"Watership Down" is stunning - a compulsive read. The story is a picaresque saga about a motley band of rabbits who desert their ancient warren when the gentle 'fiver' predicts imminent destruction of all who remain. Led by Fiver's intelligent brother Hazel the refugees set out on an epic search fro a new home.
Watership Down (Puffin Books)
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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' 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 analogues 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 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
...stunning, compulsive reading (Sunday Times )
...a proper grown-up novel for children (The Times ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
...a proper grown-up novel for children (The Times ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
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First Sentence
The primroses were over. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
The primroses were over. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
'Watership Down' is the exciting and emotional tale where a group of rabbits are forced to leave their Sandleford homes when Fiver, who often sees visions of the future, tells them that their warren is in danger from humans. The group is then lead by Hazel and Bigwig as they make their way through the fields of Hampshire as they come face to face with danger from other animals such as rats, foxes, cats, dogs and owls as well as humans and cars. As the story goes on Hazel and the group of rabbits try to rescue some rabbits from a farm; help a bird, who in turn then helps them; join another warren of rabbits and also try to steal does from a much bigger and powerful warren known as Efrafa, leading to a shocking and brilliant finalle. Along the way tales are told of El-ahrairah (prince of a thousand enemies), which gives more insight into the beliefs of the rabbits in their own world.
As someone who usually mainly reads crime fiction and horror (and have also never seen the movie adaption), I never thought that I'd enjoy a book about a bunch of rabbits but after a strong recommendation from my girlfriend, I gave this a try and once I started it I couldn't put it down. Immediately I fell in love with Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig, Pipkin, Dandelion, Speedwell, Blackberry, Silver, Buckthorn, Holly, Bluebell and Strawberry. Each and everyone of them has their individual characteristics and I found that I actually cared quite a lot what happened to them, and got quite emotional at certain points in the story.
Although this dubbed a children's novel, I found it to be quite complex at times and also quite gruesome and horrifying in parts, which I could imagine may be quite disturbing for younger readers. Overall though this is a brilliant read that took me no time at all to get through it's 480 pages and is one that I'll definitely read again. Without a doubt this is a classic that everyone should give a go, even if you think that a book about rabbits wouldn't be your kind of thing.
As someone who usually mainly reads crime fiction and horror (and have also never seen the movie adaption), I never thought that I'd enjoy a book about a bunch of rabbits but after a strong recommendation from my girlfriend, I gave this a try and once I started it I couldn't put it down. Immediately I fell in love with Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig, Pipkin, Dandelion, Speedwell, Blackberry, Silver, Buckthorn, Holly, Bluebell and Strawberry. Each and everyone of them has their individual characteristics and I found that I actually cared quite a lot what happened to them, and got quite emotional at certain points in the story.
Although this dubbed a children's novel, I found it to be quite complex at times and also quite gruesome and horrifying in parts, which I could imagine may be quite disturbing for younger readers. Overall though this is a brilliant read that took me no time at all to get through it's 480 pages and is one that I'll definitely read again. Without a doubt this is a classic that everyone should give a go, even if you think that a book about rabbits wouldn't be your kind of thing.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By S. Feenan
Format:Paperback
When I was around fifteen my parents and I had this deal where for every "classic" book I bought (and read), they would buy me the usual books I would tend to (Stephen King, Chistopher Pike, in fact, anything with blood and gore). Watership Down was one of classics I bought to keep them happy. However, despite the attitude I had to sitting down to reading this "book about rabbits," it didn't take long for me fall in love with this book. Hard.
I couldn't agree more with the reviewer who talked about the goosebumps he feels every times he reads the opening lines "The primroses were over." The whole book is truely sensational and a classic for a reason.
An amazing, emotive, and beatifully written read. I am now 23, still a fan of blood, gore and all things violent and it's still, by quite a long way, my favourite book - the only close contenders being the Dark Materials Trilogy.
Kudos to your genius, Richard Adams, for making a "book about rabbits" one of the all time greats
I couldn't agree more with the reviewer who talked about the goosebumps he feels every times he reads the opening lines "The primroses were over." The whole book is truely sensational and a classic for a reason.
An amazing, emotive, and beatifully written read. I am now 23, still a fan of blood, gore and all things violent and it's still, by quite a long way, my favourite book - the only close contenders being the Dark Materials Trilogy.
Kudos to your genius, Richard Adams, for making a "book about rabbits" one of the all time greats
41 of 43 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"The primroses were over. Towards the edge of the wood, where the ground became open..." - Richard Adams, Watership Down.
The title about says it all. I have cried at this book more often than I can remember; I get a shiver up my spine just hearing those opening words. I currently have four copies of the book, in varying states of disrepair, and on VHS video and DVD. There is just no other book like it. I apologise for the bad writing of this review, but it is impossible to be even slightly objective about something which has affected you so much growing up. By the age of 12 or 13, I had already read it numerous times.
Adams' simply gorgeous description of the countryside and the true beauty of the world is fantastically balanced with the grim and evil reality the humans bring to the world of the rabbits. I cannot quite place why I love this book, it is just something which exists so perfectly in your soul. If you are sitting on a crowded commuter train, or you are on the eve of a fated deadline, or more down in the dumps than you have ever been, you can pick up Watership Down and immediately escape into a world where the only things that matter are survival and the bonds you make with close friends going through traumatic and dangerous experiences. These rabbits do not know of human "troubles", and this is what makes this story so appealing: the INNOCENCE of it all. The pure pleasure of not caring.
The film has much the same effect, however I do feel it focuses on a different part of the story. The portrayal of Fiver's troubled mind is often chilling, and I would not recommend the film for very young children (as I know it scared me when I was younger!). However, the beautiful animation by Martin Rosen and his team fits the magnificence of Adams' writing perfectly, and the voices of such legends as John Hurt, Richard Briers and Roy Kinnear really bring these noble characters to life.
To all of those who knock this book for being "too simple" and the level of reading "too easy", it is because when you read a book it is more than just your eyes moving over the text. You take from a book only what you think yourself. What is wrong with simple? This book has a deep meaning which is very, very simple: the world is beautiful, if you look long enough. There is nothing better than that.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lend us a Fiver
My review is based on the Kindle edition, specifically the glossary, since none of the reviews I've come across so far seem to find it an issue... Read more
Published 25 days ago by Val Kyrie
4.0 out of 5 stars
Descriptive prose, a love letter to the English Countryside
I've been attempting to read more classic books, and older titles that I feel I should've read, and one of these last year was Watership Down. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Stacey Woods
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant
This is one of my favourite books ever. It is such a good tale, it just draws you in. It is so good I buy this for friends as a present if they haven't read it.
Published 1 month ago by mum on a budget
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing book.
Enjoy being taken to another world entirely. Wonderful smells and sounds. Adventure and hardships but most of all strong Friendships.
Published 2 months ago by sherelee mould
4.0 out of 5 stars
Classic
Really enjoyable loved the film and the book.did not disappoint . Not a child's book though, would recommend to anyone
Published 3 months ago by james kenner
4.0 out of 5 stars
Book
I choose this rating because I had always wanted to read this book. I also thought the price was great.
Published 3 months ago by Victoria
5.0 out of 5 stars
Still a great read!
I bought this for my 11 year old niece for Christmas, it's a book I loved from my childhood, I had an e-mail from her 4 days after Christmas to say she was loving it and was... Read more
Published 4 months ago by mintogirl
5.0 out of 5 stars
Really good
Excellent story, written from the point of view of a rabbit! Love the description of the road, And I cried at the end , although realistically, the book could not have ended in... Read more
Published 4 months ago by rose dewsbury
5.0 out of 5 stars
A classic
I read this years ago, when my children were little. Heard 'Bright Eyes' by Art Garfunkel on the radio and thought I'd re-read it (not something I tend to do). Read more
Published 4 months ago by Janet Marshall
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rabbits and human being.
I am 64 yrs. old...but I enjoyed reading this book. I admired these group of rabbits lead by Fiver and Hazel who dared to leave their home for the first time to find a safer... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Reynaldo Saga
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