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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Nice eclectic selection of "rabbit folk tales" plus some further stories from the Watership Down warren.
I liked it, but it is nowhere near as good as "Watership Down." Honestly, parts 1 and 2 were only mildly interesting, but part 3 was very enjoyable. I wish there had been more about the rabbits at Watership Down and less about of the other stories. Still, the last section was good and it was a nice, light read.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Watership Down is one of my favorite books and has been since I was about 10. I was traumatized with the rest of the world by the cartoon in the 70's, and enchanted by the mini-series in 2018. These were nice enough tales, and I'm glad I finally read them after this book has set on my shelf for years and years, if not decades, but they didn't add much. They did not immerse me in a warren the way the original did.
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I found this one up at a used book store - I had no idea my favourite childhood novel had a sequel! As a standalone novel it was alright, but as a follow-up to Watership Down, it paled in comparison and got a fair bit of the characterisation wrong.
I know it must be odd of me, a grown adult, to sit here like "the rabbits in this children's book feel out of character", and understandably, the author returned to the work some 20 years later and was bound to change or forget bits without realising. But, regardless, I felt a little disappointed with it.
The El-ahrairah stories annoyed me the most, I think; I love a good bit of in-world folklore, but in Watership Down he was primarily characterized as this fabled hero, with constant tricks up his sleeves. In these stories, he felt very passive, like a normal rabbit. Things just happened to him, and his own wit had little to do with his escapes from whatever peril he found himself in. I was particularly disappointed when, in one of the stories in part two, he left a warren of rabbits to their deaths and didn't even consider coming up with something to help them out of it. This character is literally who the protagonists pray to when they're about to do something with impossible odds! Again, it's a kids' book, and this is really nothing of consequence, but it saddened me a bit nonetheless.
The third part of the book fared better, but still suffered from an occasional moment of "hey, that wasn't how it went down in the first book!" and, in typical short-story-collection fashion, was rather disjointed throughout. I love these characters, but I'll admit that this sequel wasn't necessary, and felt as though the author went back to a successful work to milk it for content.
I know it must be odd of me, a grown adult, to sit here like "the rabbits in this children's book feel out of character", and understandably, the author returned to the work some 20 years later and was bound to change or forget bits without realising. But, regardless, I felt a little disappointed with it.
The El-ahrairah stories annoyed me the most, I think; I love a good bit of in-world folklore, but in Watership Down he was primarily characterized as this fabled hero, with constant tricks up his sleeves. In these stories, he felt very passive, like a normal rabbit. Things just happened to him, and his own wit had little to do with his escapes from whatever peril he found himself in. I was particularly disappointed when, in one of the stories in part two, he left a warren of rabbits to their deaths and didn't even consider coming up with something to help them out of it. This character is literally who the protagonists pray to when they're about to do something with impossible odds! Again, it's a kids' book, and this is really nothing of consequence, but it saddened me a bit nonetheless.
The third part of the book fared better, but still suffered from an occasional moment of "hey, that wasn't how it went down in the first book!" and, in typical short-story-collection fashion, was rather disjointed throughout. I love these characters, but I'll admit that this sequel wasn't necessary, and felt as though the author went back to a successful work to milk it for content.
Random stories told as during Watership Down. Enjoyable read!
The sequel is not nearly as good as the the original story.
adventurous
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
To be honest, perhaps this book deserved a slightly better review. I wish there were more stars, and I could give it a 7/10 or something, but there are only 5. The downfall of this book is not anything particular. It simply lacks the magic of its predecessor, what I would consider to be one of the greatest books of all time. This book is a collection of short stories following the events of Watership Down. All of them are pretty good. But the fact that they are short stories, disconnected as a whole, doesn't allow for the mystery and excitement of the first book as it progressed. However, by far, I am glad that Adams decided to write a second book. It was worth it.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No