Dulce Domum

I've just started reading the Wind In The Willows to my son for bedtime stories recently. As a child, it was my favourite book by far and I'm still young enough to pick it up every now and again. Its great to see the look of wonder and enjoyment on his face as new characters are introduced. There is an undoubted charm to this novel and I think at its root is the gentility and innocence of that Golden Age between the end of the Victorian era and the First World War. Class plays its part of course but its great acheivement is to make you feel as though you part of the adventures. Each character is endearing in very different ways and when I was growing up, I would think of people as Rat, Mole, Badger or Toad. If I'm honest, I still do. For what its worth, I've always identified most with the character of Badger. I hope my son garners the same levels of joy and pleasure from this book as I have. At the time of writing, he has a soft spot for Toad but I wonder if his views will change?