KENNETH GRAHAM
G'day folks,
Welcome to some background information on a man who wrote a very well known book. Kenneth Graham was a Scottish
writer famous for his stories ‘The
Wind in the Willows' (1908) and the Reluctant Dragon.
Graham was born in Edinburgh,
Scotland on 8 March. As a young child his mother died of Scarlet fever. His
father was also an alcoholic so he was sent away to be looked after by elderly
relatives.
He excelled as a student at St Edward’s School in Oxford. However, his uncle didn’t want to pay his fees for going to Oxford University. Therefore, Kenneth Graham moved to the Bank of England where he gained employment as a clerk. He later rose to be secretary and spent all his working life in the Bank of England.
In his spare time, he began writing articles and light stories. They were published in London Periodicals, but they were mostly low key. Though a later book, The Reluctant Dragon, became more widely known.
In 1899, he married Elspeth
Thomson, who was considerably older than Kenneth. The marriage was not
particularly close. Kenneth was not gregarious and was content in his own
company. They had one son, Alistair, who suffered from various psychological
conditions. Alistair later committed suicide whilst studying at Oxford
University, aged 20.
Kenneth began writing stories for his son. The primary purpose was to be educational. For example, one of the main characters in The Wind in the Willows, is the rather head strong and arrogant Toad of Toad Hole. His arrogance leads to his downfall:
“‘Glorious, stirring sight!’ murmured Toad, never offering to move. ‘The poetry of motion! The REAL way to travel! The ONLY way to travel!'
Though we end up developing sympathy for the character as he learns from his misdeeds.
The book was first published in 1908 in England with illustrations by E.H.Shepard. The book gradually became a best seller, and captured the imagination of many children and adults. In 1929, A.A.Milne dramatized the book as Toad of Toad Hall and over the twentieth Century became a key part of children’s literature.
The Wind in the Willows is
partly an expression of the authors desire to create a fantasy world free of
some of the uncomfortable aspects of modern life. In discussing the work with
Theodore Roosevelt, he mentioned the idyllic world he created was “Clean of the
clash of sex.”
However, despite its success, Greene was never inspired to try a sequel. This was despite his early retirement in 1908. His early retirement was partly due to poor health and also disagreements with some of his employers.
He excelled as a student at St Edward’s School in Oxford. However, his uncle didn’t want to pay his fees for going to Oxford University. Therefore, Kenneth Graham moved to the Bank of England where he gained employment as a clerk. He later rose to be secretary and spent all his working life in the Bank of England.
In his spare time, he began writing articles and light stories. They were published in London Periodicals, but they were mostly low key. Though a later book, The Reluctant Dragon, became more widely known.
Kenneth began writing stories for his son. The primary purpose was to be educational. For example, one of the main characters in The Wind in the Willows, is the rather head strong and arrogant Toad of Toad Hole. His arrogance leads to his downfall:
“‘Glorious, stirring sight!’ murmured Toad, never offering to move. ‘The poetry of motion! The REAL way to travel! The ONLY way to travel!'
Though we end up developing sympathy for the character as he learns from his misdeeds.
The book was first published in 1908 in England with illustrations by E.H.Shepard. The book gradually became a best seller, and captured the imagination of many children and adults. In 1929, A.A.Milne dramatized the book as Toad of Toad Hall and over the twentieth Century became a key part of children’s literature.
However, despite its success, Greene was never inspired to try a sequel. This was despite his early retirement in 1908. His early retirement was partly due to poor health and also disagreements with some of his employers.
He died in
Pangborne, Berkshire in July 6, 1932.
Clancy's comment: Interesting character, but a sad life by the sound of it.
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