I remember starting to read this book as a child, but unfortunately never got past the first chapter, as I found the language to be a bit too complicated for me at the time. Going back to as an adult, I thought perhaps with the better attention span I might fare better. Well, at least I finished it this time.

A lot of children's fiction from this era is tremendously dry and I think tries to be as sophisticated as possible when it comes to tone and word choice. A.A. Milne was able achieve this while also telling very simple stories that just happen to have that air about it. The Wind in the Willows I think would be a difficult book for many children this age to read, as it kind of flounders everywhere. There is a bit of a plot with Mr. Toad being a menace to everyone, but that takes a back seat every other chapter to focus on more domestic moments with Mole, Rat, and other animals of the community. I found myself switching off a lot while listening to the audiobook, as so much of it felt like the personification of "old rich British man grumbles."

I didn't know whether this book wanted to be more down to earth or have some fantastical aspect to it. We see Pan (where was he in the cartoon adaptation huh DISNEY??) and there are some inconsistencies regarding the heights of the animal characters and how exactly their world works. It reads as "don't think too much about it and have fun," but it really hurt the immersion. 

All that being said, I did like the friendship between Rat and Mole, which had a lot of Frog and Toad/and they were roommates vibes. There was something nice about seeing a tight knit community caring for each other, even towards those that really don't deserve it.