Watership Down: A Novel - Comment and Review

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Watership Down has been a staple of high-school English classes for years. Despite the fact that it's often a hard sell at first (what teenager wouldn't cringe at the thought of 400-plus pages of talking rabbits?), Richard Adams's bunny-centric epic rarely fails to win the love and respect of anyone who reads it, regardless of age. Like most great novels, Watership Down is a rich story that can be read (and reread) on many different levels. The book is often praised as an allegory, with its analogs between human and rabbit culture (a fact sometimes used to goad skeptical teens, who resent the challenge that they won't "get" it, into reading it), but it's equally praiseworthy as just a corking good adventure.

The story follows a warren of Berkshire rabbits fleeing the destruction of their home by a land developer. As they search for a safe haven, skirting danger at every turn, we become acquainted with the band and its compelling culture and mythos. Adams has crafted a touching, involving world in the dirt and scrub of the English countryside, complete with its own folk history and language (the book comes with a "lapine" glossary, a guide to rabbitese). As much about freedom, ethics, and human nature as it is about a bunch of bunnies looking for a warm hidey-hole and some mates, Watership Down will continue to make the transition from classroom desk to bedside table for many generations to come. --Paul Hughes

A phenomenal worldwide bestseller for over thirty years, Richard Adams's Watership Down is a timeless classic and one of the most beloved novels of all time. Set in England's Downs, a once idyllic rural landscape, this stirring tale of adventure, courage and survival follows a band of very special creatures on their flight from the intrusion of man and the certain destruction of their home. Led by a stouthearted pair of brothers, they journey forth from their native Sandleford Warren through the harrowing trials posed by predators and adversaries, to a mysterious promised land and a more perfect society.

Customer Reviews:

One Intrepid Group of Bunnies

"Watership Down" by Richard Adams is that greatest of rarities, an adult fairy tale that works. It is about a group of young rabbits searching for a new home.

Hazel is convinced his brother Fivers visions of doom are true. Fiver was the smallest of heir litter but he is blessed with god sense and clairvoyance. They convince Bigwig, a member of their warrens Owsla (security patrol), of their concerns. They are brought to the chief rabbit who calmly dismisses their concerns and privately chews Bigwig out.

Hazel is not to be dismissed lightly. He is utterly convinced of Fivers prediction. Being intrepid and resourceful he has faith in his judgment. He recruits others (including Bigwig) to their cause and arranges an escape. Fiver has a vision of where they should go. It is for this haven, they leave all that they know.

This is a rabbit's world with rabbits view. Frith is their god. El-ahairah is the hero of their mythology. He is the Prince of a Thousand Enemies. The tales of his adventures give demonstrate to other rabbits the skills necessary for their survival. Dogs are idiots and cats are sadistic. Man is shown as being indifferent, sometimes cruel and always impersonal to the affairs of rabbitkind.

This is a classic journey story. Of course they encounter dangers and setbacks. As they use their courage, resourcefulness and luck, they grow in ways they never imagined. Even as they reach their destination and establish their new warren, they still must defend their home. Of all their enemies the greatest threat is from General Woundwort, a psychotic rabbit that runs his police-state warren with efficiency and a ruthlessness that would make Joe Stalin cringe.

Like El-ahairah, Hazel "must be cunning and full of tricks" or his people will be destroyed.

Of course they're not destroyed but the story is in the details not the ending. And it is a truly wonderful story.
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Bunnies and more bunnies

This is a great book for everyone who enjoy well written stories. A young bunny with the talent of prophesy and his sister who act on his promptings. It has the culture of this enchanting creatures, couple with instruction to understand it better. A well done, good to learn about life and what to do when problem arise book, and it will be for many years to come.
Anna del C.
Author of "The Elf and the Princess"
and "Trouble in the Elf City"
The Elf and The Princess: The Silent Warrior Trilogy - Book One (The Silent Warrior Trilogy)...more info

In a world of a thousand enemies, I'd live underground too.

This is a story about totally ordinary rabbits. For all we know, all rabbits may act like these when confronted with difficult situations, only we have not noticed. Maybe they travel in slightly bigger groups and are slightly more fearless than we're used to seeing, but there's nothing that differentiates these rabbits from those that live in your backyard. This story takes place in a totally ordinary setting in the author's part of rural England. The imaginative part of this novel is how the various rabbit characters interact during their exodus from their native warren until they find a new home.

The prophecy of Fiver, the resourcefulness of Hazel, the strength of Bigwig, these are the characteristics that keep the Sandleford rabbits moving even as they encounter enemies in the form of dogs, foxes, men, and the dreaded automobile. The name of the legendary patriarch of all rabbits "El-ahrairah" says it all - in Lapine, it means "he of a thousand enemies." During their journey, the rabbits tell stories of his cunning to keep themselves and the reader entertained.

This book is for everyone. Its insights on trust, friendship, and community are priceless. It is filled with adventure, suspense, ingenuity, and humor. Rabbit behavior is true to nature, according to R. M. Lockley's The Private Life of the Rabbit. The reading level is not complicated, and there is a glossary for those of us who don't speak Lapine. Highly recommended.
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Love It!

A classic. A must read. This book poses as a children's story but it is most certainly a must read for adults. ...more info

should be on every school reading list

There are some books I feel every teen should read. Especially in light of recent current events. Today's children & teens sometimes have no real concept of how lucky they are to live in a free society.
This in such a book to remind them that things could be so different!...more info

A truly fantastic read

Watership Down, by Richard Adams, is a great tale of survival and leadership that anyone can enjoy.
The story begins on a calm evening at the Saddleford Warren. Young Fiver, the small, nervous rabbit whose only friend is his elder brother, Hazel, comes upon a sign covered in man writing. He doesn't know where the sign came from or what it says, but he knows it means trouble.
Fiver's odd premonitions are almost always true, but no one other than Hazel will believe him when he says danger is coming to the warren.
The story jumps right into action as Hazel and Fiver gather a band of rabbits who are willing to leave the warren and venture into the unknown in search of a new home. They encounter danger after danger after danger, including two warrens, one of which holds a deathly secret and the other over which rules the terrible Woundwort, whose brutal discipline and battle skills have earned him the title of General.
Through it all the rabbits stick together, facing hardships and terrors they never dreamed possible, all in pursuit of a place they can live safely; a place called home....more info

A good solid book to read with your children

I'd always heard that this was one of those must read books. A classic of English literature. Yet, despite being repeatedly told to read it no one could ever explain to me what the book was about. I'd get some vague synopsis of rabbits, coming of age, environmentalism, tyranny, etc. I could never fit together just how all of that was suppose to come together in a book with rabbits as the central characters. I got my hands on a cheap copy of the book, still not sure if I wanted to read it, and dove in. It turns out that Watership Down is a good book. I think though that other books do what Adams was attempting better. The story in Watership Down reminded most of the Lord of the Rings, just with rabbits and more expository lore. I think Tolkien did it better too. Think high fantasy with rabbits. I came away slightly disappointed. Not because Adams failed to engage me, rather my friends and acquaintances had failed to accurately portray the book to me and in so doing inflated my own expectations. ...more info

A Great Novel and A Timeless Tale

Outside Reading Book Review

Watership Down by Richard Adams is an entrancing, engaging novel that chronicles the adventures of a band of rabbits that, through personification, are given human qualities.

In this novel, there takes place the journey of a band of rabbits, led by Hazel and his brother Fiver who leave their warren because Fiver, who seems to have an inexplicable sixth sense and exceptional instincts and perception, even for a rabbit, feels they are no longer safe there. After seeing a billboard near his warren, Fiver gets an uneasy feeling about the fate of his home and tells his brother that they must gather as many rabbits as they can and leave the warren immediately as he is sure that something horrible will soon occur there. Hazel then proceeds to gather a band of rabbits, comprised of those who believe Fiver and those who are discontent with their place in the hierarchy at the warren and want to leave. The rabbits endure many perilous adventures and eventually are able to form their own warren which right from its formation undergoes many trials.
What I found fascinating about this book was Richard Adams's use of famous quotes and passages from historical works to start off each chapter. The quotes, if interpreted correctly, also help to foreshadow the events to take place in the chapter. Watership Down teaches many lessons and parallels many aspects of the human world teaching the rabbits about the outside world and themselves as well. The novel cultivates the overall themes of the book- leadership, trust and reality. Hazel leads the rabbits through many perilous dangers which lead to his companions' absolute trust in him and Fiver. The book also expresses the nature of reality, showing unfortunate facts such as (as Mr. Jepson would say) "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely" and showing the sad fact the although animals kill for food and out of necessity, humans potential for harm is limitless and without compassion or thought. This is shown by the callous way in which the humans bulldoze and kill all the rabbits in a warren without mercy or thought so that they may build their houses. This is expressed by the rabbits with anger, "All other Elil (rabbits word for living creatures) do what they have to do and Frith moves them as he moves us. They live on the earth and they need food. Men will never rest till they've spoiled the earth and destroyed the animals" It also, however, shows reality in a happier light highlighting the relationship of the rabbits extolling friendship and faith. What were very fascinating to me were the parallels of the warren Hazel and his band run into on their journeys, Efrafa to a totalitarian state, a communist state and an oligargic government; Efrafa is run very differently than other warrens, while many other warrens have a "monarchy" such as Hazel's home warren which is ruled by the "Threarah" or Chief Rabbit, or council in control, Efrafa are ruled over by General Woundwort, a rabbit who has fought for his power and maintains peace by absolute control. Woundwort issues strict schedules about when who can feed where and even marks and categorizes the rabbits. He rules using fear, and the same occurs in a totalitarian state where the dictator controls every aspect of the lives of his subjects. It had the same effect that Hitler had upon the German people, the atrocities and evils he committed were minimized, dismissed and covered up, but what he did for the German people was perceived as great, bettering their lives (if you were Arian of course) and making them feel strong and proud of the heritage. This nationalism was also felt by the rabbits of Efrafa who Hazel hears them praise, "Did you see his body? No. Did anyone? No. Nothing could kill him. He made rabbits bigger than they've ever been--braver, more skillful, and more cunning. I know we paid for it. Some gave their lives. It was worth it, to feel we were Efrafans." In most other warrens such as Hazel's original home warren, the Chief Rabbit rules with the help of his "Ousla" or police which help to protect and serve, cultivating the Threarah's will, or in some other situations, protecting power with force. This parallels an oligarchy or the rule of the communist party in the Soviet Union in the late 1900's, as those in the communist party (which was ruled, along with the rest of Russia, by Stalin) enjoyed special privileges such as being able to shop at different stores.
I thought that this book was extraordinarily well written and the lessons one learns from it are exceedingly important. Watership Down takes the triumphs and troubles of humanity and expresses them from a different point of view, with the result being an award winning novel about what one is truly capable of. I recommend this book to anyone over the age of twelve who appreciates a wonderful story and is able to read between the lines to interpret the true meaning of a work of art such as this. Five stars.
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Possibly the best book I have ever read

I was instantly entranced with the way it's spoken from a rabbit point of view. It is sad, interesting, brutal, and yet beautiful. It should be mandatory reading for everyone!...more info

Wonderful Story

Watership Down is a wonderful story for kids and adults alike. Richard Adams tells the adventures of a group of rabbits forced to leave their home and strike out into unknown lands to build a new warren. The story is told from the perspective of the rabbits, each of whom has a personality all their own, with strengths and weaknesses. We're introduced to the rabbits' language, customs and culture, and we get to hear some of their own legends of mythical heroes throughout the book. Adams does a great job of writing from an animal point of view, where man-made things are strange and mysterious, surroundings are explored from the ground with sight and smell, and we feel the rabbits' fear of larger animals and "elil" (rabbit predators).

The story itself has a good rhythm, alternating fast paced action with slow paced descriptions, with an exciting ending and an epilogue that brings the tale to a satisfying close but leaves you wanting more.

Highly recommended....more info

Bethany Canfield

Never in your life have you envisioned rabbits the way that Richard Adams portrays them in this book. They are leaders, followers, thinkers and most importantly heroes. They travel far away from their homeland warren and are just incredibly complex and interesting to read about. Some classics you read and you ask, why is that a classic? Others you read and instantly know exactly why it is a classic. This book is a true classic....more info

I LOVED Watership Down!

I remember seeing the movie when I was a young child and it stayed with me ever since. I remembered certain scenes from the film all my life and it did affect me deeply because 30 years later, I still haven't forgotten watching it nor the title. I realized that I needed to revisit this story for that reason and decided to read the novel before seeing the movie again. I'm so glad I did!!!

I absolutely LOVED this book, which I finished in a few days. It is beatiful, sad, funny, epic, and haunting all at once! This may be one of the best books I have ever read and I read A LOT.

There are some parts that can get a little over-desriptive and boring but they are few and you will hardly notice. For me, the pace really picked up about halfway through and I couldn't put it down. This is definitely and ADULT themed book IMO since some of the trials and lessons are emotionally heavy.

Bottom Line: READ IT!...more info

Great Story, 70% Good Metaphor

I've waited for years to read this book, and by and large it didn't disappoint. Great story, interesting characters, largely fast flowing plot, and mostly a good metaphor: the metaphor of breaking from the herd, breaking from the old way, treating life as an adventure to be tackled, and taking risk and using ingenuity to accomplish a mission. I loved all that, and loved its message about the complacency of hutch rabbits (average humans!) - and how weak and lost we become when complacency takes over.

BUT...

The metaphor of the story ultimately breaks down because it becomes a "happily ever after" story. The whole purpose of the rabbits' ultimate mission in the second half of the book is to find ways to attract or procure female rabbits so they can mate, have babies, and just...ultimately live average, complacent lives. I admired their ingenuity in achieving this end, but what kind of message is this "end" in our modern world? Just more dating, mating, and procreating - exactly the complacency that is KILLING OUR PLANET.

It's time for a new way: forget breeding like rabbits, stop the cycle of overpopulation, stop the spread of our species into new untamed lands, and instead scale back. Go within and heal our ancient wounds. Had the book had this message I would have liked it a thousand times more.

Two other criticisms: 1) I found the mythical rabbit-and-God folktales within the book, the ones the rabbit storytellers told, to be EXTREMELY DULL. Once I realized they were not remotely an intrinsic part of the story I skipped them - whole chapters - to no great loss. That sped things up a lot. 2) The literary quotations at the beginning of each chapter were distracting and irrelevant, so after a few chapters I mostly ignored them....more info

Frith, I just love this story!

Though familiar with the story having seen the old 1978 cartoon version- which sticks very close to the book, by the way- this was the first time I've read Watership Down.

In the beginning of the tale we meet Hazel and Fiver. Fiver has a terrible feeling concerning the welfare of the warren where they make their home. Litter mates, Hazel trusts Fiver's instincts, so he takes Fiver's warning to the Chief Rabbit. Of course the old fellow thinks little Fiver's is just a silly trouble maker and will have none of it, but because Fiver has never been wrong before AND his feeling of imminent danger is so strong, Hazel decides it's time to leave. (We find later Fiver was absolutely correct!)

It's a not a very big group who leave searching for a new home, but through the trials they face almost immediately upon leaving, they become a tight knit group.

What I love most about Watership Down is the Tolkienesque culture Adams brings to the world of rabbits complete with language, a history and it's tales & myths. I LOVE little Fiver and his prophetic gift as well as Hazel who steps up to the plate as Chief Rabbit in a thoughtful and even kind manner. (He befriends creatures that rabbits normally would avoid with an insight into the rabbits future survival that is almost as prophetic as Fiver!)

The story itself is thrilling as we watch the group face danger all around,(and survive!), until they eventually settle on Watership Down. Even then, there a couple more trials they must face as they set out to find females to aid in their new warren life. The creepy rabbits of the Tharn Warren (also known as Cowslip's Warren) and Efrafa make me shiver as much as any character in a Stephen King novel!

I believe this story has a lot to teach us about morality in leadership and also about being leaders- as well as followers. It's also serves as a reminder about our influence as humans upon the creatures of the earth. After all, we are all inter-connected, aren't we?...more info

An inspiration to all

Adams succeeds in every possible way with this beloved classic of English literature. Not only is the plot-line gripping and intense but his characterization of the animals is among the finest feats in modern. My mother read this book to me early in grade school as a means to get me interested in reading. 400 books later, I think she made the right choice. Buy and inspire someone to delve into literature, yourself included! This book is a constant reminder of why we read books to begin with....more info

How incredible!

This is one of the best books I've ever read. I admit I was reluctant to begin at first, and the book was boring, but after 100 or so pages I was completely hooked. The suspense is amazing and it's just a wodnerful adventure, if you can keep from getting distracted. The imagery is splendid and the mix of tragedy, action, and those awesome El-ahrairah stories just made it thoroughly enjoyable for me. There's a reason this book is a legend for nothin, people....more info

Not for the unintelligent or stupid, Masterpiece for all who appreciate it.

I won't repeat the 700+ reviews for this book, but I do have some comments on the many 1 Star Reviews.

I went through and couldn't believe all the one stars that were given to this book. Yes, it is about Rabbits. No, it is not a children's book. Yes, it does give detail descriptions about everything. These are things that make it GOOD. I read this book when I was in 7th grade (on purpose) and I loved every minute of it. The world that Richard Adams has created is one of masterful work. Maybe it's because my IQ is not below 75 that I love it. If you want just the story, watch the movie. If you want to read one of the greatest things in print today, get the book. Or if you hate reading, get the audiotape even and listen in the car. Trust me, if you go in with no prejudice, you will love Watership Down....more info

A Great Novel and A Timeless Tale

One of my all-time favorites

From beginning to end, and the rabbit tales in between, this is an excellent story....more info

Very Enjoyable listen

We have really enjoyed listening to this audio book. I had read the book to my older daughter, but we are loving the voices and inflection of listening this time with my next daughter....more info

Not Free SF Reader

General opinion here is that the only good rabbit is one on the other end of a shotgun, or in a pot. These ones I would let live, no problem. A quest story, with a little bit of environmentalism thrown in, a prophet, and a look at the politics of control, via your burrow fascism. This, of course, is all wrapped around a story that is designed to be accessible to children, to begin with.

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Part fantasy, part children's book, all charming...

Watership Down by Richard Adams is part fantasy, part children's book and all charming. This has become a true classic that is universally loved. Richard Adams first created Watership Down as an oral story for his two daughters on a long road trip. When he was finally finished, they encourage him to write it down in book-form as it was better than almost any book that he read to them each night.

This story is about a group of rabbits. But unlike many fantasies, these rabbits don't do anything they wouldn't normally do except to talk to each other and other animals. Brother rabbits Hazel and Fiver live happily in Sandleford Warren, until Fiver has a premonition that something terrible is going to happen to their home. They convince a group of rabbits to flee Sandleford and seek a new and safer warren. The rabbits go through many travails and Adams details them all in great detail. Perhaps the most dangerous expedition involves the search for female rabbits to help populate their new warren. The rabbits have their own language, Lapine, and Adams provides a glossary of Lapine terms at the end. This edition also includes a new introduction where the author tells how he came to write this book.

I'm not much of a fantasy reader, but I grew very fond of Hazel, Fiver and their companions.
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