Toad Triumphant, Volume 2 (Tale of the Willows)

Horwood, William (Author); Benson, Patrick (Illustrator)

ISBN 10: 0312148216 / ISBN 13: 9780312148218

Published by St. Martin's Press, New York, New York, 1996

About this Item

Mild shelf wear to edges and corners of dust jacket and cover. Light denting to top and bottom of spine. Binding remains tight and pages are unbent, though may have some very light scuffing/staining throughout that does not obscure text. Good used reading condition.

Seller Inventory # 851966

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Toad Triumphant, Volume 2 (Tale of the Willows)
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press, New York, New York
• Publication Date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0312148216
• ISBN 13: 9780312148218
• Binding: Hard Cover
• Illustrator: Benson, Patrick
• Edition: First Edition.
• Condition: Good+
• Dust Jacket Condition: Good+
• Book Type: Used Book

About this title

Synopsis

Since its original publication in 1908, Kenneth Grahame's classic The Wind in the Willows has charmed thousands of readers. In this stunning sequel we follow the further adventures of the four most beloved characters in English literature: loyal Mole, resourceful Water Rat, stern but wise Badger, and, of course, capricious, irresistible Toad.
Now, in this new tale, the comfortable bachelor world of the River Bank is thrown into turmoil by the arrival of a formidable female character who seems to win Toad's heart. Recognizing the familiar danger signals, his long-suffering companions, Mole, Ratty, and Badger, must do all they can to save the infatuated Toad from himself.
Enriched once again by the delightful illustrations of Patrick Benson, Toad Triumphant is another captivating story in which Toad's capacity for finding trouble and for miraculous escapes is tested as never before. Explore again the unforgettable world of Toad Hall, the Wild Wood, the River Bank, and the irrepressible Mr. Toad.

Reviews

In a second sequel to Kenneth Grahame's classic The Wind in the Willows, Horwood (The Willows in Winter, 1994) revisits the River Bank and the beloved characters of Toad, Mole, Rat, and Badger. Portraits of loyal Mole, practical Rat, and wise Badger remain faithfully intact (in text as well as in Benson's black-and- white illustrations); 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; that, and the sophisticated themes may be better appreciated by adults who loved the original. Nevertheless, the River Bank animals have fans who will be happy to pause awhile in such good company. (Fiction. 11+) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.