A Great (but not fluffy) Tail [groan] (Watership Down - Richard Adams)

Member Name: Salz

Product:	Watership Down - Richard Adams
Date:	27/08/02 (202 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Well written, Gripping, Innovative

Disadvantages: Too long for younger readers on their own

What is an animal ‘society’ like? How would they interact, live together in a community? Would they have stories and friendships? How much are they just like us?

Richard Adams gives some possible answers to these questions in his novel Watership Down. His story is an accurate picture of how rabbits may live, from the rabbit’s perspective. He invents a language, a social structure (that conforms to known biology) and even a mythology for them.

SYNOPSIS:

Fiver and Hazel live in the Sandleford Warren. They are brothers, both young adults just out of their childhood. Hazel is a likely young buck but Fiver is sickly runt given to dreams and visions. Few, if any, rabbits are likely to heed him except his brother Hazel who has seen his uncanny abilities in action.

That is why, when Fiver begins to have visions of the destruction of the Sandleford Warren and the horrible death of all its inhabitants, Hazel believes him. Hazel takes Fiver before the leader of the warren, the Chief Rabbit and his officers (or Owsla) but they do not take them seriously. Hazel thinks that this is the end of the matter but Fiver’s desperate insistence on leaving with or without anyone else convinces him to go. With them they take a small group of young bucks, disaffected with their home and so willing to believe in Fiver’s prophecy.

They travel across country crossing rivers, avoiding predators (called the Thousand since there are so many of them) and listening to tales of El-Ahrairah the Father of all Rabbits told by their storyteller Dandelion. Their strongest and largest member, Bigwig, is nearly killed by a snare and they meet with some very peculiar rabbits on their way but they do make it. They arrive safely on the high unpopulated (by rabbits) hill called Watership Down. That they get there at all is due not only to Fiver’s vision but Hazel’s leadership and Bigwigs strength.

Once there establ
ished in there ideal warren they face another problem. They have no does. This brings them into conflict with the nearby warren, the dictatorially run Efrafa of General Woundwort. This battle and the allies they gain for it bring the story to its climax. I will not say more (since you really should read it for yourselves).

STYLE:

I find this book incredible easy to read and get into and despite the fact that it is has an adult vocabulary there is no reason (in content either) why older children will not read this book and enjoy it. There is also no reason why, despite its Children’s Literature status, adults will not also appreciate it and not only in a back to our childhood sort of way.

The punctuation of the story with tales of El-Ahrairah is wonderful. I often go back and read the tales on their own but I have always loved myths and legends and think these (invented) ones of Adam’s are superb examples.

It is also beautifully written. The prose style (like so many masters of that form) is simple but effective and so easily understood. It gives the lie to the idea that convoluted sentences show greater or more intense artistry in their authors.

CONCLUSION:

I personally think that this is one the few books that everyone should read. It is not a cutesy talking animals tale (not that there is necessarily anything wrong with those). It is a thorough glimpse into the possible internal life of rabbits and also a mirror held up to ourselves.

It is gentler than many of Adam’s other works (he is a passionate supporter of Animal Welfare) but nonetheless enables us to understand and care for animals and our environment with greater sensitivity. This book can give you a far greater insight into what it is to be human than many novels that take human beings as the protagonists.

Summary: