Watership Down by Richard Adams

Watership Down is a classic book written by English author Richard Adams. The book was rejected by thirteen publishers before being accepted.

My daughter was given this book to read this fall in her English class. Using my normal routine I decided to read the book with her. Surprisingly to me, for my daughter loves to read, always has, she was not a big fan of this book. My guess is that being told she had to read it reduced it's viability in her eyes, and after all I suspect that a 13 year old told to read a story about bunnies might often reject the idea.

In this I have to tell you, she was wrong. This is a fantastic book. Adams told his daughters stories about rabbits that were based on his experiences in the war. Later these stories became the book and the book became a classic.

The book begins with Hazel and Fiver, two members of a rabbit warren. Fiver is a small rabbit, a runt rabbit, who has visions of the future. As the book begins Fiver has seen a vision of the destruction of his warren. He and Hazel, though they are of low stature in the warren, visit the Chief Rabbit who, as might be expected, does not take them seriously.

This leads the two rabbits, along wit a few other rabbits that for various reasons decide to join them, to leave the warren and set out on their own. Most important among these is a rabbit of high stature named BigWig who had been reprimanded by the Chief Rabbit for bringing the two before him.

After leaving the warren nothing comes easy. The rabbits have adventure after adventure. They are taken in by a warren that appears to be the perfect place to be, Fiver feels a discomfort however and soon enough the reason becomes apparent. Eventually the rabbits find a high plain, Watership Down, to settle on. Hazel has by now become Chief Rabbit and he uses some methods never seen before, including developing at least passing relationships with other woodland creatures.

Happy and satisfied as they are the rabbits realize they have a problem. All of the warren members are male. The warren will not survive if this cannot be corrected. Hearing of another warren a few miles to the south a group is sent to inquire about the possibility of taking a few does from that warren to help them get their own started. This inquiry, the response and what comes from that lead us to the real crux of the story of Watership Down.

The book is fast moving and with it's somewhat martial air seems likely to be a book that young boys would especially like. I am somewhat surprised that I had never really heard of the book when I was young but I am very pleased to read it now. It is a book I hope to share with my grandchildren someday.