry, and he manages to reproduce Kenneth Grahame's phraseology and rhythms rather well. Unfortunately, this sorry sequel captures none of the magic of the original Willows. It is stodgy and doddering, like the ageing animals it features. Horwood writes the story of Mole, who goes out in a blizzard to save Rat and Otter and falls through the ice of the River and is swept away. Meanwhile, all his friends and even some weasels and stoats have formed a search party, but after a few days they give up and hold a memorial service that Mole himself attends. Toad, who was supposed to help look for Mole in his new plane, flies off and gets into trouble in the Wide World from which he narrowly escapes with Badger's help. Without Grahame's wit and artistry, this falls terribly flat. Horwood proves that it takes more than a good ear to write a sequel to a classic. This attempt is presumptuous. (Fiction. All ages) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Since the publication of 'The Willows in Winter William Horwood has received letters from hundreds of readers thanking him for recapturing the spirit of Kenneth Grahame's great work so faithfully. He is also the author of the two bestselling trilogies about the moles of Duncton Wood, and the new 'The Wolves of Time series.

Writing sequels to literary classics is one of the literary trends of the day, and it's not surprising that children's classics are now sprouting sequels. The Willows In Winter is a reasonably competent successor to the Graham classic, Wind In the Willows. We have the same animals marvelously brought to life by actor Bernard Cribbins, the same setting, the same Edwardian enthusiasms and British English. Once again Toad is in trouble but rescued by his kindly, less dashing friends. Without the dramatic skill of the narrator the book would come across as stuffy and out-of-date. Cribbins makes this recording a lively theatrical experience that will be enjoyed by sophisticated youthful readers, as well as adults who are in listening range. D.L.G. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.