Watership Down: A Novel
by Richard Adams
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Book Reviews of Watership Down: A Novel
Book Review: Watership Down: typicality in the untraditional sense
Summary: 4 Stars
Watership Down encompasses a journey of rabbits in search for a new warren to live in safety. While this objective may seem simple to accomplish, the rabbits run into many obstacles along the way and such a goal becomes distant but not impossible to these fervent animals. Of course, the rabbits portray human qualities such as emotion, language, and complex cognitive thought. Needless to say then, it is obvious that each rabbit on this journey is an individual who carries their own personality. So while the novel concentrates on the journey of the rabbits itself, it effectively incorporates each of the rabbits journey also. Such a novel about brave rabbits in search for a new home, surpassing barriers, and finally reaching a content end seems to be a typical "hero's journey." Indeed, this plot resembles the stereotypical journey, but the author does so in such a creative and interesting way. I found that reading from an animals point of view is rather interesting, even though the complexities of their thoughts are probably unlike our own. Normally, heroes are associated with people. This novel, however, defeats that archetype extending it to our fellow creatures. Next, their journey was quite suspenseful. At first, reading about rabbits finding a new home may seem anything but engrossing. Yet here again, the author tactfully renders the journey as interesting as our own would be. Reading more into the novel, the characters grow on you and the danger they face becomes important to the reader. True, nature can be so fascinating. The book itself was rather ideal in that I began to think I was reading a child's book. Not in a derogatory sense at all. It was an easy read that was enjoyable to the point where it was as if I was a kid again enjoying a heroic story. It was not as if I as a busy college student reading the book without interest just to quickly memorize the comprehension for an upcoming test. In my opinion therefore, the author creatively takes a classic tale and generates it into an unorthodox novel.Book Review: One Intrepid Group of Bunnies
Summary: 5 Stars
"Watership Down" by Richard Adams is that greatest of rarities, an adult fairy tale that works. It is about a group of young rabbits searching for a new home.
Hazel is convinced his brother Fivers visions of doom are true. Fiver was the smallest of heir litter but he is blessed with god sense and clairvoyance. They convince Bigwig, a member of their warrens Owsla (security patrol), of their concerns. They are brought to the chief rabbit who calmly dismisses their concerns and privately chews Bigwig out.
Hazel is not to be dismissed lightly. He is utterly convinced of Fivers prediction. Being intrepid and resourceful he has faith in his judgment. He recruits others (including Bigwig) to their cause and arranges an escape. Fiver has a vision of where they should go. It is for this haven, they leave all that they know.
This is a rabbit's world with rabbits view. Frith is their god. El-ahairah is the hero of their mythology. He is the Prince of a Thousand Enemies. The tales of his adventures give demonstrate to other rabbits the skills necessary for their survival. Dogs are idiots and cats are sadistic. Man is shown as being indifferent, sometimes cruel and always impersonal to the affairs of rabbitkind.
This is a classic journey story. Of course they encounter dangers and setbacks. As they use their courage, resourcefulness and luck, they grow in ways they never imagined. Even as they reach their destination and establish their new warren, they still must defend their home. Of all their enemies the greatest threat is from General Woundwort, a psychotic rabbit that runs his police-state warren with efficiency and a ruthlessness that would make Joe Stalin cringe.
Like El-ahairah, Hazel "must be cunning and full of tricks" or his people will be destroyed.
Of course they're not destroyed but the story is in the details not the ending. And it is a truly wonderful story.
Book Review: Great Story, 70% Good Metaphor
Summary: 4 Stars
I've waited for years to read this book, and by and large it didn't disappoint. Great story, interesting characters, largely fast flowing plot, and mostly a good metaphor: the metaphor of breaking from the herd, breaking from the old way, treating life as an adventure to be tackled, and taking risk and using ingenuity to accomplish a mission. I loved all that, and loved its message about the complacency of hutch rabbits (average humans!) - and how weak and lost we become when complacency takes over.
BUT...
The metaphor of the story ultimately breaks down because it becomes a "happily ever after" story. The whole purpose of the rabbits' ultimate mission in the second half of the book is to find ways to attract or procure female rabbits so they can mate, have babies, and just...ultimately live average, complacent lives. I admired their ingenuity in achieving this end, but what kind of message is this "end" in our modern world? Just more dating, mating, and procreating - exactly the complacency that is KILLING OUR PLANET.
It's time for a new way: forget breeding like rabbits, stop the cycle of overpopulation, stop the spread of our species into new untamed lands, and instead scale back. Go within and heal our ancient wounds. Had the book had this message I would have liked it a thousand times more.
Two other criticisms: 1) I found the mythical rabbit-and-God folktales within the book, the ones the rabbit storytellers told, to be EXTREMELY DULL. Once I realized they were not remotely an intrinsic part of the story I skipped them - whole chapters - to no great loss. That sped things up a lot. 2) The literary quotations at the beginning of each chapter were distracting and irrelevant, so after a few chapters I mostly ignored them.
Book Review: I guess you had to be there
Summary: 2 Stars
This strikes me as definitiely a "book of its time". First published in 1972 (after being rejected by 13, count 'em, 13 publishers), it is written on a "young adult" reader level and is basically a formalized cobbling together of stories the author told his children on tedious car trips. Each chapter is preceded by a literary quote, which after the first 20 or so becomes a bit precious and eventually pretentious. Obviously, it has quite a following, but it seems to me to fall into the same category as books as diverse as "A Wrinkle in Time", "Stranger in a Strange Land", "Atlas Shrugged", or perhaps less complimentary, "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" (which itself was published 2 years before this). All have their fans, most of whom first read their book at an impressionable age, and who seem more passionate than the material objectively deserves, because the story has some resonance for those readers. Those fans all find some sort of inspiration, or really self-confirmation, and tend to get irate if YOU don't "get it" too. Frankly, it struck me as an overly-twee cross between "The Hobbit" and Beatrix Potter. (And please, I *did* enjoy "The Wind in the Willows".) The female rabbits ("does") are essentially non-existant in the first third of the book, and are much-sought-after non-entities in the rest, useful only for perpetuating rabbithood (didn't know THAT was a problem....) The "lupine dictionary" ought to be a litmus test for potential readers: if this strikes you as charming, or clever, or creative, give the book a try. If you think that is just a mite affectatious, and have a hard time with rabbits having "names" like Hazel, Buckthorn, Pipkin, and Dandelion, I think you'll be happier with a "pass".Book Review: More Than a Children's Book
Summary: 5 Stars
Watership Down is a classic novel by Richard Adams. The story involves a warren of rabbits, such as rabbits named Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig, Blackberry and Dandelion. Hazel is the protagonist. The story opens as Hazel and his brother, Fiver are taking a walk. Suddenly Fiver bumps into a sign that indicates that someone will be building houses in their warren. Now, Fiver is a rabbit so he can't read but the sign gives him an ominous feeling. He tells Hazel and Hazel takes Fiver to the the Chief Rabbit to tell him about Fiver's foreboding. The Chief Rabbit does not believe them and kicks them out. Hazel and Fiver decide to leave the warren. The only reason Hazel is doing this is because he has complete trust and faith in his brother based on past experiences. Other rabbits such as Bigwig, Blackberry and Dandelion go on this journey and they reach a little field called Watership Down. They encounter many adventures on their way to Watership Down. When they finally arrive at Watership Down they face many challenges.
One might think that this is a children's book because on the surface it appears to be about cute, fuzzy bunnies. However, it is much more. It is a story about survival, fear, trust, and finding a new home. This is a great piece of art and literature. It is so exciting and interesting to hear what happens next that you will be on the edge of your seat. You will increase your vocabulary and your ability to understand complicated plots. I strongly believe this book should be a part of everyone's library. I recommend this book for ages 9 and up.
by William