mark hoppus
It took me three attempts before I finished this book. Not possessing a great knowledge of English history, it confused me. But after living in London for three years, I picked up enough history to better grasp the story and plot points. I still feel like the middle section could have been 100 pages less and left nothing wanting from the end result.
I'd never read this book before this week. I always thought it a children's book, but the themes seem more geared toward adults/young adults. The terrific descriptions of the English countryside and its lifestyle remind me why I like being there so much. I also love the way Grahame anthropomorphises everything. Example: Toad was called at an early hour; partly by the bright sunlight streaming in on him, partly by the exceeding coldness of his toes, which made him dream that he was at home in bed in his own handsome room with the Tudor window, on a cold winter's night, and his bedclothes had got up, grumbling and protesting they couldn't stand the cold any longer, and had run downstairs to the kitchen fire to warm themselves; and he had followed, on bare feet, along miles and miles of icy stone-paved passages, arguing and beseeching them to be reasonable. So rad.
Great book. Very interesting to think how the world would react to a zombie invasion. The only downside for me was that, because the narrator is documenting people's stories after the war, it is predetermined that they've survived. So you never get those moments of terror or suspense like you would if it were all written in the moment.
great summer read. supernatural murder mystery is not normally a genre i gravitate toward, but the author's writing style and the london history scattered throughout made for a thoroughly enjoyable book. clever, fun, and original.