Sign in with Facebook
Scott's Reviews > Watership Down
Watership Down (Watership Down, #1)
by
by
Every conversation I have ever had about this book:
Me: "Really? You haven't read Watership Down?!'
You: "Nope"
Me: "Read it! It's beautiful! A work of touching, thoughtful genius!"
You: "What's it about?"
Me: "Never mind that, it's a stunning book. Just read it. You'll love it."
You: "So it's a naval theme then? Like a Das Boot-y book? Or a Titanic style story?"
Me: "Well... no, its more, well, it's based on land. In England. Seriously though, Richard Adams is a hell of a storyteller."
You: "Oh! OK, so a ship runs aground and it's like a survival film? Alive in Essex, yeah?"
Me: "Ahhh, no, the name refers to a down - a kind of parky meadow in England - and this one is called Watership Down.
You: "So it's environmental? Silent Spring in the UK?"
Me: "No, it's fiction, with a great story and compelling characters you'll be rooting for, whose struggles might just make you mist up."
You: "It sounds great, but what's it about?"
Me: "Well.. I don't want to make it sound lame..."
You: "Come on. I'm not reading a book I know nothing about."
Me: :"OK... it's.... it's about Rabbits."
You: "Rabbits."
Me: "Yes, and they talk, and struggle and love and..."
You: "Talking Rabbits".
Me: "Yes! But they're realistic! Adams captures something of their soul! He invents a stunning, moving mythology for them, an entire religion based on their Rabbit-ness! The film made me cry when I was a child, and the book is even better!"
You: "Realistic talking religious rabbits."
Me: "Yes, but it's so beauti... ah, fuck it. It's one of the best books I've ever read."
Me: "Really? You haven't read Watership Down?!'
You: "Nope"
Me: "Read it! It's beautiful! A work of touching, thoughtful genius!"
You: "What's it about?"
Me: "Never mind that, it's a stunning book. Just read it. You'll love it."
You: "So it's a naval theme then? Like a Das Boot-y book? Or a Titanic style story?"
Me: "Well... no, its more, well, it's based on land. In England. Seriously though, Richard Adams is a hell of a storyteller."
You: "Oh! OK, so a ship runs aground and it's like a survival film? Alive in Essex, yeah?"
Me: "Ahhh, no, the name refers to a down - a kind of parky meadow in England - and this one is called Watership Down.
You: "So it's environmental? Silent Spring in the UK?"
Me: "No, it's fiction, with a great story and compelling characters you'll be rooting for, whose struggles might just make you mist up."
You: "It sounds great, but what's it about?"
Me: "Well.. I don't want to make it sound lame..."
You: "Come on. I'm not reading a book I know nothing about."
Me: :"OK... it's.... it's about Rabbits."
You: "Rabbits."
Me: "Yes, and they talk, and struggle and love and..."
You: "Talking Rabbits".
Me: "Yes! But they're realistic! Adams captures something of their soul! He invents a stunning, moving mythology for them, an entire religion based on their Rabbit-ness! The film made me cry when I was a child, and the book is even better!"
You: "Realistic talking religious rabbits."
Me: "Yes, but it's so beauti... ah, fuck it. It's one of the best books I've ever read."
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read
Watership Down.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
Finished Reading
December 9, 2014
– Shelved
December 9, 2014
– Shelved as:
classics
December 9, 2014
– Shelved as:
fiction
March 31, 2015
– Shelved as:
favourites
Comments Showing 1-29 of 29 (29 new)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Olivia
(new)
-
rated it 3 stars
Jan 23, 2018 12:40AM
I love your review. Didn't like the book all that much, but love your review :)
reply
|
flag
Olivia wrote: "I love your review. Didn't like the book all that much, but love your review :)" Thanks Olivia! It's based on a number of conversations Ive had. I can see why some wouldn't like the book, but it holds a special place in my heart :)
Vivien wrote: "Love the review Scott." Thanks Vivien! Obviously I give this one a big recommendation :)
Brilliant and clever review! Loved the book, but I agree - if people aren’t accustomed to reading out of the box book. I tell guys to think of it as a serious animation adventure story. Lol!
I have this on my kindle but for some reason haven't got around to reading it, this review might be the push I need. I used to get the same reaction when telling people about the Duncton Wood books by William Horwood -sagas about moles?!
Renata wrote: "Brilliant and clever review! Loved the book, but I agree - if people aren’t accustomed to reading out of the box book. I tell guys to think of it as a serious animation adventure story. Lol!" Thanks Renata! That's a good strategy- i'll try it next time I try to recommend this one :)
Jo wrote: "I have this on my kindle but for some reason haven't got around to reading it, this review might be the push I need. I used to get the same reaction when telling people about the Duncton Wood books..." Yeah, any story based around talking animals is a hard sell to a lot of people. They think children's stories pretty much off the bat, despite works like Watership Down where great stories are told using animals as the central players.
Adore this review almost as much as I adore Fiver & Hazel. A touching review of an unforgettable book.
You would NOT have had this conversation with me, Scott. I got the book and read the cover!! Very clever review and spot on with most people!!!
Oh boy, I hear you. I always heard about this book, and always thought "But... it's about rabbits."Then I read it.
It's a good book. Even if it is about rabbits.
Cara wrote: "Adore this review almost as much as I adore Fiver & Hazel. A touching review of an unforgettable book." Thanks Cara! It really is an unforgettable book :)
Celia wrote: "You would NOT have had this conversation with me, Scott. I got the book and read the cover!! Very clever review and spot on with most people!!!" Thanks Celia! I'm glad to hear it! This is a book that rewards those who look beyond what on the surface appears to be a children's story.
Janice wrote: "Oh boy, I hear you. I always heard about this book, and always thought "But... it's about rabbits."Lol. I honestly would have probably thought the same way, had I first encountered it when I was an adult.
You can diss rabbits if you like, but Bigwig will kick your biped ass.I think I read this in junior high, I probably should reread it someday.
Kirk wrote: "You can diss rabbits if you like, but Bigwig will kick your biped ass."It's definitely worth a re-read. Yeah, Bigwig is a total hardass. If there was a live action film, he could be played by Jason Statham.
I'm with all you guys on both Watership Down and the Duncton Wood books - I haven't read many human characters that affected me like those animals did! I'd also recommend Adams' "The Plague Dogs" if you haven't read it - so, so good, even if it breaks your heart a bit along the way!
One of my all-time favourites, made a huge impression one me when I first read it. I see that Netflix and BBC are collaborating on a new CGI mini-series of the book.
anybody here an australian who knows rabbits as an invasive species that overran native animals in the original biome...?
Catty wrote: "I'm with all you guys on both Watership Down and the Duncton Wood books - I haven't read many human characters that affected me like those animals did! I'd also recommend Adams' "The Plague Dogs" i..."I second the recommendation for Plague Dogs.
Catty wrote: "I'm with all you guys on both Watership Down and the Duncton Wood books - I haven't read many human characters that affected me like those animals did! I'd also recommend Adams' "The Plague Dogs" i..." Thanks for the recommendation! I've seen the Plague Dogs around, but never picked it up. I will add it to my to-read list :)
Gerhard wrote: "One of my all-time favourites, made a huge impression one me when I first read it. I see that Netflix and BBC are collaborating on a new CGI mini-series of the book." Really? That's awesome! I'm looking forward to seeing how they translate the book into film again.
the gift wrote: "anybody here an australian who knows rabbits as an invasive species that overran native animals in the original biome...?" I'm an ex-kiwi, now Aussie so Rabbits have always been an invasive pest to me, but I still have a soft spot for them, possibly due to keeping them as pets when I was young. (I still have a rabbit tooth shaped scar on my finger from my childhood- Thanks Bun-Bun!) I also generally only see them in Melbourne's urban environment and I respect their ability to thrive right under human noses in fairly unhospitable places.
Janice wrote: "Catty wrote: "I'm with all you guys on both Watership Down and the Duncton Wood books - I haven't read many human characters that affected me like those animals did! I'd also recommend Adams' "The ..." It's definitely on my to-read list now! :)
.....let's try this again, shall we? I'm an Aussie too, thegift, and I too had a pet rabbit as a kid - a lovely black and white girl called Lady. Actually, I think I asked for her after reading Watership Down, come to think of it!! I now live in the bush, and see wild rabbits roaming about almost every day, which to me is better than having them as pets!!
Catty wrote: ".....let's try this again, shall we? I'm an Aussie too, thegift, and I too had a pet rabbit as a kid - a lovely black and white girl called Lady. Actually, I think I asked for her after reading Wat..." Yeah, even though I know they are an invasive, destructive pest that has ravaged parts of the Australasian environment there is still something about rabbits that makes me empathize with them. My father used to take me rabbit hunting and I always felt sorry for the poor creatures that he shot, pest or no.
Haha I've definitely championed this book to people before and have also been reluctant to admit the rabbit detail! Great review!
Jordan wrote: "Haha I've definitely championed this book to people before and have also been reluctant to admit the rabbit detail! Great review!" Thanks Jordan! Haha, yeah, this review is based on many RL discussions I've had. Everything goes so well until I mention the rabbits...
