Name: Watership Down
Rating: 4.005244755244755 (286 reviews)
ISBN: 9780380395866

Richard Adams

An allegorical tale of survival in which a band of wild rabbits leave their ancestral home to build a more humane society

Watership Down

Amelia Reinertsen

There is nothing that cuts you down to size like coming to  some strange and marvellous place where no one even stops to notice that you  stare about you.

One of the most beloved novels of our time, Richard Adams's Watership Down takes us to a world we have never truly seen: to the remarkable life that teems in the fields, forests and riverbanks far beyond our cities and towns. It is a powerful saga of courage, leadership and survival; an epic tale of a hardy band of adventurers forced to flee the destruction of their fragile community...and their trials and triumphs in the face of extraordinary adversity as they pursue a glorious dream called "home." Watership Down is a remarkable tale of exile and survival, of heroism and leadership...the epic novel of a group of adventurers who desert their doomed city, and venture forth against all odds on a quest for a new home, a sturdier future,

ikkychan

Just finished reading "Watership Down" by Richard Adams. This book sent me into a rollercoaster of emotions before I finally managed to put it down. At first, I’ve tried to avoid this book (and the animated movie) since I’ve had several news about how depressing the story is from multiple sources. But considering my life is already depressing, I thought, why not make it worse? Make it double? Hazel the rabbit was suddenly thrown into a perplexing predicament when his brother, Fiver, shared his prophetic vision of the fatal doom awaits for their warren, Sandleford, and urged him to run away from their home. Sudden immigration is not natural for rabbits, not to mention in this particular case, it happens without a clear or immediate cause. After they failed to convince their Chief Rabbit and hunted down, accused of instigating rebellion against the warren, both of them hastily ran away. Not alone, thank god, but followed by their close friends Bigwig, Blackberry, Pipkin, Silver, Buckthorn, Hawkbit, Speedwell, and Acorn --- those who believe in Hazel enough to follow them in this hazardous, precarious exodus into the unknown. Throughout their journey, Hazel's leadership was tested numerous times. In every step of their way they were challenged by nearly everything they encountered. Exposed to the elements and predators, far away from the safeness of underground home --- in addition to their own exhaustion over long trek --- this fellowship would not last twenty yards from their original home if it's not for Hazel's swiftness and his determination to keep the entire group alive until they reach someplace suitable to start their new warren. It's hard to define what a good leadership is precisely, but if we compare to several strong leader characters the band encountered in their journey, it's clear how different Hazel is compared to them. Take Bigwig, for example. He certainly has bigger stature and stronger physical prowess than Hazel, but he doesn't have any idea how to think for the group nor utilize each member's skill in the course of action. The Threarah, the Chief of Sandleford Warren, lacks perception and has too much of an ego to let himself take advice from a nobody rabbit, thus disregarding Fiver's warning and ends up witnessing his whole warren fall victim to a massacre. Cowslip is the nearest thing to a leader in the Snare Warren, but no rabbit there has the capability to be Chief since nobody can ensure anyone’s safety. In contrast, General Woundworth is the sole leader of Efrafa Warren. His words are so absolute that no action could take place without his command first. However, his power exerts through fear and force, much like a dictator of a small country, that leaves the greater number of his citizens lives quite unhappily as they are in perpetual oppression. He might have an exceptional insight when it comes to warfare and combat strategy, but he feels less committed to think for the wellbeing of the group, something that best benefits his warren as a whole. It was clearly depicted when Hazel comes over to Efrafan forefront right before the battle between Watership Down and Efrafan rabbits begin to negotiate the alternatives with Woundworth. Hazel, with the two warren’s happiness in mind, proposes to Woundworth to abandon his self-possessiveness, ceases to make war and allow the already overcrowded Efrafa to migrate half its population to the land between the two and make a new habitat together. Woundworth has the chance to prove his worth as a leader, but he casts it aside without much care. It’s not like Hazel is like this savior president in golden shining armor with omnipotent power to shield every obstacle, no, he was far from it. In the early part of the book, he was too perplexed to be leaned on at times, lost to circumstances, heavy with doubt as to what step he has to take next. He’s not as strong as Bigwig or as premonitory as Fiver, but he soon learns to develop substantial will power and mental capacity to be able to make decisions quickly and resolutely they inspire everyone’s faith in him. He listens and regards other’s opinion with fairness whilst keeping the good of the entire group as his priority. He’s not naive nor foolhardy — though he may be reckless on some occasions, like when he decided to free Clover and Haystack from Nuthanger Farm and brushes himself with death in the process — he recognizes danger, never too hasty to make judgment, see things cautiously and accept no losses; every single rabbit is important to him. When some rabbits do fall victim to the situation, he doesn’t think about it too long as he puts the living first above the dead. His astuteness in perceiving his friend’s unique skills and capabilities is paramount to their survival as he becomes quite capable to utilize them and put them to their best position to tackle every hardship that comes their way. He asks the fast Dandelion to bait the Nuthanger Dog, he sends the burly Bigwig to deceive Efrafan rabbits, he helps Keehar while planning to recruit him in his does-searching plan later, he believes in Blackberry’s crafty insights. His unbeatable trust in his friends ignites the same spirit inside their mind; they all look up to him and at the same time they gain confidence in themselves. I’m amazed at how artful and masterly Adams writes this book. Each part of the story flows easily to the next and you barely can keep your eyes off the page as you impatiently turn it in breathless anticipation. Every chapter invites you to this world within world, this small rabbit realm in the kingdom of human, and shows you the beautiful savageness of nature, the harsh reality of life these furry critters lead, fighting for their home whilst encasing it as a bittersweet fable with a touch of magical fantasy.

Greg Talbot

The strengths of "Watership Down" are not obvious, but they are deeply rooted in burrows beneath passive perception. Consider the vocabulary that expresses pastoral country life from a rabbit's point of view. Consider the vocabulary the rabbits use in their own animal tongue (alack I didn't get realize the index was there until the end of the book!). Also, read at a slower pace, the book can generate sweeping emotional scenes. One in particular I enjoyed is when the rabbits first leave their warren, and come to a group of rabbits who are just a little too well off....it's eerily too perfect, and it's a trap that they can't sniff out right away. Little escapades like this reign throughout the book. Like other reviewers have pointed out, "Watership Down" does feel like a great fantasty world. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" or maybe even C.S. Lewis's "Chronicles of Narnia" come to mind, although the focus is chiefly on a small area for rabbits. So why only 3 stars for this epic young adult novel. Primarily, it's a problem of length. The book is just too damn long. It's hard not to feel a little resentful by the end of it. Although the voacb can be strong, Adams always reminds us of the limitations of the rabbit brain. There is no deeper understaning of the need to get the "dos", their rabbits, and they need to multiply! Much of this work feels very surface level. Like an adolescent who doesn't quite fit with adult clothes, and is too old for children's clothes, "Watership Down" is not easily categorized. Many reviewers have suggested it's a bok for all types of people, but I take the opposite view. There is a certain type of person who would absolutely love this book, and that is the reason I recommend investigating it. For those like myself, a solid few tales of carrots and cabbages suffices.

Jebi Koilpillai

Watership Down is yet another children's classic that I somehow missed out on until now, and it's been a very long time since I've had any book capture me in the same way this one has. The descriptions, the characters, the battles, all taking place in idyllic English countryside was perfect for me. I took my time with this one purely to savor how comforting of a book it really is. I'm sad that watching the old movie as a kid kept me too scared to read it all this time, but I'm happy to check it off my list finally. 

Emma Lechner

Prashanth Srivatsa

Rabbits bounce around a warren, chewing grass and digging burrows before setting off an adventure to discover more bouncing rabbits, more grass and more burrows. Haven't read a finer book this year. Wonderful characters in an unforgettable adventure with none of the abstruse allegories that you'd inevitably look for. Adams takes us miles down the food chain, where creatures the size of our palms make us believe in them, root for them and hate, when necessary. He has penned down something timeless here, about friendship, family, and how it is never enough to sit and wait for things to happen.

Brilliant! I was drawn to this book, moreso because of the author and his scientific background, but I was certainly impressed with the writing style and pace of this book. It is no way, a children's book, in my opinion. The book is at times, violent, bloody and draws on real-world scenarios about migration and politics, while referencing spiritualism, religion and philosophy. Only once completing it, I realised the plethora of characters and agendas Adams had created, and the book was certainly fast-paced! I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the book, and the ingenuity and innocence of the characters - the latter parts certainly attempt to make the story into an epic and drastically accelerates the scale. Nevertheless, the book is a page turner, with emotional character building and a thoroughly satisfying finale. 

Hamed Khalidi

renee badenoch

I deeply love this book; I always say Watership Down does Tolkien better than Tolkien does Tolkien. Watership Down is great for fans of high fantasy, it includes fantastic elements of world-building, in-world religion and myth, magic, questing, songs, and brotherhood.

I hated it with a passion👁️👄👁️

Morgan

Clari

Rick Dobrowolski

My first out loud read to my kids that we completed in 2019 after starting quite a few months ago. I failed to realize just how long this book was.

I LOVE the storyline! The arc of the story was very enjoyable to read. Great characters and character development. Impeccable research. Richard Adams must have spent quite some time researching rabbits. Either that or he made a bunch of stuff up that I can never call him on since I won't spend the time researching rabbits.

My kids enjoyed this and I enjoyed it, even when it was filled with many phrases/words that they would not understand.

WINNER of the Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program Now a Netflix animated miniseries starring James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, and Oscar and Grammy award-winner Sir Ben Kingsley. A worldwide bestseller for more than forty years, Watership Down is the compelling tale of a band of wild rabbits struggling to hold onto their place in the world—“a classic yarn of discovery and struggle” (The New York Times). Richard Adams’s Watership Down is a timeless classic and one of the most beloved novels of all time. Set in the Hampshire Downs in Southern England, an idyllic rural landscape, this stirring tale of “suspense, hot pursuit, and derring-do” (Chicago Tribune) follows a band of rabbits in flight from the incursion of man and the destruction of their home. Led by a stouthearted pair of brothers, they travel forth from their native Sandleford warren through harrowing trials to a mysterious promised land and a more perfect society. “A marvelous story of rebellion, exile, and survival” (Sunday Telegraph) this is an unforgettable literary classic for all ages.

A Novel

Celeste Richardson

Watership Down was just as wonderful on a reread. Not only does it hold up to repeated readings, it’s a story that deepens over time. It’s a brilliant story on its own, but something I loved during this reading of Watership Down is how it harkens back to Greek myth. Fiver is both Cassandra and Oracle of Delphi, depending on the situation in which he finds himself. Hazel is a wonderfully creative echo of Odysseus. While those parallels might have been far from the author’s intent, they’re there for me, and I love the additional depth they lend to the story. 

Below is my original review from my first consumption of this book in 2017. I feel that everything stated below still holds true for me. I’m so glad I was able to share a rereading (and first experience for her) of this novel with my book twin, TS. And now, without further ado, here are my original thoughts on Watership Down:

I’ve been a huge fantasy reader since around fifth grade. So how on earth did I miss Watership Down while I was in school? Did our library not have a copy? Was its reputation as a “classic” a deterrent to friends who might have told me of its existence? Whatever the case, I had never even heard of Watership Down until the later years of college. The people who raved about the book then were generally hipster guys, beating everyone else over the head with their favorite novel. Obviously, that was a huge turn off for me. So I never picked up this book until this month (October of 2017), for a bookclub I recently joined. Man, do I regret waiting so long. On the other hand, it’s pretty amazing to discover what would have been a childhood favorite as an adult, and be able to embrace it as a new favorite that can stand proudly next to older favorites on your bookshelf.

Watership Down is the tale of Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig, and other young buck rabbits who leave their home to establish their own warren. Their adventure is fraught with peril and risk, but ingenuity and courage and just plain luck carry them through. I won’t get into details. I don’t want to give anything away, because I really believe that everybody should, at some point in their lives, read this book. It’s a classic for a reason. And the reason is that the story is compelling and well-written and so real that you can smell the grass on Watership Down and feel the heat of the summer sun.

One of my favorite things about the novel was Adams’ use of epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter. It was fun to figure out why the author had chosen each epigraph, as they always related somehow to the plot of that particular chapter. The material he referenced was vastly varied, and added to the entertainment for me. Bookworms love literary references! The mythology that Adams created for the rabbits was wonderful, as well, breaking up the main story nicely and providing some levity.

Another thing I really enjoyed about Watership Down was the fact the author’s rabbits were just that: rabbits. Some of my favorite books from childhood featured anthropomorphic characters. Starting with the Alphapets books that helped teach me to read and carrying on into the worlds of Narnia and Redwall, many of my favorite literary animals were pretty much people with fur and tails. They walked like us, ate like us, and dressed like us. Not so with Hazel and the other rabbits of Watership Down. They were rabbits through and through, with the diets and problems and life expectancies and mannerisms that I would expect from a rabbit.

This review is pretty much just a long, muddled way for me to say, “Hey, you. You should really read this book.”

A phenomenal worldwide bestseller for almost forty years, Richard Adams{u2019}s Watership Down is a timeless classic and one of the most beloved novels of all time. Set in England{u2019}s Downs, a once idyllic rural landscape, this stirring tale of adventure, courage, and survival follows a band of very special rabbits 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. A book that speaks to our society as vividly as it did nearly half a century ago, this keepsake Scribner Classic edition showcases more than twenty sumptuous, evocative tip-in paintings from Aldo Galli, an illustrator chosen by Richard Adams himself.

Brianna

”All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you.”


Many books are claimed by critics to be the greatest novel of all time. They are wrong. This honor is most definitely held by Watership Down. 
Somehow a book about rabbits running from danger because one has a vision says more about humanity and death than any other book I have read. 
Richard Adams stuck to rabbit behavior and realism (outside the supernatural abilities of Fiver) while simultaneously humanizing them and giving lore that perfectly builds upon a world we know. How he managed this I will never know.
The thing that stands out most to me about this book is it’s perfection. The characters are perfect. The pacing is perfect. The plot is perfect. The little snippets from other diverse literary works at the head of each chapter is perfect. It’s just, perfect. There is not a single thing I wish for or would change about Watership Down except perhaps getting more people to read it.

As a side note, the animated film is spectacular too (but not one recommended for the kiddos).

Trever

This was emotional but it's also sooo long. I have a short attention span (even though I slogged through  Gravity's Rainbow so it was hard to get through, but this is a good one to read if you want a touching story of heroism without lots of complex philosophy thrown at you.

tilly ✨

who would’ve thought that a 600+ page book about feral rabbits from my childhood would get me out of my reading slump

Melanie Richards

This is the book which made me finally realize I don't have to finish EVERYTHING I read. I feel guilty about giving up halfway through, but Watership Down takes everything that's charming or quirky about English adventure lit and makes it unbearable. Simple language becomes "here, now I shall tell you what you should feeling right now." And while many fantasy Brit writers feel entitled to make up details of their world and not give logical reasons for it, Adams jams these details into critical moments, disrupting flow with trite lapine culture rules.

Too terribly twee to finish.

Watership Down

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