Watership Down

Rating:
Summary: A CLASSIC IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD
Review: It is heartwarming (in the extreme for me) to see so many glowing and informative reviews about this incredible book.

I read Watership Down when I was in junior high and remembered liking it very much. Then life got busy and I pretty much forgot about it. But occasionally I'd see it on the bookshelves at my local library or bookstore and an itch would start in the back of my mind, telling me that I should revisit its magical pages. So this Winter, I did . . .

How wonderful it is to visit such a fully realized world created by the human mind, but set in an anthropomorphic background (and foreground, too!).

The story is about a band of rabbits---Hazel, Bigwig, Fiver, Dandelion, and Bluebell---who set off from their comfy holes to find a new rabbit warren on the plains of Watership Down. They leave their original warren because Fiver (a small, brooding rabbit with 'The Sight') has a vision of it being destroyed. Not surprisingly, soon after they leave, they find out that the warren HAD been destroyed by big hrududil (tractors) that dug up the ground and killed all those who remained behind.

The trials and tribulations of Hazel and his band of rogue rabbits carries the story along at a leisurely pace, not rushing to get the story out, giving rabbit history and mythology a few well-deserved pages, too.

After Hazel and his fellow bunnies set up their new warren on Watership Down, though, they find that they have a serious problem: no does (females)! Without does, their new warren is doomed to failure, so they set about trying to locate some breeding stock. But what they encounter is a terrible warren known as Efrafa run by the overbearing and callous General Woundwort. The battle between Watership Down and Efrafa is terrible and exciting reading, even for adults.

One other thing that struck me about reading this book (even years later) is that there are so many things discussed in it of an adult nature; rabbit miscarriages, battles, sexual connotations, death and dying, all are covered within these simple pages. And it's done so effortlessly (thank you Mr. Adams), the story's flow is NEVER interrupted.

This book was first published in 1972 (a limited release no less) in England; the publisher wasn't sure if it would be well received since it really wasn't a children's tale, nor adult literature. Thank GOD they took a chance on it. If they hadn't, we would surely have been denied a true literary classic.

A+ rating.

Rating:
Summary: best of the best
Review: Very simply: my favorite work of fiction ever written. _Watership Down_ is the story of a group of English rabbits who leave their doomed warren in search of a better home. The company contains all the ingredients of an Arthurian court: the great, but humble king; the warrior; the bard; the seer. They have their inventor and their soldiers and their noble dream. These rabbits are armed only with their wits, their simple religion, and the mythological inspiration of an ancient hero. They play out their battles on the humble, legend-steeped downs of England.

_Watership Down_ has been described as a political novel based on the authors observations during WWII, but from all I've read, the book was mainly the result of Adam's stories to his two young daughters. While driving them to see Shakespeare's plays, Adams invented animal tales which he believed embodied the spirit, if not he setting, of the classics. He later worked the stories into the book that became _Watership Down_. It is a mark of the novel's scope that, although I read and loved it at 12, I was sitting in a 400-level university Ancient Classics class before I discovered the meaning of one of the chapter titles.

_Watership Down_ is one of those books that defies categorization. To call it a "children's book" would be a gross misnomer, although the book was written for children. To call it an "animal story," would be as technically correct as categorically wrong. To call it fantasy would be odd, for it lacks the most prominent ingredient of modern fantasy-magic.

That said, the book was magic for me. It deals with ethics, with leadership, with friendship, with biology, with war. The characters have remained with me long after the details of the plot have faded. Now, more than ten years after I first opened it, _Watership Down_ retains an honored place on my bookshelf.

Rating:
Summary: Watership Down
Review: Rarely does a book so unique, so astoundingly original, and so gripping come out that will enlighten the world to the furthest sense. Richard Adam's Watership Down broke all pre-conceived barriers in the European world and did the same in America months later.

The richness of the story compares to that of Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. The writing compares to something out of Tolstoy or Steinbeck. Put together, writing and the story that writing tells, if good, will grip a reader and enchant them beyond any reason. I highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Men? Rabbits? They seem quite similar in this book.
Review: I had the opportunity to read Watership Down as part of my AP English class not too long ago. This book was mentioned in one of my all-time favorite books, The Stand, and I was intrigued by one of the character's description of the story. After reading Watership Down, I would have to say that this novel is now joins The Stand, among others, as one of my all-time favorites.

Watership Down is about rabbits. No, you're not hallucinating, I said rabbits. Yet, as you read, you will find it hard to imagine them as rabbits. Adams describes them as a race rich in heritage and culture, as is shown with the stories of the mystical rabbit prince El-ahrairah that are intertwined in the main story itself. The story is about a small group of rabbits escaping certain death from an excavation project, and seeking a place to call home. They face many challenges, and struggle through many hardships, such as their fight against the oppressed warren of Efrafa, and it's dictatorial leader, General Woundwort. As the story unfolds, one can't help but be captivated by the plight of the rabbits, and intrigued by their decidedly humanistic personalities.

Watership Down is a journey through a fantasy world, where rabbits talk, fight, brag, and have many of the same qualities and faults as humans. One may scoff at the subject matter, thinking that a book about rabbits won't hold their attention. To these people I say give this book a chance! After reading it, you will never look at rabbits the same way again, and it's very possible that this novel will become one of your all-time favorites. It certainly is one of mine.

Rating:
Summary: The gift of rabbits and what they taught me
Review: When my sixth grade teacher put this book on the required reading list, I cringed at the thought of reading all 400+ pages of it. The talking rabbits I could deal with, but over 400 pages worth? Little did I know how involved I would get into the lives of Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig and the rest.

Ever since, I've read and re-read Watership Down. Every summer. For five summers now. And I've enjoyed it increasingly. As I took more history classes and studied human nature, I began to draw parallels between the lives of the rabbits and the different types of warrens with examples from real life and history. Efrafa is a dictatorship, Threarah represented those who were destroyed because they could not or would not change, and Hazel is a true leader. He could inspire his bunch of hlessil to keep moving, kept their spirits up, and always knew when to ask for help.

I will always be thankful to Richard Adams for this insight to humanity...through rabbits, no less. It revealed connections and character traits about real life that I undoubtedly would have learned but definitely much later in life. So I will continue to re-read my copy, all the while finding new nuggets of truth scattered around like the rabbit holes of Watership Down.

Rating:
Summary: A synopsis of the 1 star reviews
Review: I think it is vry huhlareus, and it mad me lol hardcore yo, that nearly all these 1 star ratings are chock full of misspelled or improperly used words, trite and forced writing, and references to the almight King, Grisham, or Crichton. All three are meant to be bathroom reading, when are you people going to understand that? To the girl who asked, "why don't you people respect other's opinions", it is because there is more to a book review than just your meager opinion. There are certain rules to great writing, and when an author uses these methods in new and interesting ways, that makes for a "good" book. Not every book has to have a point. Don't you ever get tired of reading cop-and-robber stories? Or murder mysteries? This book is a breath of fresh air every time I pick it up. Sure Grisham and co. can string together a fine tale, but do you know what the word "formulaic" means? I'll explain it for you: allways look for who will benefit the most from whatever crime is going on, and you've got your villain. Turn to the last page, pat yourself on the back for your smarts, and trade that book in for something that will teach you about life, morals, or humanity. Your probably tired of hearing me preach by now, so I'll let you get back to your busy suburban mad-at-daddy hip-hop life. Oh, by the way, I heard they were having a sale at Abercrombie. Don't hurt yourself getting there!

Rating:
Summary: Down to the basics of life ¿ survival, perseverance, reality
Review: I let my nine year old daughter read this book against all of my friends' advice.
I believe this story represents life without the color lens glasses that we often want our children to wear. My daughter came to know the harsh realities of life very early in her life when she lost her father four years ago. She understands that death is part of life. She knows that you need to persevere and follow your dreams never give up even when you stumble you must get up and continue. Watership Down has enforced her believes. I am very happy good material as this exists. Thank you very much, Richard Adams. A proud mom.

Rating:
Summary: An old book for new times
Review: I wasn't required to read this book in high school. I had heard of it, but not necessarily about it, and wasn't interested in reading about a bunch of rabbits. Last year I was scanning my mother-in-law's book shelves looking for something to read, happened upon it and thought. "Why not?"

Much to my surprise, I was soon engrossed in the tale of a brave bunch of rabbits fleeing the environmental abuses of man and the elitest attitudes and folly of their fellow warren inhabitants.

Without giving away any details, I will say that their encounter with the Efafra warren brought immediately to mind the quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin, "Those who would sacrifice liberty for a little security, deserve neither liberty or security."

It was a very karmic read in these days of the ill-begotten and ill-named PATRIOT Act.

Rating:
Summary: Superb!
Review: When our class voted to read this, I was a little reluctant to start. It was hard to get into, but once you did you will be trapped in a story that you never want it to end. It is that great.

The story is about a group of rabbits that decides to leave their home warren, after Fiver, one of the rabbits, senses danger. They make their way to Watership Down, but it's not that easy. They meet many obstacles, the bad disguised as good and the good disguised as bad. Such as Cowslip's warren, Efrafa, Kehaar, and the mouse.

Overall, this book is simply just great. I give it 4 1/2 stars, rounding to 5.

Rating:
Summary: An amazing classic
Review: I was a bit hesitant to reading Watership Down at first. I was afraid it would be a boring story about talking rabbits that lived out their lives in a warren (and 475 pages of it!). I was completely mistaken. Although, it was about rabbits, in no way were their lives unexciting. The story, in fact, was not boring at all. Richard Adams does an amazing job with this book. He takes an idea that is not particularly enthralling and creates an epic adventure story. The farther I got into the story. The more I wanted to read. It just kept getting better and better. I had to constantly remind myself that the characters were rabbits because they were flawlessly given human traits. Before reading this story, I could not understand why it was so praised. Now I see, however, that this book is truly a masterpiece. I recommend this classic to anyone who likes adventure stories.