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Summary: Watership Down
Review: There are not many books that if you said were about bunnies that you would want to read. This is that one you would want to read. Watership Down, by Richard Adam, is an excellent work of fiction that draws the reader into the novel and leaves the reader guessing throughout the novel. I would recommended this book to everyone I know, for it is memorable and unforgettable.
Richard Adam writes through the eyes of wild rabbits, which leave home on the pretense of the main character's brother's, Fiver, ability to sense danger in the near future. The story travels with a band of smaller, weaker, male rabbits that do not know the first thing of creating a colony. Adam Tries to foreshadow most events within the story and uses the characters and events as a microcosm. Throughout the book many themes seem to appear, but the overwhelming theme that is constant in the novel is the overcoming of good over evil and the will that people have to push forward.
As a memorable book there are always memorable ideas and enigmas that seem to dawn on a person, and these occurrences is what makes a memorable novel or story. One of the most memorable parts of the novel is how these rabbits overcome the impossible and defeat their fears and hardships. Another memorable theme of the novel is the loyalty that these rabbits exhibit throughout the novel. The loyalty shone between brothers and those who were once enemies are all displayed through the novel. The microcosm of the novel is one of World War II and the presence of evil lurking. This is evident with a character in the story that is very self-righteous and selfish, which combats the characteristics of the antagonist.
The struggles of man between choosing good and evil and those who are pulling you in to conformity, which are addressed in this novel, will be images imprinted on your mind forever. Through the experiences of the characters in this novel one may see the faults of society that the author tries to bring to light to his reader and his implications of leadership and loyalty expressed by his characters are things that we should learn, and for this I would recommend this book to all.
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Summary: Excellent book!
Review: This is a great book! I statred this book at about 8:00Am at the begginning of school and finished by the end of school at 3:00PM (To do this, I completley ignored my schoolwork and concentrated on reading this book).Basically, tis book is about a rabbit named Fiver, and when he has a "premonition", 11 other rabbits join him, believing his fears to be true. Otherwise, excellent book. Nothing objectionable and easy to read.
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Summary: Stephanie's thoughts on Watership Down
Review: At first the only reason I chose Watership Down was because I needed a good long book and I had started reading in about the 7th grade and never finished it because I couldn't really get into it. I actually enjoyed this novel. I read about 50-75 pages in 7th grade and started reading it a couple of days ago and couldn't put it down. It didn't appeal to me at first because the fact that bunnies were talking and doing human things sort of bored me. I don't know if I liked that at the beginning humans were the enemy. The whole concept of it was very strange like rabbits talking in their own little language. It was very out of the ordinary because most books you read are concerning other human characters that you can relate to but you don't realize that you can relate to these rabbits. They had hardships just like you and I . When I was reading this it seemed like this novel wasn't just about cute little bunnies but it had a deeper topic. The outside of the novel was simply about bunnies but I think the whole theme was about survival and the dangers that wild animals have to deal with. The novel starts out with two characters Fiver who can see into the future and Hazel who is one of Fivers friends . One day Fiver has a feeling that something bad is going to happen to his home, Sandleford Warren. When Fiver and Hazel decide to tell their leader, he doesn't believe them. The two rabbits decide they must take matters into their own hands and leave and a few other rabbits go with them, Bigwig, Dandelion, Pipkin, Hawkbit, Blackberry, Buckthorn, Speedwell, Acorn, and Silver. They begin a long journey in search to find a new home. While on there journey that somwthing in fact did happen to their home. It was completely demolished to make way for a building development. Along their journey they encounter many animals such as cats, dogs,birds, other rabbits and even humans. Overall I really did enjoy this novel. I didn't think I would like it because I thought the plot was stupid but in fact it is not and we could all relate easily to this novel. I would suggest everyone read this book.
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Summary: I couldn't finish it.
Review: My family found this book for me at a yard sale for 10 cents. they all told me it was a great book, even my mom, who rarely reads anything but Black Stallion books and Romance novels. I tried to read it, but I just couldnt stomach it, the plot seemed ok, but I couldnt get into it. From what I read.. the bunnies were talking to eachother, which is fine with me, I can deal with that, but I just couldnt get into it.
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Summary: Fantastic
Review: I first read this book in elementary school and remembered it being simply fantastic. As I have re-read it over the years, I now understand why. The characters are incredibly real and the story is engrossing with it's unique look at animal life. The author does an excellent job of creating a realistic rabbit portrait (their habbits,language etc.) while managing to keep the rabbit characters incredibly human. Hazel, Fiver, Blackberry and company are as impossible to forget as any human being creation. Fantastic!
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Summary: Very Good but Sad
Review: I liked Watership Down though it is very hard for me to understand at times. It was very beatifly written and very well thought out. I wouldn't recommend it for young children to read though.
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Summary: Wonderful memories
Review: I first saw the cartoon movie when I was only 10. I was so enthralled with the imagery that was in the movie that I checked the book out of the school library the very next day. I remeber that it was a hard back book with a map of the fields inside the cover. It took me all of one week to read the entire book. My teacher thought I should have read a shorter book to do my report on as the book was so long. I received an A+ as I usually did on my reports. I highly recommend this book for kids, and adults. It is one of my favorite all time books. The imagery that you get from the book is so much more than the movie tried to provide. The book deals with the society of a warren of rabbits. How they deal with each other, leadership, their culture and their journey on finding a place to call home.
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Summary: Watership Down
Review: I reread this magnificent book whenever I need an escape from stress - and it is just as exciting every time. What a masterpiece! I absolutely love it - from the characters to the descriptions of the landscape to the storyline that sweeps you along like a river. Thank you to Richard Adams for this wonderful story.
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Summary: I can't believe how much I enjoyed this novel
Review: First of all it's about rabbits. When my friend suggested that I read Watership Down there was no way I thought I would like it. But this book is so wonderfully well written that it actually made me feel as though I knew and cared about the rabbits like they were family (yes I know how lame this sounds, but true). I am just amazed that Adams was able to right an exciting, adventurous, and intriguing story about rabbits. I didn't think it was possible. This is a great book.
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Summary: The best fantasy novel ever written.
Review: Now, take note - I am emphatically not a fan of fantasy. In fact, I recommend limiting yourself to just this book as far as the genre goes, as the rest of the genre is mostly sterile, unoriginal, and hackneyed (and rips off this book a lot, too). This book, on the other hand, rocks on every level, because it has something that most fantasy (and most books in general nowadays) lacks - some absolutely wonderful characterization and imagery. Who could forget Fiver and his unsettling yet poetic visions (for some reason I keep associating his trembling hallucinations with Richey James, lyricist of the Manic Street Preachers; rockin' band, by the way)? Or Holly's own rather genuinely disturbing account? Or Cowslip's warren? Or the rabbit stories? And so on, and so on. This book is rife with unforgettable imagery like that, and it is one of those few books that can be treated as a non-ridiculous allegory. True, it's not quite high-school reading (middle school the highest, sez I), but it's an absolutely necessary book to read at that age level. If you read it then, it will stay with you for the rest of your life. And sure, Adams gave us a real groaner with the execrable sequel - but this is one of the most imaginative and thought-provoking children's books in existence. I may be compromising my reputation as a Deep Intellectual by reviewing a children's book, but this is the one book that's worth it.
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