Tales from Watership Down by Richard Adams
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Book Reviews of Tales from Watership Down
Book Review: I liked it. Part 3 was far better than the rest of the book.
Summary: 5 Stars
I thought it was good, but I thought that parts 1 and 2 were sort of misplaced..... I wish that the whole book had been more like part 3.Book Review: Just Desserts: A Pleasant Return Visit to Watership Down
Summary: 4 Stars
I always maintained that the stories told about El-ahrairah in "Watership Down" could stand on their own, even though they obviously related to what was happening or about to happen in the novel. This collection of short stories amply evidences the point and Adams explores a wider variety of tales than he did in his classic novel. However, I have to admit that this book also underscores how well those original stories fit into the plot of "Watership Down."This collection is a pleasant return to the world of Watership Down. My advice is to read one a day. You do not want to sit down and go through all of them at once. You want to savor each one. We are lucky to be allowed back into this world, let's not make gluttons of ourselves.
Of course I had to go back and reread my favorite parts of the novel. You really have to think of this book as dessert. Adams could not return to the lives of Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig and the others without dispelling the magical charm of his original effort. Certainly none of us would want that and he is smart enough not to make the effort.
I am serious about the dessert metaphor. This is not "The Hobbit," and it should not serve as an introduction to the novel. It is to be enjoyed after the novel. This is important and you should not violate this rule in passing on your love of "Watership Down" to others.
Book Review: An uneven "sequel"...
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm not entirely sure about this sequel Adams has written. "Watership Down" is without a doubt one of my favorite books in the world. I've literally read my way through several copies. I awaited the sequel breathlessly and pounced on it when it came out in paperback. Overall it's great. One section devotes itself to El-ahrairah, the Prince Rabbit, in a long series of connected short stories. One section devotes itself to the Watership Down warren after the battle with Efrafa. These are enjoyable, with the same deft touches one sees in other Adams books. They're not as well-written as "Watership Down", being altogether fluffier, but that almost goes without saying. There's less of a sense of urgency about the stories, I suppose.
The middle section, however, is a disappointment. Preachy and flakey, it is a demonstration of the very wackiest of wacky New Age "We are the World" mishmash beliefs, with forced storylines galore. Only the most fervent ecological nuts could possibly think this has any value as narrative. Other than that, the stories are fun to read -- and Kehaar's in the last section, so what else could one ask?
Book Review: An uneven "sequel"...
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm not entirely sure about this sequel Adams has written. "Watership Down" is without a doubt one of my favorite books in the world. I've literally read my way through several copies. I awaited the sequel breathlessly and pounced on it when it came out in paperback. Overall it's great. One section devotes itself to El-ahrairah, the Prince Rabbit, in a long series of connected short stories. One section devotes itself to the Watership Down warren after the battle with Efrafa. These are enjoyable, with the same deft touches one sees in other Adams books. They're not as well-written as "Watership Down", being altogether fluffier, but that almost goes without saying. There's less of a sense of urgency about the stories, I suppose.
The middle section, however, is a disappointment. Preachy and flakey, it is a demonstration of the very wackiest of wacky New Age "We are the World" mishmash beliefs, with forced storylines galore. Only the most fervent ecological nuts could possibly think this has any value as narrative. Other than that, the stories are fun to read -- and Kehaar's in the last section, so what else could one ask?
Book Review: A good, but not great, follow-up work
Summary: 4 Stars
For those who loved Watership Down for all its well-plotted adventures of Hazel and his friends who leave their home warren and journey out into the world, this book will probably pale in comparison. Tales from Watership Down is more a book of short stories, some loosely connected together, some not even related to one another. All the stories in this book are as fun to read as the short stories of El-ahrairha in the original book, but while those stories served mostly to further the plot and personify the rabbits by showing their mythology, these stories are just entertaining. I could understand how some readers would be dissapointed if they thought this book was a true sequel, but it does work nicely as a companion piece to the original. I didn't quite find the stories at the end that continued the life of Hazel and the rabbits at Watership Down quite on par with what I remembered from the original. One of the great things about the original was how he characterized the different rabbits personalities, but they didn't seem quite as lifelike in this book. Still, if you loved Watership Down, how could you not want to read this book?