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Watership Down (Watership Down, #1)

Richard Adams

Start date: April 15, 2015

Finish date: May 14, 2015

Discussion: Group Reads

Why we're reading this: It's on the NPR Top 100 Sci-Fi Fantasy Books list…more
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What Members Thought

Jul 26, 2022 Tony rated it it was amazing

Shelves: animal-magnetism-furry-friends, action-and-adventure, favorites, 2022-read-shelf, a-classic-example, expedition-to-adventureland

Every-so-often, a book comes along and pierces the readers inner-core, leaving the reader only to exclaim, WOW! This is one of those books, at least for me. It permeates your hard, outer shell and settles deep within your soul. I found it hard to not think about this story for days after reading it. I can't explain why, it just stuck with me. It is so beautifully written, the landscapes, the conversations between the rabbit characters, the rabbit mythology; all of it comes together and tells a h Every-so-often, a book comes along and pierces the readers inner-core, leaving the reader only to exclaim, WOW! This is one of those books, at least for me. It permeates your hard, outer shell and settles deep within your soul. I found it hard to not think about this story for days after reading it. I can't explain why, it just stuck with me. It is so beautifully written, the landscapes, the conversations between the rabbit characters, the rabbit mythology; all of it comes together and tells a haunting epic tale of...Rabbits!

Now, most would think "a story about rabbits? It must be a children's book or a silly story." On the contrary, it is for ALL readers and is written with an element of realism that makes you think just maybe, this IS the world of rabbits. Yes, I know rabbits don't talk and they don't have mythological heroes, but the life-styles of the rabbits, the interactions between them, and the way they saw the world was written with enough realism that it kept the story grounded without floating off into a "fairytale neverland". This I think, is what captured me.

I'm not going to go into a long book description. You can read that from the book jacket or the Goodreads summary. But the short of it is, a group of rabbits decide to leave their warren due to a premonition sensed by one of their party (Fiver). Hazel, his brother, leads the band of rabbits on an adventure to find a safe area to start a new warren. The rest of the story tells of their encounters with other rabbits, interactions with man, and even an epic battle with a neighboring warren for survival.

Richard Adams storytelling is masterful, grabbing the reader right away and magically transporting them to the rabbit realm. As I read, I felt as if I was tagging along with Hazel, Fiver, BigWig and the rest of the gang. Each rabbit's character was developed in depth and color, bringing life to them all. Kehaar the seagull, was a fantastic side character and added some comic-relief to the story. The landscapes were not only picturesque but many times detailed in sound, smell and touch.

The distinct personalities of each character added depth to the story. I hate it when a writer uses 'two-dimensional' characters in an epic, adventure story. It kind of leaves the reader feeling unsatisfied, like digging into a great meal only to find it has no real flavor. Each rabbit had it's own distinct traits and qualities that made them stand out: Hazel the wise leader, BigWig the dutiful muscle, Blackberry the clever thinker, Dandelion the storyteller (and fastest), and General Woundwort the ruthless dictator. Each contributed to the story in their own way.

I've rambled on enough now. This book has been on my bookshelf for over thirty years. I guess I avoided it thinking it was a goofy kids story. I could not have been more WRONG. The book was recommended to me by a Goodreads friend, helping me to dig into my "Want To Read" list and I am grateful for the suggestion. I thoroughly enjoyed this classic and have added it to my FAVORITES shelf. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Just my 2 cents

***On a side note, my daughter and I watched the 1978 movie adaptation of the story and was disappointed. There is so much cut out and the characters are 'blah'. Too much 'back story' had to be cut, leaving the movie to be a mediocre bunny story (that scares kids). Read the book FIRST, then maybe watch the movie. Again, just my 2 cents! :)
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17 likes · Like · see review

Aug 23, 2020 Tara rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, mythgard-academy, fantasy

I came into this with low expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this book. How good can a book about rabbits really be? Pretty darn good it turns out. I appreciate that Adams didn't write about humans in animal fur. The rabbits thought and behaved like rabbits (at least to the degree that we can understand and interpret), but yet you find yourself connecting with the characters and caring about their fates. The premise is very simple--rabbits looking to establish a new ...more

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Aug 05, 2016 Pye rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-para, fiction-contemporary, yy-favorites, bestseller-list, zz-library-audio

This has become one of my favorite books. I was pleased to read that the author did not have a hidden meaning in the story. It is simply a wonderful story he wrote for his children. The storyline and characters are incredible. I love Fiver, Hazel, and Bigwig. I listened to the book and the narrator was one of the best I have ever heard.

I highly recommend this book and narrator.

1 like · Like · see review