Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

Jane Desmarais (Goldsmiths College, University of London)

Ed. by Chris Baldick, Goldsmiths College, University of London
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.08: English Writing and Culture of the early Twentieth Century , 1900-1945.
Vol. editors: Chris Baldick (Goldsmiths College, University of London), Peter Childs (Newman University), Louise McDonald (Newman University)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1908

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Children's Literature
Novel

Resources

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. …

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2223 words

Citation: Desmarais, Jane. "The Wind in the Willows". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 04 November 2017 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=13229, accessed 22 November 2024.]

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