Reviews

Watership Down by Richard Adams

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pronolagus's review against another edition

5.0

I'm sure it's well-worn in the pages of many a review that this isn't just a story about rabbits. But I'll go one further: No story is "just a story" about the thing in its pages. All stories are about us in one way or another. The penchant and passion that the rabbits in Watership Down (the book and the warren, alike) have for stories is our passion, and our addiction. We are so much the better to have this incredible book in our storehouse of stories.

The richness of Adams's setting, vividly painted in his descriptions of the Hampshire countryside, is outmatched only by the wholeness and complexity of his characters. Watership Down is not really a solid fit for archetypes. The rabbits are as individualized as any family or neighborhood of humans. Their faults and fears, and their triumphs and braveries, are mirrors of those we see in our own lives and the lives of those around us. Many characters embody more than one trait of villain, shaman, trickster, and so on. Hazel is both the hero we hope to be, were leadership suddenly thrust upon us, and the fallible hesitater we fear we would be. There is much more of the former quality, naturally, but this sense of humanity pervades the entire novel. My heart was in my throat dozens of times, I laughed (yes, out loud) almost as much, and was reading through tears of joy and sadness with surprising regularity.

The rabbits' journey also has a lot to say about social order, violence, leadership, sacrifice, friendship, and the cruel caprice of nature. This is a grand adventure, worthy of haughty cynics and eager optimists alike. It's got charm enough to enrapture just about everyone, I dare say. For the first time in years, I'm ready to start in on page one again, right now.

bfrodermann's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful 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? No

4.0

effaly's review against another edition

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2.0

Strong and interesting beginning, but I couldn't fight my way through the long and boring middle.

kimvanness's review against another edition

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4.0

Another classic I did not read until much later in life, and I feel I'm all the luckier for it. Sure, it's about rabbits -- which is about as much as I think you can expect a 15-year-old to take from it, dooming it to be forever grossly under-appreciated. As far as allegories go, this novel is almost too rich for an undergraduate curriculum. Many readers would put this novel and Animal Farm in the same category, which is a bit unfair to both. The commentary in this novel is buried much deeper than those in Animal Farm and as such require not just the skill of recognizing such parallels in the midst of a beautifully written text, but also of interpreting what's really being implied -- an endeavor that can take an infinite number of paths. This is not to say Animal Farm is a "worse" book, but rather that readers who may view Animal Farm as a stepping stone into allegorical storytelling and are looking for something more challenging, and something that can be picked through, analyzed and debated for hours on end, shouldn't be without Watership Down on their "To Read" list -- arguably more than once.

cozy_sophie's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

sunnyevie's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

Very good story, I really liked this book. I became very attached to all my rabbit friends and I can't even decide who their biggest asset was. So many of them came in clutch in a pinch or had a brilliant idea that was perfection. Hazel-rah is a great Cheif rabbit though, really grows into his role and is very respected, I respect him too. The bird was hilarious. I think Bigwig was my favorite though. His last stand chapter had me on EDGE and I was going to sob until Hazel spoke to him and roused him.
Anyway, I really liked it. Only not a 5 for some of the overly wordy but somehow also bland writing that goes along with reading a book more than 20 years old. Nevertheless, its a classic for a reason 🫶