Title Watership Down Author Richard Adams Cover Art Pauline Baynes Publisher Penguin - 1975 First Printing 1972
	Title Tales From Watership Down Author Richard Adams Cover Art Arthur Fitzwillian Tait Publisher Vintage Books - 1996 First Printing Vintage Books - 1996
	Title The Watership Down Film Picture Book Author Richard Adams Cover Art Publisher Macmillan Publishers - 1978 First Printing Macmillan Publishers - 1978
	Title Pipkin's Rainbow Author Richard Adams & Dianne Redmond Cover Art --- Publisher --- First Printing ---
	Category Anthropomorphic Warnings None Main Characters Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig, Blackberry, Silver, Dandelion, Pipkin, Acorn, Speedwell, Holly, Blueberry, Strawberry, Hyzenthlay, Blackavar, General Woundwort, Campion, Keehar Main Elements Anthropomorphism Website ---

Watership Down

Tales From Watership Down

The Watership Down Picture Book

It is very strange writing this. For whatever reason, I decided to reread Watership Down this year. And then, I followed it up with a first time read of Tales from Watership Down. The day after I finished reading it, I found out that Richard Adams passed away.

How does one go about writing a review for a classic like Watership Down. A beautiful, magical tale of a group of rabbits and their adventures as they seek out a new home. They must deal with men, elil (predators), and even other rabbits. Each rabbits has his own strenghts and weaknesses that he lends to the group. Fiver, which his unusual ability to sense the future, the one who knew they must leave their old warren before it is destroyed. Hazel, their unflappable leader. Bigwig, strong and loyal. Blackberry, smart and ingenious. And of course all the others. In fact those of you familiar more with the movie, there are a few more rabbits than you will recognize, such as Acorn and Speedwell.

There are many things the same with the movie, but some significant differences as well, it is too long a book to fit into a single movie. You will hear many more stories of El-ahrairah, the legendary first rabbit and favorite (and pain in the backside) of Lord Firth, their sun god. But both expose us to rabbit culture and even language, which become second nature to the reader very quickly. Words like Elil (predators), Hrududu (cars, tractors), Hrair (more than four, four being the highest number a rabbit can count). Hrair reminded me of how well Adams convinces the readers that these are in fact rabbits, they don't think or act like humans.

It is truly a classic and for anyone who is a fan of fantasy, a must read. Once might dismiss it as simply a children's book but it is anything but. In fact, as I watch the movie now I wonder how my parents let me watch it, what with rabbits ripping each other to piece, blood and froth spraying everywhere, death at every corner.

Tales of Watership Down wasn't quite what I was hoping for. The first two thirds comprised rabbit stories and legends, which are fun but I was hoping for more of what happened to Hazel and the others after they settled Watership Down, which was only in the last third. But still, it was a treat to be able to have just that little bit more. A couple of the stories also kind of hit you over the head with the how evil humans are, blindly killing rabbits, though in other stories the rabbits point out if they destroy human livelihood of course they should expect retaliation. But overhall, I enjoyed it. After all it was nearly 20 years after the book was first published before Adams returned to Watership.

I don't know where I got the film picture book from, must have inherited it from my older brother. It contains stills of the movie with text to go with each one. It's a nice addition to the collection...and as I research this review a bit, I discover there was a Watership Down TV series!

My heart has joined the thousand, for my friend stopped running today.
Be cunning, and full of tricks, and your people will never be destroyed
Richard Adams may run no more but Hazel and the others shall continue.