Product Description

William Horwood is the author of the acclaimed Duncton trilogies. Patrick Benson studied at the Chelsea Art School and St. Martin's School of Art. Both live in England.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1032562 in Books
• Published on: 1999-10-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 289 pages

Amazon.com Review
William Horwood, author of two other bestselling "sequels" to Kenneth Grahame's beloved classic, The Wind in the Willows (The Willows in Winter and Toad Triumphant), picks up where Grahame left off, with nary a misstep. The flavor and tone of his thrilling story, along with Patrick Benson's marvelous crosshatched illustrations, have done the impossible: brought Grahame's characters back to life. Like a river, time moves inexorably forward. Ratty, Mole, Otter, Toad, and Badger are growing older. They are content to live out their lives on the River Bank in peaceful reflection--until, that is, one of those mysterious eddies of life picks them up and spins them around. It all starts when Rat, while "communing" with the River, senses that something is terribly wrong. Soon after, a mysterious summons to collect an item from the post office arrives. From there, the adventures gather speed. Whether fighting off the horrible Beast of the Iron Bridge, rescuing Rat from a near-fatal bout with indigestion, or trying to save the Wild Wood from impending, polluting Progress, the friends have no time to slip quietly into old age. Even so, each animal must begin to prepare for the next generation. (All ages, 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter

Review
"With its humor, tenderness, suspense, and happy ending...[Toad Triumphant is] a pleasant story and a good read." --The Christian Science Monitor

"The old characters pop back to life as you begin reading." --The New York Times

"Faithful to the original...Festive...A winsome winner." --Chicago Tribune

"The Willows in Winter transports us back to the familiar rivery world almost as authoritatively-and entertainingly-as a sequel by Grahame himself." --The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"Patrick Benson's crosshatched illustrations seem to have been lovingly guided by the hand of Ernest Shepard, whose 1931 drawings of The Wind in the Willows continue to transport young readers to meadow, riverbank, and wild wood." --The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
-- Review

Review

Customer Reviews

Funny and loving conclusion to a marvelous series
As I write this review, the "average customer rating" on this fine title is a mere two stars. Please let me beg to differ with them all. I haven't read "Willows in Winter," but I loved "Wind in the Willows" and felt Horwood's "Toad Triumphant" was in some ways even better. "Willows and Beyond" brings the cycle to a conclusion -- and it's wonderful.

At times it made me roar with laughter; at others it's painfully sad; the chapter called "The Uninvited Guest" is simply lovely, and belongs in someone's anthology of writings about Christmas.

Yeah, so the main characters die -- did ya think they'd live forever? Can't we name several other children's books where important characters pass on -- "Old Yeller," "Dominic," "A Day No Pigs Would Die," "Bambi," etc.? Furthermore, the deaths are handled so gently, even ambiguously, that I can't understand how anyone would have been seriously upset.

And yes, there is a chapter on Rat's illness; but that's humorously tossed aside (a bit of underdone potato, as it were), and nicely counterbalanced by dashing adventures on the high seas -- not to mention Toad's famous charge up the hill into Lathbury Wood.

And shall we risk a hint at how the book ends by pointing out that each major character, having passed on, is given a successor -- heir to his name, title and role (to such a degree that further adventures are entirely possible!).

Don't be put off by a few readers' negative comments; Horwood's third Willows book is a fine piece of work, and leaves one thirsting for more.

Nothing like the others...
The Willows and Beyond was nothing like the other 3. Most of the book they had problems and got sick. I mostly hated that they didn't do any adventures and were so old. This book doesn't go under English- Literature or Fiction. It's more of a Drama book. The characters weren't themselves. William Horwood is an excellent author, but he messed up on this book. But their were a couple of funny and cool parts. But basicly it was a flop.

Brilliant Denouement
Powerful conclusion to the loosely nicknamed Tales of the Willows series that began with Kenneth Grahame's original classic The Wind in the Willows and was followed up by the just as fantastic sequels by William Horwood (The Willows at Christmas, The Willows in Winter, Toad Triumphant and this book).

Readers should definitely pick up Horwood's earlier volumes as this is very much the conclusion to the series and is in every way a chronological follow-up to those works. Details will not be given away here (as in the poor taste shown by other reviewers) but to say that this is definitely a denouement, a conclusion and finale... though one filled with plenty of hope and future promise.

In many ways, The Willows and Beyond is similar to the final chapters of The Lord of the Rings, and is equally mournful and sad, at times achingly so. Yet contrary to other, more fragile reviewers, however, it is not without merit and expertly handled. It is in fact the perfect conclusion. Everything in this book is grounded firmly in what Kenneth Grahame himself established in his original. The River Bank is NOT Oz. Its residents are not the tired, immortal creatures of Disney or Marvel or DC, and that is a good thing! Concluding the series (especially with such dignity as Horwood gives it here) lends a strength and vitality to the story and characters that prevents it from being cheapened by endless marketing and cash-ins.

Grahame's original is nostalgic and sentimental, but not devoid of realism; within the natural world the oftentimes cruel scepter of grief strikes a blow. And as lovable as his characters are and as often as they're spared that blow, even they cannot escape the the tragic Inevitable. The Willows and Beyond, however, contains much joy and hope, and borrows from Grahame in allowing the River Bank inhabitants to glimpse on the spiritual realm, embodied here in the Beyond, and THAT is the essence of what this story is about. This is a classic in every sense of the word and one I believe Grahame would have loved. For further adventures of Ratty, Mole, Toad and Badger, read Horwood's prior volumes and watch the wonderfully produced Wind in the Willows series (now on DVD) which details the characters' early years following The Wind in the Willows. But when you're ready, don't miss the finale, this masterpiece which belongs on the shelf of every Willows fan.