Watership Down: A Novel by Richard Adams
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Book Reviews of Watership Down: A Novel
Book Review: A Great Novel and A Timeless Tale
Summary: 5 Stars
Outside Reading Book Review
Watership Down by Richard Adams is an entrancing, engaging novel that chronicles the adventures of a band of rabbits that, through personification, are given human qualities.
In this novel, there takes place the journey of a band of rabbits, led by Hazel and his brother Fiver who leave their warren because Fiver, who seems to have an inexplicable sixth sense and exceptional instincts and perception, even for a rabbit, feels they are no longer safe there. After seeing a billboard near his warren, Fiver gets an uneasy feeling about the fate of his home and tells his brother that they must gather as many rabbits as they can and leave the warren immediately as he is sure that something horrible will soon occur there. Hazel then proceeds to gather a band of rabbits, comprised of those who believe Fiver and those who are discontent with their place in the hierarchy at the warren and want to leave. The rabbits endure many perilous adventures and eventually are able to form their own warren which right from its formation undergoes many trials.
What I found fascinating about this book was Richard Adams's use of famous quotes and passages from historical works to start off each chapter. The quotes, if interpreted correctly, also help to foreshadow the events to take place in the chapter. Watership Down teaches many lessons and parallels many aspects of the human world teaching the rabbits about the outside world and themselves as well. The novel cultivates the overall themes of the book- leadership, trust and reality. Hazel leads the rabbits through many perilous dangers which lead to his companions' absolute trust in him and Fiver. The book also expresses the nature of reality, showing unfortunate facts such as (as Mr. Jepson would say) "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely" and showing the sad fact the although animals kill for food and out of necessity, humans potential for harm is limitless and without compassion or thought. This is shown by the callous way in which the humans bulldoze and kill all the rabbits in a warren without mercy or thought so that they may build their houses. This is expressed by the rabbits with anger, "All other Elil (rabbits word for living creatures) do what they have to do and Frith moves them as he moves us. They live on the earth and they need food. Men will never rest till they've spoiled the earth and destroyed the animals" It also, however, shows reality in a happier light highlighting the relationship of the rabbits extolling friendship and faith. What were very fascinating to me were the parallels of the warren Hazel and his band run into on their journeys, Efrafa to a totalitarian state, a communist state and an oligargic government; Efrafa is run very differently than other warrens, while many other warrens have a "monarchy" such as Hazel's home warren which is ruled by the "Threarah" or Chief Rabbit, or council in control, Efrafa are ruled over by General Woundwort, a rabbit who has fought for his power and maintains peace by absolute control. Woundwort issues strict schedules about when who can feed where and even marks and categorizes the rabbits. He rules using fear, and the same occurs in a totalitarian state where the dictator controls every aspect of the lives of his subjects. It had the same effect that Hitler had upon the German people, the atrocities and evils he committed were minimized, dismissed and covered up, but what he did for the German people was perceived as great, bettering their lives (if you were Arian of course) and making them feel strong and proud of the heritage. This nationalism was also felt by the rabbits of Efrafa who Hazel hears them praise, "Did you see his body? No. Did anyone? No. Nothing could kill him. He made rabbits bigger than they've ever been--braver, more skillful, and more cunning. I know we paid for it. Some gave their lives. It was worth it, to feel we were Efrafans." In most other warrens such as Hazel's original home warren, the Chief Rabbit rules with the help of his "Ousla" or police which help to protect and serve, cultivating the Threarah's will, or in some other situations, protecting power with force. This parallels an oligarchy or the rule of the communist party in the Soviet Union in the late 1900's, as those in the communist party (which was ruled, along with the rest of Russia, by Stalin) enjoyed special privileges such as being able to shop at different stores.
I thought that this book was extraordinarily well written and the lessons one learns from it are exceedingly important. Watership Down takes the triumphs and troubles of humanity and expresses them from a different point of view, with the result being an award winning novel about what one is truly capable of. I recommend this book to anyone over the age of twelve who appreciates a wonderful story and is able to read between the lines to interpret the true meaning of a work of art such as this. Five stars.
Book Review: The modern classic children's book that is too good for kids
Summary: 5 Stars
When I went off for my first semester of college my father gave me $100 with which to buy textbooks, which certainly dates me and will once again astound my own college aged children as to what life was like in the last century. After buying everything for my classes I had enough money left over to buy a hard cover copy of "Watership Down" by Richard Adams for $6.95, which for people who love books is certainly a great way of representing the ravages of inflation over the years. I decided to read a chapter of "Watership Down" each night before going to bed, thereby marking the beginning of my obsession with reading a chapter of something each day that has nothing to do with school. When my dorm roommate became as hooked on the story as much as I was he and I would read chapters aloud. Fifty days I got to the book's epilogue with the same sort of sadness that it was all over that I experienced getting to the end of the "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
Living in the Sandleford Warren with its Chief Rabbit and Owsla maintaining a comfortable social order, Hazel and his little brother Fiver are content enough. But Fiver has the gift of prophecy, and when he warns that the warren has to be abandoned right away or they are all going to die, Hazel and a small circle of friends believe him and leave despite the fact that have no idea where they are going. Fiver envisions a great high place where they can be happy and safe, but there are a series of imposing obstacles to overcome, from not only humans and predators, but other wild rabbits as well. Consequently the basic story of "Watership Down" is the ancient quest for home, although in this case it is a new home that represents a wild rabbit's idea of utopia.
The greatness of "Watership Down" rests on the sense of realism that Adams brings to his story wild rabbits. Adams studied Lapine life in R. M. Lockley's "The Private Life of the Rabbit" in order to keep his rabbits real. But beyond the way rabbits live in nature Adams provides them with a history and a culture, represented not only in the stories they tell of El-ahrairah (the Prince with a Thousand Enemies), but their beliefs in Frith the lord sun, and their simple games such as bob-stones. When confronted with sticky situations they are able to use their ingenuity to come up with surprising solutions that are still within the realm of possibility for real rabbits. I always liked the way Hazel, Blackberry and the others have to work out these puzzles, straining for a leap of intuition and cognitive insight that seems just beyond the reach of their relatively simple minds. So while these rabbits are capable of doing more than others of their kind, Adams keeps their efforts remarkable rather than magical.
We also pick up a few choice words from the language of the rabbits (e.g., "silflay" is to go above ground to feed, "homba is a fox), which ends up paying off with one of my favorite moments in the book when Bigway utters a simple but effective curse. The lesson of the story is clearly that bigger does not mean better, for Hazel is neither the strongest nor the smartest of the rabbits that he leads, but he had the best qualities of leadership. Each of the rabbits that join Hazel on the quest to find Watership Down and build a new life there offers something to the ground, and the distinctive personalities that Adams creates for each of them adds to the novel as well.
Of all the books that I have that I like to pick up from time to time and read again my favorite parts, "Watership Down" is the oldest. As a children's story is it simply one that is too good for most children, but without the deep allegorical elements that afflict so many other great children's stories. Perhaps that is why this novel has become so beloved, because it speaks to the child in all of us and the simple virtues that we all want the world to embody. Having read the book again from start to finish, I was not surprised to find that it is still as good as I thought it was when I first read it many years ago.
Book Review: My Favorite Book
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my favorite book. I know that it's about rabbits, but really it's so much more. This book is about civilization and community and survival. It's about friendship and freedom and mythological stories.
I first read this book as part of my High School Freshman English summer reading requirement (Thank you Mrs. Gollander). I dreaded it then because all I could understand was that rabbits were talking and running around. Later in my life I read it again. And then again.
Watership Down is the greatest book written in the English language. There are some basic reasons for this:
(1) Adams uses rabbits to express his themes of leadership, loyalty and friendship, and society. In other novels, or in real-life, we see ourselves as having much control over our environment, when in fact we have very little. By making rabbits the centerpiece, it's easier to see the large external factors. These factors are very difficult to see when we are engaging in our everyday lives.
The rabbits are also quite innocent. The picture we get when reading the novel is that, despite the fact that there are good and bad rabbits alike, all rabbits are ultimately innocently pursuing what they think is right. Even General Woundwort is pursuing a conservative, fascist agenda in an attempt to preserve his society (and his power). This is true to life. George Bush wasn't trying to kill thousands of Iraqi babies, but it happened. We can't lay the additional blame of intentional murder, no matter how bad the accidental results were.
(2) The society is a combination of 3 important aspects: religion or spirituality, dreaming for a better life, and surviving forces beyond our control. Aren't these the very same that we face in our lives? By exploring these themes, Adams is giving us insight to how important they really are.
(3) The eclectic. The vast rabbit knowledge and interwoven rabbit lore, vocabulary, and actions indicate a parallel society that has its own unique aspects. It removes the rabbits from the human world enough to pursue a comparison between human society and these rabbits without stating the obvious. Had the author used rabbits without the unique aspects of their society, it would have been rather like a weak treatise on society written by a college student for their senior thesis.
(4) Readability. This book was assigned to me as summer reading during my transition to high school. I didn't fully "get it" then, but I certainly understood what I was reading. Better readers than me would certainly grasp the full meaning of the novel at around the same time in their lives (7th or 8th grade), though coming-of-age novels are probably more applicable at that time. This is probably a book for college students and beyond; the novel is thoroughly accessible to people who are interested in the 3 important themes listed in number 1 above.
(5) Lack of Dogma. There is no centralized dogma about society, other than the obvious notion that fascism is probably a bad thing. The author doesn't argue that one specific style of government is best for people, but that people who work together for a common good can lead society in the right direction. Of course, it's up to you to decide what kind of government best espouses this notion.
This book challenges us to face the things that threaten our way of life. It tells us that if we act justly and honestly, things will turn out for the best.
Book Review: A classic tale with a surprisingly modern resonance
Summary: 5 Stars
Like many classic tales, Watership Down can be enjoyed as a straightforward adventure novel. Others might point out its (political) allegorical aspects, in the same way that the Narnia Chronicles incorporate (Christian) allegory into their adventure stories. Of course, this does not make a novel good or bad, or enjoyable to read. The key point is this: Watership Down is a fun, action-packed, and thoughtful novel that has maintained its status over its 30 years in continual printing.
The story follows the lives of several rabbits, as they first flee the destruction of their home warren (at the hands of human developers), and then establish a new home in the more remote location of Watership Down. Obviously, as rabbits, they are subject to predation by foxes, stoats, and men, and those crossing the open fields have nowhere to run when danger strikes. Adventure inevitably follows, and the personalities of the group are combined and used to best advantage by Hazel, the "decider" and eventual leader of the group. Besides Hazel we have Bigwig the policeman/action hero; Pipkin the loyal sidekick, Blueberry the thinker, Fiver the sensitive one, Holly the tracker, Dandelion the storyteller, etc. If these appear to be crudely drawn carricatures, well, rabbits are simple animals with simple tastes. They want shelter, community, and to create little rabbits. The last drives most of the action in the book, as the original Watership warren was founded entirely by males. Interspersed throughout are stories from rabbit lore, telling the story of the creation of rabbits and the deeds of derring-do performed by El-ahrairah, the cunning first king of the rabbits.
The freedom and equality (indeed, even democracy) that the Watership rabbits enjoy is contrasted with the three other warrens in the book. The original warren run in a classic strongman meritocracy style (the bigger the rabbit, the higher up the chain of command). On their way to Watership they encounter a libertarian warren where the rabbits apparently come and go as they please, free of laws or authoritarian figures, but their freedom is paid for with a terrible price. Thirdly is Efafra, a military dictatorship set up to preserve secrecy (from discovery by men) at the cost of all personal freedom. Thus, the main theme (at least, to a post-9/11 North American reader) would appear to be the balance of security and freedom, with our heroes finding a good balance (but leaning far to the freedom side), while the Efafrans clamp down on all freedom in the interest of mutual security. Perhaps this was Adams's point - the IRA was certainly active (and committing terrorist acts on British soil) at the time he was writing this book, and other European terrorist organizations were also starting up around this time (Red Brigades in Italy, Baader-Meinhof Gang in Germany, etc.). Therefore, the book is likely to continue to resonate with any society struggling with the classic balance between security and freedom.
These musings are not meant to suggest that Adams spends most of his time on philosophy or in-depth arguments. No, this book is successful because it taps into basic human instincts and folklore, and presents it in a fun, fresh and exciting way. Just because the main characters are rabbits, it doesn't mean that they aren't "people".
Book Review: An epic cast in English hedgerows
Summary: 5 Stars
Adapted from ISawLightningFall.blogspot.com
Watership Down has a lot in common with the ancient epics. In it, a lone warrior leads a band of harried outcasts into the wilderness in search of a home. They're aided by a seer who can touch the future with his dreams. They face perilous quests and hair-breadth escapes, ferocious foes and desperate siege assaults. But unlike the works of Homer and Virgil, Watership Down is also about rabbits. Which is appropriate, as almost all of its characters are rabbits.
Most four-footed protagonists in literature have been little more than humans with fur. (Think Stuart Little or Redwall.) But Adams takes a very different tack, which is evident from the get-go. The tale begins with two young rabbits named Hazel and Fiver living in a peaceful warren ruled by an old veteran named the Threarah. Scrawny, meditative Fiver has premonitions of doom falling on them all, a doom that will stain the fields with rabbit blood. But when the Threarah ignores Fiver's counsel, Hazel decides to rouse anyone he can and flee. The two are joined by Bigwig (a massive bruiser once part of the Threarah's personal guard), Dandelion (a storyteller par excellence), Blackberry (the smart-as-a-whip innovator) and Pipkin (a loyal but timid runt). When the Threarah's minions discover their plans, the motley crew must plunge into the wilds under threat of death.
Adams' break with Disney-esque anthropomorphizing becomes even more apparent in the culture he created for his rabbits. Much like Tolkien did in The Lord of the Rings, Adams created a language with its own detailed grammar and vocabulary. An example: Fiver's true name, Hrairoo, comes from hrair, the term for any number over four, which is how high rabbits can count. They call these greater sums "thousand," and Fiver's name literally means "little thousand." He was so christened because he was small and one of the last born in his litter. Other words that crop up -- including elil ("predators"), silflay ("to graze") and narn ("something good to eat") -- possess equally detailed explanations. Frith, the word for the sun, is particularly interesting since it contains religious connotations. The rabbits, you see, are sun worshippers. They adore Lord Frith and the first rabbit he created, El-ahrairah, whose mischievous exploits get recounted several times in detail and who would put Odysseus to shame with his inventiveness.
Part of the joy of reading Watership Down lies in not only in its mythological color, but in letting yourself be carried along by every twist and turn of the plot, which is half adventure and half thriller (with a smattering of British botany, warren geography and seagull dialect thrown in to keep things interesting). If you find it hard to believe that it could be a coherent read with so many disparate elements (much less an entertaining one), join the crowd. It took months of nagging from a friend to get me to crack its cover. But it most certainly works, which is a testimony to Adams' skill, as is the fact that when you reach the final page, you've begun to feel that Hazel and his friends are every bit as courageous as Achilles or Aeneas -- no matter the length of their ears.