Watership Down by Richard Adams

Genre: Fiction
Length: 426 pages

Reviewed by: Laurelyn Aubrey

“A bad danger. Yes, I see. How very upsetting,” said the Chief Rabbit, looking anything but upset.
“Now, what sort of danger, I wonder?” He looked at Fiver.
“I don’t know,” said Fiver. “B-but it’s bad. It’s so b-bad that – it’s very bad,” he concluded miserably.
The Threarah waited politely for a few moments and then he said, “Well, now, what ought we to do about it, I wonder?”
“Go away,” said Fiver instantly. “Go away. All of us. Now.”

Though it’s hard to believe that a book starring bunnies could be so serious, Watership Down is far from the light-hearted fluff common to animal stories. As the saga opens, the rabbit Hazel and his younger brother Fiver are concerned for the safety of their warren. The gifted Fiver is convinced that danger looms over them, but there are few who place any weight with the strange little rabbit’s prophetic warnings. Desperate, Hazel gathers the few who believe them and they set off on a perilous journey to find a new home. Prowling foxes, uncrossable rivers, battle wounds, deadly hospitality, nighttime raids, and other rabbits bent on their destruction are only some of the troubles they face in their struggle to survive.

Adams’s writing is simple and sometimes gritty, which gives the book a realistic feel. His to-the-point writing style fits the flow of the action well. Even though his characters are mostly rabbits, the dialogue is convincing, in a rabbit-like way. The main characters are given distinct personalities that develop along with the story. In his best moments, Adams is well able to hold the reader captive to the tightening plot.

The morality in this book is a mixed package. On a more philosophical level, it doesn’t exactly have a Biblical worldview: the rabbits’ legendary hero, El-ahrairah, is similar to Robin Hood, and thus thieving and trickery are considered admirable. The book never explains where Fiver’s prophetic powers come from, the sun is personified as a god in the rabbit world, and there is an occasional reference to humans as being the source of most trouble. However, these things are not the main message of the book, and some leeway has to be given for the fact that rabbits are animals, and are not held to the same principles of ethics that men are. (For example, no one would call a buck rabbit evil for raiding another warren and stealing some of their females.) On the positive side, this book does an impressive job of exploring principles of good leadership, courage, and teamwork. Hazel’s ability as a leader to see the good in others and direct it for the best shines brightly throughout the story, particularly as juxtaposed to the Communist-like Efrafan rabbits.

In conclusion, as long as you are willing to filter some dross, this well-known and well-loved story is an adventurous read. I recommend it to teenagers who enjoy animal stories, Brian Jacques’s books, or those interested to see leadership in action among danger-chased bunnies. This is not a book you will quickly forget.