The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.
Just an audio book this week. I have memories of my older sister reading this to me when I was little and I also remember reading this to myself as an older child, in fact I still have my copy, very battered, from childhood and that's the one I read to J.
I decided to try this as an audio book when I saw it listed on Librivox website here. I hadn't heard the narrator listed before but decided to jump in anyway. I am so glad I did!
The narrator is Adrian Praetzellis his homepage and he was a revelation. He read well, nice even pace and tone of voice, good rise and fall to the tone and.....a big AND he characterises Mole, Ratty, Toad and Badger beautifully.
I fell in love with the story all over again. It was like a warm blanket and a nice cuppa on a wet and miserable day. The lyrical countryside descriptions, the wonderful characters all complimenting each other and of course the irrepressible Mr Toad. I so enjoyed having the story told to me that I have saved it on to my iPod because I know I will want to listen to it again.
This book well deserves revisiting and lost none of charm to me at all.
Mr Praetzellis is now reading Kipling's Kim to me (review to follow) I think I will listen to all the books he has narrated.
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