Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

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Kenneth Grahame’s

The Wind in the Willows

(1908) is a novel-length children’s story about a fraternity of animals living in the English countryside. Originally written as a series of bedtime tales about mischievous Mr Toad to placate the author’s unruly son, it is a classic work that both adults and children continue to find irresistible, both for its charming characterization and its rural idealism. The enduring appeal of

The Wind in the Willows

has much to do with its traditionalism and theme of escape. As Grahame’s biographer, Peter Green, comments:

What it conveys throughout is the sense of a complete and self-contained world to which for a short while we are given access. The River Bank and its environs are, in every sense, off the map. Though they are bathed in a very

2223 words

Citation: Desmarais, Jane. "The Wind in the Willows". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 04 November 2017 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=13229, accessed 19 March 2024.]

13229 The Wind in the Willows 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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