I don't give a damn what Richard Adams claims about his book because it's simply not true. In the preface of my edition, he states that this is just a story about rabbits, originally intended to amuse his children during car rides. While that's fine, he also asserts that there is no deliberate allegorical meaning at all. I find this难以置信. The allegories within are rich and profound. They don't merely hint at simple issues but are complex and purposeful. So, if he didn't intend them consciously, his subconscious surely did! I can't believe the literary value of this work is entirely accidental.

“Animals don't behave like men,” he said. “If they have to fight, they fight; and if they have to kill they kill. But they don't sit down and use their wits to devise ways of ruining other creatures' lives and hurting them. They have dignity and animality.” This statement has a surprising depth. The story comments on the brutal nature of man and his careless attitude towards nature. It suggests that man kills for the sake of killing, rather than out of a survival need. It also makes a statement that man is not in harmony with nature like other animals, yet he is redeemable and capable of the opposite. This can be seen with the little girl who saves Hazel, the Rabbit’s chief, at the end of the novel. So, it's more than just a basic children's fable. It's one of those rare books that can be read and enjoyed by anyone, regardless of age or taste in novels. Indeed, there's a reason why very few people haven't heard of Watership Down. It's not just a tale of rabbits seeking a new home and survival. That's the core of the plot, but not the limit of the novel's scope. It has the appearance of a children's novel with its exciting adventure about rabbits, but for adults, it has greater depth.

Moreover, the novel questions the artificial life that captive animals must endure and shows that they should be in tune with their true nature like the rabbits in this novel. This, for me, is a rather profound observation. Humans are a species that impose their ways on all other forms of life. If the animals don't adapt, they die. I'm not going to delve into the murky waters of morality, but whatever your stance on the treatment of animals, this is a truth. Humans destroy nature as they do most things. I may sound a bit like a misanthrope, but again, it's true.

“Men will never rest till they've spoiled the earth and destroyed the animals.” Regardless of what Richard Adams thinks, his book is an allegory for many things. He may not have intended this, but the finished product clearly goes beyond his motives and has become a real work of literature. One only has to look at half the works in the literary canon to see that the interpretations of these works rarely match the author's intent and sometimes even directly oppose them. Many critics even claim that the author isn't important and is just a vessel for the work. If this is true, then one needn't look further than the wonderful tale of Watership Down for confirmation.

This is a great book.

Postscript - I found this beautiful illustrated edition in Waterstones and just had to buy it..... I mean, just look at it.

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I read this after hearing from a few people that it was among their all-time favorites.

At first, I was almost put off when I saw it was a story about rabbits, originally written as a tale by a father to his children. However, I'm glad I wasn't.

I found the folk tales about El-ahrairah to be extremely impressive. The author clearly had a vivid imagination, as he was able to create so much of the rabbits' culture and history. It was truly remarkable.

But I think this book was well worth reading as it's really a story about survival, leadership, and human nature. It shows how the rabbits face various challenges and how they overcome them.

Oh, and Fiver rocks! He is such an interesting character. And BigWig is the man! His strength and courage are really admirable.

This book is not just a simple story about rabbits. It has much deeper meanings and messages that can be applied to our own lives. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good read.

El-ahrairah, the prince with a thousand enemies, was warned that his people could not rule the world. But he was also told to be cunning and full of tricks so that his people would never be destroyed. When Fiver, a seer, had a vivid dream of mass destruction, he tried to convince the rabbits in charge. Only Hazel believed him, and together they convinced nine other bucks to leave the warren. Their odyssey was filled with fear and curiosity, and if Homer had known about it, he might have had another epic story to tell.

Hazel proved to be a natural leader, and with courage, luck, and Macguveresque skills, he led his troop through the new and dangerous world. They met other warrens with different social structures, and Richard Adams seemed to be advocating for a looser structure of co-existence. Although the rabbits had some human characteristics, Adams managed to make them seem like real rabbits, which was a major achievement. The all-male colony soon realized that they needed does to have kittens, and they set their sights on the Efrafa warren, which was governed by the brutal General Woundwart.

The showdown between the Watership Down rabbits and the Efrafa was one of the most pulse-pounding I've read. The Watership Down rabbits displayed great courage and steadfastness, and I found myself fully invested in their fight. This book has a lot to offer, especially in terms of discussions about society, courage, friendship, and thinking outside the box. I wish I had read it earlier to share it with my kids. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great adventure story with depth and meaning. RIP Richard Adams.

I read this book an age ago. Maybe 40 years ago the first time.

Lots of authors have written animal stories, but they often tend to be cute little tales. In these stories, the level of anthropomorphism is so high that the rabbits or other animals are practically or even literally wearing waistcoats and top hats. We only need to look at "Wind in the Willows" or Beatrix Potter's works for examples.

Obviously, some level of making the animals human is required. I suspect a rabbit's true inner monologue would be rather dull even if it could be put into words. But what Richard Adams achieved was something truly remarkable. He kept his rabbits much closer to the real creatures, from the details of their living quarters to the unvarnished truth that rabbits eat their own crap.

When Adams' rabbits come into contact with humans, we get a true sense of incomprehension. They struggle to make sense of human activities and technology within the framework of their very different world view.

"Watership Down" is a fat book containing a lot of story. The warren has a history, and the rabbits as a species have a history too, stored in an oral tradition of stories about their gods and heroes.

Disaster visits our hero, the rabbit Hazel, who is neither the quickest, strongest, bravest, nor cleverest of his fellows. With a mixed band, he sets out across Watership Down on a quest.

Adams gives each of the rabbits a unique and interesting character, from which much of the strength of this novel springs. The dynamics in the group, the strengthening friendships, the teamwork used in overcoming challenges... It's all fascinating. Even though the rabbits keep doing deeply rabbitty things, it's hard not to think of them as people that you like and care about. There are themes of duty, fate, friendship, and love. All human life is here, on four furry feet.

There is high drama, combat, and even war. This book will make chills run down your spine as one rabbit defends a run from another. Seriously, think Gandalf stepping out into the balrog's path and declaring "You shall not pass!" or Boromir standing alone against an orc horde. There is one fight scene with a line that has its place high on the list of the best quotes of this sort from any book or film I know. Delivered by a rabbit called Bigwig, it sounds silly now, but when you read it, you won't think so.

It would take a colder man than me not to cry at the end of this novel, and possibly several places in between.

I finally got around to reviewing this book despite it being so long since I last read it because Richard Adams died recently, aged 96. It was the best way I could think to commemorate him.

This book is about rabbits, but it is stuffed with beauty, fear, passion, and excitement. It taught me a lot about life, and I highly commend it to your attention.

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I remember reading this when I was a preteen, but my memory of it is only a vague feeling. I recall that I loved it and that it was exciting, filled with a peril I hadn't known existed for bunny rabbits.

This time around, listening to the excellent narration by Ralph Cosham and buddy reading it with Liam from SpecFic Buddy Reads, I was truly struck by the detail and the sense of "realness" in the life of a rabbit. The concept of a rabbit culture, complete with its own mythology and rabbit mystics who possess a sixth sense of danger, is presented in such a genuine way that it almost makes you believe the author must have lived among the rabbits, just like the seagull did.

There is a danger in books of this kind that the animals (or non-humans) are merely stand-ins for us. However, this book does not succumb to that trap. These rabbits behave like rabbits and have experiences, desires, and fears that are characteristic of rabbits. Their peril is real, and you can feel the fear right along with them. And yet, this is not a dark book per se. There are moments of humor - the seagull is hilarious, especially with the Swedish/Norwegian accent the narrator gave him (apparently, the author modeled him after a Norwegian acquaintance). But overall, there is a sense of hope and a longing for a home where one can settle.

My only complaint would be that there were very few "female" characters, and they generally needed to be rescued and taken care of. But then I remember that the rabbit society is based on the workings of actual rabbit colonies, and animals will be animals. I don't think there are feminist rabbits.

This book comes highly recommended. Don't be deterred by how long ago it was published. It hasn't aged a bit.

This was my selection for the Blind Date with a Book challenge through the group A Million More Pages. It's also part of my personal Beat the Backlist challenge, so it's a win-win! Yay!

Thank you for including a glossary at the back of this book. I truly needed it!

I had no idea what to anticipate from this book. When I first heard about it, perhaps decades ago, I assumed it was a sci-fi novel. However, I couldn't fathom why there was a rabbit on the cover. I was delightfully surprised to discover that it's a story about talking rabbits!

My favorites were Hazel, Fiver, and Bigwig, but they're likely everyone's favorites! There were so many characters that at times it was difficult to keep track of them all. Nevertheless, I adore the character names - Dandelion, Clover, Strawberry, and so on. So cute!

There was more hardship and tragedy in this than I had expected. They abandoned one warren for another, were pursued by various wild animals, engaged in battles with other warrens, and there was injury and death. I felt sorry for El-ahrairah, especially after what Black Rabbit did to him. Oh, and I didn't like General Woundwort!

If this book is still on your TBR list, I highly recommend that you read it!

For the life of me, I really don't know how this book managed to be such an actual page turner for me.

From the very beginning, I was completely attached to the story, and I found myself secretly wishing the characters well.

I read the parts about their narrow escapes with great speed and intense interest.

What I liked most was how they had their own unique lore. Each character had distinct personalities and a sense of spirituality that made them truly come alive.

I also loved looking up the various plants and flowers mentioned in the beautiful descriptions. It was like opening a door to a whole new world of nature.

Surprisingly, I even found a link of some kind soul who had made slides of a good number of the flora mentioned, complete with their images.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable read. In fact, the only other book I can recall enjoying from an animal's perspective before this was "The White Bone" by Barbara Gowdy. This book has definitely left a lasting impression on me.

I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good story with a touch of magic and a connection to nature.

Most reviews I pen are simply for the fun of it, for my personal records. And if by chance, some people happen to like them, I'm as happy as can be. However, when it comes to "Watership Down", my aspirations are a touch higher. I aim to persuade those who are averse to reading a children's novel about rabbits to set aside their preconceived notions and give this book a fair chance.

This isn't your typical story of cute little bunnies munching on carrots and being all adorable around the clock. Oh no, it's one of the most badass books I've ever had the pleasure of reading, and I've delved into works by Joe Abercrombie and George R.R. Martin. More importantly, in my humble opinion, it's simply one of the all-time great reads that will stay with the readers for a lifetime. I have a memory like a sieve, yet I still remember it vividly after all these years (admittedly, having just reread it helps!).

The story kicks off with a psychic bunny named Fiver, who has a vague premonition of impending doom and destruction for his warren. He convinces his best friend Hazel and a few other rabbits to leave in search of a safer place to live. Their attempt to evacuate the entire warren is quickly thwarted by the Chief Rabbit. The first half of the book chronicles the motley crew of rabbits' arduous journey from their warren to find a suitable location for a new one. The second half focuses on their defense of their new warren against an older, larger warren ruled by a despotic dictator named Woundwort, who is something of a monstrous mutant mega rabbit. Interspersed throughout the chapters are charming and wonderful folk tales about the adventures of a legendary hero called El-ahrairah.

The plot, world-building, and characterisation in this book are masterfully balanced. Even at nearly 500 pages, there's never a dull moment. Those seeking action-packed adventures should definitely check this out. There are heart-stopping chase scenes, espionage sequences, interspecies alliances, and a bloody fight scene that should be read with Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" playing in the background.

On the characterisation front, it's important to note that the rabbits in this book aren't anthropomorphized animals. They don't wear clothes, drive cars, or watch TV. Yet, there's a great deal of humanity in their rabbitry. They can be compassionate, loving, kind, cruel, egotistical, melancholy, and more. These human traits are believably portrayed as rabbit traits through Richard Adams' incredible talent. The prose is simply beautiful, with wonderful metaphors like “an indestructible flood of rabbitry”. I could pick a great passage from almost every page. Here's one awe-inspiring example:

  Many human beings say that they enjoy the winter, but what they really enjoy is feeling proof against it. For them there is no winter food problem. They have fires and warm clothes. The winter cannot hurt them and therefore increases their sense of cleverness and security. For birds and animals, as for poor men, winter is another matter.

To further distinguish the rabbits from other species, a little neologism is used throughout the book. Most of the words can be understood from the context in which they're used. If you need some extra help, you can check out this Lapine_Glossary. Or you can simply gloss over them without missing a beat of the story.

Reading this book is like taking a magic potion and transforming into a wee rabbit. I'm not usually one to be overly interested in cute animals, but after reading this, I developed a huge respect for these little guys. The odds are stacked against them, yet they manage to survive and even thrive. Even though the book was primarily written for children, it's sophisticated enough to be enjoyed by adults. I definitely prefer it to all the YA books I've read.
Definitely worth more stars than the Goodreads system can handle.
Briiiight eeeyes buuurning like fire...

Notes:
• I don't remember much about the 1978 animated film. I couldn't have liked it very much, otherwise I would at least remember liking it (I know, it's a terrible sentence). I thought the artwork and animation were a bit crude, though. Whether the film captures the spirit of the book, I couldn't say. But when Channel 5 (in the UK) screened the film on Easter Sunday 2016, some viewers were so outraged at the violence that they tweeted their complaints and demanded the responsible programmers to be fired. Sounds like a recommendation to me!
• Update Apr, 28, 2016: BBC and Netflix have teamed up to make a new animated series of Watership Down.
• Update Dec 30, 2016: Richard Adams passed away just a few days ago, and I'm so grateful to him for this book, which is one of my all-time favorites. R.I.P. Richard Adams.

No quisiera restar mérito a esta obra con mi puntuación. Pero lo cierto es que hay diferentes etapas en la vida.

Intuyo que de haber leído este relato de aventuras, que es casi un estudio sociopolítico, en mi juventud, lo habría disfrutado mucho más.

Quizás en esa época, mi mente era más abierta a las historias llenas de acción y emoción.

Aún así, entiendo perfectamente por qué tiene la categoría de clásico y un montón de fans.

Su historia es atractiva y llena de elementos que han cautivado a generaciones de lectores.

Además, su autor tiene una gran habilidad para crear personajes memorables y situaciones interesantes.

Por lo tanto, lo recomiendo sin ironía.

Creo que es una obra que merece ser leída y disfrutada por todo aquel que tenga un interés en la literatura.

Y aunque mi experiencia personal de lectura no fue la mejor, sé que muchas personas encontrarán en este libro una fuente de entretenimiento y conocimiento.

Así que no dudes en darle una oportunidad y descubrir por ti mismo por qué es tan popular.

4.5 rounded up to 5-stars.

For those who haven't read this or seen the film, let me start by clarifying that this isn't truly a typical rabbit-war-story. Instead, it presents the relationships between humans and rabbits from a rabbit's perspective. There is indeed a fair amount of confrontation between the rabbits that fled the human construction site and the Efrafans led by the notorious General Woundwort. However, I wouldn't classify it as an all-out-war.

Just having mentioned him, it's great to note that you get a bit more background on General Woundwort than in the animated film. He isn't merely a tyrant who bullies and kills other rabbits for no reason; although he surely does that as well.

Here's an excerpt from page 216 of my hardback copy: The kind of ideas that are natural to many male humans when thinking of females - ideas of protection, fidelity, romantic love, and so on - are, of course, unknown to rabbits. Although rabbits do form exclusive attachments more often than most people realize, they are not romantic. It came naturally to Hazel and Holly to view the two Nuthanger does simply as breeding stock for the warren. This was what they had risked their lives for.

Remember, this is a rather old book and may have some outdated opinions about males' feelings and views towards females. But there's a lesson here that we should take to heart. Don't underestimate someone just based on what's between their legs. We are all human beings with strengths and weaknesses, regardless of gender.

The messages this book conveys about our world are significant, especially from a conservation perspective. We are slowly destroying natural habitats worldwide, and this book illustrated this fact nearly 50 years ago! That's enough of that. I'll be turning into Chris Packham in a minute, lol.

The hardships endured by the small group of rabbits are quite upsetting. However, I think most children love to read or hear stories like this. Dandelion is the storyteller/poet of this book, and every book needs one. Bigwig is their knight and protector. Fiver is their soothsayer. Hazel is their reluctant leader. Blackberry is their problem-solver. Keehar (the black-headed-gull) provides light entertainment, and what a great character he is!

There are many emotions on display here, and I don't mind admitting that by the end, I shed a tear. (Proof that I'm a modern-day man who can empathize.) I wish I had read this book a long time ago and would highly recommend it. Here's to many little Bigwigs, Fivers, and Hazels in the future!

Thanks for reading.

Actually, I would not simply rate this book as a 5. In fact, it is of far greater value! There is a definite reason why this book is considered a classic. You should read it, purchase it, read it aloud to your children, and give it to your children. Seriously, if you haven't read this book yet, you must READ IT NOW. It is a story about rabbits, but it is also about so many other things. It delves into bravery, warlords, leadership, sacrifice, adventures, spies, friendship, and rescue missions. There is so much depth and variety within its pages. This is not the first time I have read this book, and it most certainly will not be the last. Do not miss out on this amazing adventure.

ETA: It is important to note that this book is more suitable for older children. Not for small children. Perhaps in the 10, 11, 12 age range or even older. The book can be quite brutal and contains violence. It also hints at mating concepts. After all, we are dealing with the realities of Mother Nature here, not the sanitized world of Disney.

DAMN YOU, 2016, STOP THE MADNESS!!!

https://watership-down.com/2016/12/27/requiescat-in-pace/

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DAMN YOU, WATERSHIP DOWN, STOP MAKING ME CRY!!!

When I was in school, the teachers played the movie version of this epic drama. It had Art Garfunkel songs, Zero Mostel as the bird, and a group of well-respected English actors doing voice-overs. We kids just cried our eyes out. The sadness was overwhelming!

It's been 30 or maybe 35 years since then. I thought, despite the tears, I had fond memories of the story. So, I decided to read the book. And guess what? I cried at the end again. Damn it!

The ending isn't overly sad. I cried because Richard Adams ends the book with the passing of life. The relatively long life of one of the rabbits comes to an end, and that gets to me every time. It makes me think of living a long, beautiful life with my wife and then having to say goodbye to her for the last time. Ugh, it's getting to me again.

Another great thing about this novel is that it started as an oral tale Adams told to his daughters on car trips. The best stories are often homegrown. You plant the seed, water it, let it grow, and nurture it. In the end, you'll have something wonderful.

In the intro, I learned that Watership Down is a real place west of London, probably in the Hampshire area. Now I have another reason to go back to England, to find the Down!