Hi! I'm also a reviewer for epinions.com as 'jankp.' Hope your weather is as great as mine in Nebra...
Hi! I'm also a reviewer for epinions.com as 'jankp.' Hope your weather is as great as mine in Nebraska!
Member since:28.06.2004
Reviews:50
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When Englishman Richard Adams created this 426-page novel in the early 70s, he may have been influenced by world events, such as the bitter reality of the Vietnam War and President Nixon shaking hands with the Russian president. Watership Down is seemingly set in the English countryside, told in third person omniscient as Adams relates the thrilling adventures of a band of determined, likable and humanized rabbits in a classic good versus evil tale that reveals man’s innate goodness as well as terrible inhumanity. Picture Orwell’s Animal Farm crossed with The Lord of the Rings if you can. The question remains: is it for children, adults or both?
Similar to other fantasies, Watership Down invites you into a secret world of its own where some of the rabbits’ language has to be explained at the bottom of the page or in the Lapine Glossary in the back. How I wish A Clockwork Orange had done this! It makes the novel feel even more other-worldly and intriguing. The rabbits don’t sound particularly British, but other animals they befriend have very irritating accents or ways of speaking that will slow you down, as do the humans in one chapter.
The story begins by introducing the good characters whom we’ll follow throughout the novel. They live in a warren
on a hillside that one of the rabbits, a visionary, sees in a dream covered in blood soon. Note that these are not your ordinary rabbits! This nervous rabbit has never lied to his brother and convinces him that they must leave to found a new warren. With only their friends and a couple of officers from their warren, they break out into the unknown with only their wits to guide them…or maybe not. The sometimes hysterical rabbit with visions seems to know where to go if the others would just listen!
About now some of you may be thinking that Watership Down doesn’t sound very amusing, to kids or adults, as in keeping your attention, and I’m not going to completely disagree with you. The visionary got on my nerves like he does on his friends’. He could really freak out kids as well, but fortunately they find out through a surviving rabbit that their old warren has been demolished, another vision comes true and they realize the rabbit can guide them to safety. Another thing they realize is that they have no females (does) in their group and will need to find some if their new warren is to survive. More risky adventures take place when no wild does can be found, except far away in a militaristic warren where General Woundwort rules viciously and efficiently.
You might take notice of the names of these rabbits. There are no Peter or Bugs. Instead you’ll find Hazel, Bigwig, Fiver (the weird one), Dandelion, Pipkin, Captain Holly, Hyzenthlay and Thethuthinnang (from Woundwort’s warren) and more. They show personality and are fairly interesting. They’re not very complicated characters and pretty much have one dimension to keep things simple, but even if I didn’t become emotionally involved with them, they were entertaining as little children who are becoming independent would be.
From page 114:
The wind ruffled their fur and tugged at the grass, which smelled of thyme and self-heal. The solitude seemed like a release and a blessing. The height, the sky and the distance (they could see from top of the hill) went to their heads and they skipped in the sunset. “O Frith (Sun) on the hills!” cried Dandelion. “He (Sun God) must have made it for us!”
“He may have made it, but Fiver thought of it for us,” answered Hazel. “Wait till we get him up here! Fiver-rah!”
You really won’t be inundated with lots of exclamation marks as if it’s mostly dialogue for there’s a good bit of scene description, action and thoughts of the rabbits and Adams, but the passage makes it understood how spiritual their journey or mission has been. Some people will comment that there’s little difference between spirituality and fantasy and that may be so, but it should be called to your attention. Not every fantasy has noticeable spiritual elements. These good rabbits try to overcome an evil rabbit full of hate through a call to his compassion, then by wits and tricks and lots of faith. You won’t be surprised by the ending, but will have to read it for yourself if you’re interested.
Now let’s address that question again about whether Richard Adams wrote Watership Down for a particular age group by considering a few things. The literary quotes from various writers like W.H. Auden, W.B. Yeats, Thomas Hardy, Kenneth Grahame, Dylan Thomas and many I hadn’t heard of began each chapter. Here’s the Dylan Thomas one (which I like):
And as I was green and carefree, famous among the barns About the happy yard and singing as the farm was home, In the sun that is young once only...from Fern Hill
I’m not sure that kids are going to appreciate how these quotes fit in with the story. They’re more likely to enjoy the storytelling by Dandelion of the rabbit folk hero and of the bible (the flood), which I only skimmed or skipped. Adults may enjoy the quotes and stories as well obviously from the novel’s popularity. The quotes didn’t always make sense to me, but would to someone better read. With 50 chapters and four sections, that’s a lot of quotes from lots of people!
Another thing to consider is that this tale may have talking rabbits, but they are pretty serious for the most part and there’s not much to laugh at here, unless you count the funny-talking animals or the unnatural things the rabbits do or their ignorance of highways and rivers and such. You will learn from Adams how real rabbits act and feel, which these good rabbits often demonstrate too, so any rabbit lover will enjoy that aspect, but remember that it could really frighten some young children if not lose their patience in the description and commentary by Adams.
I did not read the book as a child and maybe I would have liked it more then, but it seems to me that Watership Down would appeal best to older kids and some adults, especially if they like spiritual fantasies with lots of maverick-type adventure and a good dose of tension, but children's literature is misleading. It became more intriguing the further I read, it’s true, but I skimmed some chapters, was annoyed many times and really had to suspend my disbelief to even get through it. I’m going to go with three stars.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: Involves the reader incredibly deeply in the fortunes of usually ignored or depised creatures Disadvantages: Some of the writing is a little old-fashioned
Advantages: Shows what life is like for real wild animals in the world around us. Disadvantages: Some parts seemed a bit too gory for my personal taste.
Advantages: Involves the reader incredibly deeply in the fortunes of usually ignored or depised creatures Disadvantages: Some of the writing is a little old-fashioned
Dec 20th, 2004
exceptional by (19%):
very helpful by (81%):
