Photo of Richard Adams by Christina Fallara
Title: Watership Down
Author: Richard Adams
Pages: 496
Yearly Count b: 66
Awards: Carnegie Medal in 1972 , Guardian Children's Fiction Prize in 1973. In The Big Read, a 2003 survey of the British public, it was voted the forty-second greatest book of all time.
A classic, no question. I have read Watership Down twice, and both times I finished with the same conclusion, insane good. Watership Down is the tale of a group of unlikely rabbits who escape death because of the premonition of one unwavering Fiver (a small but very competent rabbit). The group learns of the destruction of their colony and becomes a wandering group of rabbits, keen on finding a home of their own, females to increase population and overcome numerous enemy rabbits.
Hazel, the leader is by far my favourite rabbit, however Bigwig is a close second. I had no idea that rabbits were so complex, that they talked to each other, and told stories of ancient god rabbits! :) If you are under any impression that this book has anything to do with a kids book, or warm fuzzies or dumbed down prose you are stinkin' mistaken. I read this with a book club of women and long before half way NONE of us even remembered that we were reading about rabbits! You see, Richard Adams writes of warriors in rabbit costumes, heroes with long fuzzy ears and little pink noses. There is nothing bunny about Watership Down. Nada.
Watership down reads much like an adventure novel, however the writing is excellent and the interwoven plot is sublime. Enjoy!
Have you read this? Reviewed it? Comment below and give me your link, I'll post it here.
