Watership Down: A Novel by Richard Adams
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Book Reviews of Watership Down: A Novel
Book Review: The non-allegories of Watership Down
Summary: 5 Stars
Richard Adams states rather casually in the introduction to this 2005 edition that "Watership Down was never intended to be some sort of allegory or parable. It is simply the story about rabbits made up and told in the car." Well, that must have been some drive, because students of the book have been expositing upon its non-allegories since it was first published in 1972.
For instance; the final self-sacrifice of the mythical El-ahrairah to save his people; or Fiver the prophet of doom; or the character of the Black Rabbit; or the terrible rise of Woundwort. These may be unintentionally similar to historical or biblical characters, or merely representative of the subconscious imagination of a man who had survived WWII. A man who now lived under the shadow of communism, the cold war, Vietnam and jolly ol' England's slide into Socialism following the ruins of empire.
What I find preposterous is the idea that the various rabbit warrens portrayed were not allegories of some sort, particularly Cowslip's (Shining Wire) Warren and Woundwart's Efrafa Warren. These two warrens symbolized the quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin; "Those who would trade liberty for security deserve neither." Both warrens were unnatural, with the first being a total sacrifice of the traditional ways of the wild rabbit for the security from want. The second being a total sacrifice of freedom for the security from danger.
What these warrens achieved in their fictional realities were reflective of the shadows that Mr. Adams himself lived under at the time. The easier of the two to understand is the police state of Efrafa Warren, representative of the Fascist states brought to rubble in the war, and the looming Communist behemoth of the Soviet Union and its Eastern European vassals. The much harder to understand is the Shining Wire state of Cowslip's Warren, with its generations gone of lost traditions and its embrace of death.
Cowslip's Warren is the much more frightening of the two because it wasn't representative of the "other," as the Soviet Union was to the people of England in 1972. The Shining Wire Warren, with its promise of unwilling sacrifice, loss of culture, destruction of history and turning away from religion; that was the state of "becoming."
Whether Adams knew it or not, the Shining Wire Warren was a foreshadowing of what England was becoming. What England is today, and how much more England will be in the future.
In the human condition, freedom from want requires unwilling sacrifices that rob a culture of its very soul. For instance, the unwilling sacrifice of the elderly due to the expense of medical procedures. The unwilling sacrifice of history, culture and worship that are stolen from the young due to political correctness. Unwilling sacrifice leads to unparalleled selfishness. The only thing these people refuse to sacrifice, once all that had made them a great people is lost on the altar of Socialist Utopian theory, is the belief in the lie that there can be security from want.
Book Review: Sometimes the best stories are those written for children
Summary: 5 Stars
I've heard that one of my favorite stories, The Hobbitt, was originally written by J. R. R. Tolkien for his children - it wasn't even meant for publication. If not for the prodding of his friend, C. S. Lewis, it might never have been published. And in the introduction to Watership Down, Richard Adams explains that it was borne out of a request by his daughters for a story on a long car ride - not just any story, but a story made up just for them. And luckily for us, they encouraged their father to finish the story and have it published.
Watership Down (which is a very dramatic-sounding title) starts when Fiver has a foreboding of danger for the warren. His prophecies, however, are rejected by the chief rabbit, and he and his friend Hazel convince a few others to leave the warren in search of a place to start a new one. But there are a great many dangers out in the world: foxes and wolves, weasels and stoats, and not least of all man and his machines. That's right, this is a story about rabbits. No, they're not rabbits who wear little mittens and coats with buttons - they're real rabbits who forage in the grass and occasionally raid gardens. But they also have their own language and legends and mythology, and we're treated to plenty of that in this captivating story as we follow Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig, Silver, Dandelion, Pipkin and the others on their odyssey.
This book is often called an allegory, although Mr. Adams has insisted it was never meant as such and was simply "a story I told to my little girls." But there certainly seem to be elements of symbolism. The legends of El-ahrairah, a type of Brer Rabbit, are told by the rabbits with almost religious reverence. The Black Rabbit of Inlé, another figure from their legends, might be compared to the Devil, and General Woundwort made me think of Joseph Stalin, ruling with an iron fist - errr, paw, I mean. And Fiver certainly seems to have a gift of prophecy, but the comparisons are only conjecture on my part and the legends add color and texture to a wonderful story.
I'll admit I was hesitant to read this - a "classic" about bunnies? And it's not even very old, having been published originally in 1972. But I think it's certainly deserving of the attention it's received ever since and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There's some violence and it can be occasionally frightening or sad, but I loved it and found myself genuinely concerned for Hazel and Fiver and Bigwig and their group. I listened to the audio book read by Ralph Cosham (and my kids would cast questioning looks my way: "A story about rabbits, Dad? Really?!?") who does an excellent job. In fact, I plan to follow Mr. Adams example and listen to the audio book with the kids the next time we have a long drive. They're going to love it!
Book Review: Sometimes unbelievable or slow, but largely intelligent, compelling, and strongly written. A satisfying book. Highly recommended
Summary: 5 Stars
When Fiver has an ominous premonition that death will come to the warren, his brother Hazel leads a pack of willing bucks out into the wide world. Their journey takes them through challenges and strange encounters, and Hazel must grow to be a cunning leader that he may found and protect a better warren in a safer land. Although it requires a certain suspension of disbelief, Watership Down is remarkably faithful to the animals which inspire it. The constantly involving plot can make for slow reading, but on the whole this is an intelligent, compelling, strongly written work. I highly recommend it.
Watership Down differs hugely from most anthropomorphic animal stories in that in that it remains quite faithful to its source. That is to say: these rabbits are rabbits. They do not wear clothes or cook meals in a kitchen; I'm not a rabbit expert, but it's clear that Adams has researched, and for the most part his depiction of rabbits and other wildlife is convincing. Sometimes the novel does stretch the suspension of disbelief--the rabbits don't have human lifestyles or intelligence, but there are still an unbelievable number of unusual rabbit behaviors, from singing and laughing rabbits to a militarized warren. Nonetheless, Watership Down is refreshingly realistic, and the story is all the more compelling for the fact that it could indeed occur in the country downs.
As a novel rather than a concept alone, Watership Down is sometimes slow but largely skillful. The premise--that a group of disaffected rabbits leave one warren to found another--is only mere glimpse into the overall plot, which includes a journey across the countryside, dealings with two other unusual warrens, and a lengthy search for does. The plot is constantly unfolding and the book is quite long, and so it sometimes feels like slow going. Once the reader adjusts to the unfolding plotline, however, the book becomes easier to read--and it is remarkably well written. With thoughtful detail and a complex plot, lifelike characters and skillful writing, Watership Down is on the whole an intelligent and strongly written book. It is heavier fare than many anthropomorphic-animal stories, and it has some faults, but on the whole it's a joy to read, engaging and thought-provoking, with plentiful interpretations which will stand up to rereads. I was very satisfied, and I highly recommend it.
Book Review: This review is a little late.
Summary: 5 Stars
I recieved my pruchase right on time. It came earlier than expected and I like that. Its in very good condition too.
So far I'm on the ark where the rabbits plan to go to Efrafa. Its a real surprise. The movie which I watched before this is completely different. I'm not sure why the movie left out some things in the book, but I'm not gonna fault it on that. If a movie followed a book completely it would be many hours long. I'm really enjoying this book so far and can't wait to see what happens next. I might even watch the movie again and compare the two. First off (SPOILER!!!!) Alot of things in the book are more disturbing. An example is the destruction of the old warren. Holly and Blackberry's description on the events leading up to them finding Hazel and others just disturbed me. Not only were they attacked by humans, but thier own kind. Sounds similar to some human situations. Plus the whole tearing dead bodies apart detail...~shivers~. Efrafa is also described in more detail. In the movie the only thing I knew about Efrafra was that it almost represent a communist country or Dictatorship and Hazels warren represent Democracy. I'm not sure if this was done intentially or not. I would actually say in the book its even more obvious.
I must confess when I first read WSD I almost expected another book like Erin Hunters Warriors or that series about the wolves. I got something even better! WSD is definately a must read. I'm surprised not many schools have this and Plague Dogs in thier library. It feeds my inner fascination with nature. This, Plague Dogs, and its movie adaption are definately underrated. I don't know many peaple whos read it. If you love WSD you will also love Plague Dogs which is more disturbing, but just as fascinating.
NOTE: Im updating:) I just finished and I must say this is one of the best books I've ever read. When the story was over I felt like I just lost my best friend. You follow this group of characters, who are rabbits all the way to the end and when its older its sad, heartwarming, and beutiful at the same time. I came closer to crying reading this than I did watching the movie. This book just pushed the Warriors series out as my favorite fictionous nature book. Not only is it one of the 100 greatest animated movies, but 100 greatest books. This story just earned a new fan! I can imagine how Plague Dogs is.
Book Review: My All-time Favorite!
Summary: 5 Stars
A young rabbit named Fiver sees a vision of blood and death--danger is coming to the rabbit warren! Thus begins this classic fantasy book for middle school and teen readers. Fiver tells his brother Hazel and they flee, along with nine other rabbits.
The first several days of travel out in the open are harrowing, but they think their luck has changed when they happen upon another warren. Unlike the overcrowded warren they left behind, this one has plenty of room and they are invited to stay. Only Fiver senses that all is not as it seems. When one of their band almost loses his life, they learn the warren's deadly secret and must leave.
Eventually they find the perfect spot for their own warren, a large hill called Watership Down. However, Hazel soon realizes they have a problem: without female rabbits to have babies, the warren won't last long. They come up with a solution, but carrying it out will test Hazel's leadership and the mettle of all of the rabbits to their limit.
This middle school book tells an exciting story and is beautifully written. The lovable characters range from Hazel, the thoughtful leader who learns not to overreach himself, to Bigwig, the aggressive fighter who faces death more than once, and Fiver, the gentle, otherworldly psychic whose visions guide the group. One great charm of Watership Down is that tales of a legendary rabbit hero are sprinkled throughout the story. Whenever the rabbits face a dilemma and need inspiration, they lift their spirits with tales of a rabbit's courage, cleverness, and derring-do.
Richard Adams had a hard time finding someone to publish this book for middle school readers. Publishers thought that a story about rabbits was for babies, but that the writing style was for adults, so who would read it? Lots of people, it turned out. In 1972 a small publisher took a chance on the unusual novel and it's still in print. I love Tolkien, but this is my favorite fantasy novel. I can't count how many times I've read it.
Reading level: Ten and up. Good readers of 10-11 should do fine with it, unless the more adult writing style is off-putting. From comments I read online, many parents read this book aloud to their children and it is enjoyed and discussed by all.