Wind in the Willows Series - William Horwood

Written by William Horwood
Read by Richard Briers
Format: MP3
Bitrate: Mixed
Unabridged

The Willows In Winter

Wind in the Willows Series, Book 1
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Release date: May 26, 2011
Duration: 02:59:05

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 motorcar 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.—Publishers Weekly

Toad Triumphant

Wind in the Willows Series, Book 2
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Release date: May 26, 2011
Duration: 02:43:31

The adventures of Toad and his friends Ratty, Mole and Badger continue to delight in this new tale that will appeal to adults and children alike.

Portraits of loyal Mole, practical Rat, and wise Badger remain faithfully intact; however, Horwood seems captivated with Grahame’s own notion of “an altered Toad,” and much of the plot dances around this idea. Toad’s normal vanity and conceit are seen in “alarming transmutation,” thanks to Cupid’s arrow, which has left Toad smitten and contemplating matrimony.

A parallel plot bears the overriding theme of immortality, which prompts Mole and Rat to journey up river in their desire to “get a little nearer to the mystery we have called Beyond.” The two threads intersect at journey’s end, where Toad willfully escapes “the eternal bond” of marriage, proving himself as irresolute as ever.

The formal style of writing adequately mimics Grahame’s own; adults who loved the original may better appreciate that, and the sophisticated themes. Nevertheless, the River Bank animals have fans that will be happy to pause awhile in such good company.

The Willows and Beyond

Wind in the Willows Series, Book 3
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Release date: May 26, 2011
Duration: 02:49:28

William Horwood recreates again the magic of “The Wind in the Willows” in this compelling new tale. With the future of the River and the Wild Wood threatened, Mole, Badger, Ratty and even the irrepressible Mr Toad must rally together.

William Horwood, Grahame left off, with nary a misstep. The flavor and tone of his thrilling story: brought Grahame’s characters back to life. Like a river, time moves inexorably forward. Ratty, Mole, Otter, Toad, and Badger are growing older. They are content to live out their lives on the River Bank in peaceful reflection–until, that is, one of those mysterious eddies of life picks them up and spins them around.

It all starts when Rat, while “communing” with the River, senses that something is terribly wrong. Soon after, a mysterious summons to collect an item from the post office arrives. From there, the adventures gather speed. Whether fighting off the horrible Beast of the Iron Bridge, rescuing Rat from a near-fatal bout with indigestion, or trying to save the Wild Wood from impending, polluting Progress, the friends have no time to slip quietly into old age. Even so, each animal must begin to prepare for the next generation.

The Willows at Christmas

Toad, Mole, Ratty and Badger return once more in a special Christmas tale.

The Willows at Christmas, William Horwood has created a spellbinding new tale especially for Christmas, which takes place after the events in The Wind in the Willows but before The Willows in Winter.

As the story opens, the normally bumptious Toad is not looking forward to Christmas one bit. Every year the dreaded Mrs Ffleshe comes to stay at Toad Hall. And every year she does all she can to protect Toad from the dangers of over-indulgence, despite his protestations. The daughter of the nanny who made Toad Senior’s life a misery years before, Mrs Ffleshe feels it is her duty to take the errant younger Toad under her wing to save him from himself. This year, however, his loyal friends Mole, Ratty, Badger and Otter plan to rescue Toad from his unwanted guardian. Yet their efforts serve only to goad him into his most mischievous behaviour, and it seems as if Mole and Toad will be spending their Christmas together — in the Village gaol.