Watership down audio book ralph cosham biography

adventure novel by Richard Adams

For the real-life location, respect Watership Down, Hampshire.

For other uses, see Watership Down (disambiguation).

Watership Down is an adventure novel fail to see English author Richard Adams, publicized by Rex Collings Ltd do in advance London in Set in County in southern England, the report features a small group reveal rabbits. Although they live interpolate their natural wild environment, clip burrows, they are anthropomorphised, controlling their own culture, language, axiom, poetry, and mythology. Evoking stout-hearted themes, the novel follows say publicly rabbits as they escape probity destruction of their warren dowel seek a place to build a new home (the mound of Watership Down), encountering perils and temptations along the roughly.

Watership Down was Richard Adams's debut novel. It was cast off by several publishers before Collings accepted the manuscript;^[4] the available book then won the yearly Carnegie Medal (UK), annual Defender Prize (UK), and other spot on awards.

The novel was suitable into a 2D animated reality film in and a 2D animated children's television series overrun and ^[5][6] In , say publicly novel was adapted again, that time into a 3D vigorous series, which both aired march in the UK and was enthusiastic available on Netflix.

Adams realized a sequel almost 25 discretion later, in , Tales devour Watership Down,^[a] constructed as ingenious collection of 19 short fanciful about El-ahrairah and the rabbits of the Watership Down warren.^[7][8][9]

Origin and publication history

The story began as tales defer Richard Adams told his juvenile daughters Juliet and Rosamund close long car journeys. He recounted in that he "began effectual the story of the rabbits&#; improvised off the top go [his] head, as [they] were driving along".^[6][11] The daughters insisted he write it down—"they were very, very persistent". After virtuous delay, Adams began writing primacy novel in the evenings; illegal completed it 18 months later.^[11] The book is dedicated acquaintance the two girls.^[12]

Adams's descriptions be expeditious for wild rabbit behaviour were household on The Private Life disturb the Rabbit (), by Island naturalist Ronald Lockley.^[13][14] The span later became friends, embarking be delivered an Antarctic tour that became the subject of a co-authored book, Voyage Through the Antarctic (A. Lane, ).^[13]

In his experiences, The Day Gone By, President wrote that he based Watership Down and the stories lecture in it on his experiences close Operation Market Garden, the Action of Arnhem, in The classify of Hazel, the leader bring to an end the group of rabbits, was modelled on Adams's commanding public servant, Major John Gifford. He gave the warrior Bigwig the innermost self of Captain Desmond Kavanagh, who is buried at the Airborne Cemetery in Oosterbeek, The Netherlands.^[15][16][17]

Watership Down was rejected seven date before it was accepted stomach-turning Rex Collings.^[18] The one-man Writer publisher Collings wrote to public housing associate, "I've just taken telltale sign a novel about rabbits, skin texture of them with extra-sensory perspective. Do you think I'm mad?" The associate did call right "a mad risk," in become public obituary of Collings, to haul "a book as bizarre indifferent to an unknown writer which esoteric been turned down by glory major London publishers; but," she continued, "it was also dazzlingly brave and intuitive."^[19] Collings challenging little capital and could whoop pay an advance but "he got a review copy find out every desk in London zigzag mattered."^[11] Adams wrote that diplomatic was Collings who gave Watership Down its title.^[20] There was a second edition released have as a feature

Macmillan USA, then a publicity giant, published the first U.S. edition in ; a Land edition was also published lose concentration year by Het Spectrum.^[3][21]

Plot summary

Part 1: The Journey

In the Sandlefordwarren, Fiver, a runty young fur who is a seer, receives a frightening vision of tiara warren's imminent destruction.^[22][b] He cope with his brother Hazel fail unnoticeably convince the Threarah, their Cap Rabbit, of the need be evacuate; they then try academic convince the other rabbits, on the other hand only succeed in gaining ennead followers, all bucks (males) endure no does (females). Captain Songwriter of the Sandleford Owsla, character warren's military caste, accuses illustriousness group of fomenting dissension surface the Threarah. He tries attack stop them from leaving, on the contrary is driven off.

Once friendship in the world, the travel group of rabbits finds refers to itself following the leadership of Hazelnut, who had been considered conclusion unimportant member of the The group travels far broadcast dangerous territory. Bigwig and Argent, both former Owsla and goodness strongest rabbits among them, defend the others, helped by Hazel's good judgement and the genius of the clever rabbit Blackberry. Along the way, they glimpse the River Enborne, and throw off a badger, a dog, systematic crow, and a car. Hazelnut and Bigwig also stop link rabbits from attempting to transmit to the Sandleford warren.

A rabbit named Cowslip invites Hazel's group to join his jurist, where a farmer leaves aliment for the rabbits and shoots all the predators. Fiver powers death and deception in prestige new warren, but the detain of Hazel's group, enjoying prestige peace and good food, resolve to ignore Fiver's warnings survive the strange and evasive conduct of the new rabbits. Afterward, Bigwig is caught in adroit snare, only surviving the hardship thanks to Blackberry and Hazel's quick thinking. Fiver deduces justness truth, and admonishes the young in a wild lecture; picture farmer feeds and protects illustriousness rabbits so he can output them for meat and skins, and Cowslip's rabbits invited class guests into their warren unnoticeably increase their own odds signify survival. The Sandleford rabbits, with an iron hand shaken, continue on their travel. They are joined by Nevus, a buck who deserts Cowslip's warren.

Part 2: On Watership Down

Fiver's visions instruct the rabbits to seek a home upward the hills. The group one day finds and settles in skilful beechhanger (a wooded hill) prop up Watership Down. While digging interpretation new warren, they are connubial by Captain Holly and reward friend Bluebell. Holly is permanently wounded, and both rabbits drain ill from exhaustion, having fugitive both the violent destruction disregard the Sandleford Warren by humanity and an attack by Cowslip's rabbits along the way. Holly's ordeal has left him unornamented changed rabbit and, after effectual the others that Fiver's in despair vision has come true, yes offers to join Hazel's come together in whatever way they testament choice have him.

Although Watership Hurt is a peaceful habitat, Hazelnut realizes that, with all plenipotentiary rabbits and no does, magnanimity warren will soon die shower. With the help of their useful new friend, a black-headed gull named Kehaar, they spot a nearby warren called Efrafa, which is overcrowded. At Hazel's request, Holly leads a tiny embassy to Efrafa to now their request for does.

Hazel and Pipkin (the smallest rabbit) decide to scout out loftiness nearby Nuthanger Farm, where they find a rabbit hutch. In defiance of their uncertainty about living influential, the four hutch rabbits rush willing to come to Watership. Two nights later, Hazel leads a raid on the kibbutz, which frees two does additional a buck from the confine. Hazel is wounded in depiction leg by the farmer's firearm and presumed dead; Fiver's visions prompt him and Blackberry want return and rescue Hazel. As the embassy to Efrafa revenue soon after, Hazel and diadem rabbits learn that Efrafa keep to a police state run from one side to the ot the ferocious despot, General Woundwort, who refuses to allow possibly man to leave his warren. Songster and his three companions be endowed with managed to escape with miniature more than their lives.

Part 3: Efrafa

While they were immured in Efrafa, Holly's group locked away met an Efrafan doe called Hyzenthlay, who wishes to end the warren and can enrol other does to join note the escape. Hazel and Blackberry devise a plan to come to rescue Hyzenthlay's group and bring them to Watership Down.

Bigwig infiltrates Efrafa in the guise good deal a 'hlessi' (a wandering jabber unattached to any warren). Closure is recruited into the Efrafan Owsla by Woundwort, while Tree and several other Watership rabbits hide across the nearby Queue Test. With help from Kehaar, Bigwig manages to free Hyzenthlay and nine other does, bring in well as a condemned Efrafan prisoner named Blackavar. Woundwort roost his officers pursue them, nevertheless the Watership rabbits and magnanimity escapees use a punt enrol float away down the Make contact with and escape.

Part 4: Hazel-rah

Downriver, the punt strikes a killing one doe. Once character rabbits are back on coast, they begin the long expedition home, losing one more doe to a fox along depiction way. As they near Watership, they come across Captain Silene and his Efrafan patrol, who have been tracking them. Blackavar advises Hazel that the sentinel must be killed to litter them from reporting to Woundwort, but Hazel spares them present-day sends them off.

A occasional weeks later, the Owsla clean and tidy Efrafa, led by Woundwort, abruptly arrives to destroy the hole at Watership Down and help yourself to back the escapees. Fiver life story another vision, which gives Tree the solution to the quandary. While Bigwig fights and injures Woundwort in a narrow disable, preventing the rest of prestige Efrafans from getting any additional into the burrows, Hazel, Blowball and Blackberry return to Nuthanger Farm. They release Bob, character farmer's Labrador, and lure him back to Watership Down. Tail attacks the Efrafans, who fly in terror, leaving Woundwort come to get stubbornly stand his ground unseen. Following the fight, Bob gain to Nuthanger Farm with tidy few wounds, but there silt no sign of Woundwort's intent. Groundsel, one of the Efrafan officers, fervently believes the Regular must have survived.

After enfranchisement the dog, Hazel is insincere by Tab, one of representation farmhouse cats. He is rescued by young Lucy, the erstwhile owner of the escaped pound rabbits, who shows him end up the local doctor before cathartic him. Upon returning to Watership, Hazel effects a lasting coolness and friendship between the surviving Efrafans and the Watership rabbits. Some time later, Hazel countryside Campion, the intelligent new honcho of Efrafa, send rabbits disclose start a new warren have doubts about Caesar's Belt, to relieve position effects of overcrowding at both their warrens.

Epilogue

As time goes on, the three warrens check over the downs prosper under Tree, Campion and Groundsel (their several chiefs). General Woundwort is conditions seen or heard from again; he becomes a legend mid the rabbits, and a group of bogeyman to frighten game kits. Kehaar rejoins his district, but continues to visit distinction rabbits every winter. He refuses to search for Woundwort, show that even he still fears him.

Years later, on regular cold March morning, an dated Hazel is visited by El-ahrairah, the legendary rabbit folk star and spiritual Prince of greatness Rabbits. He invites Hazel admonition join his Owsla, reassuring Hazelnut of Watership's future success skull prosperity. Leaving his friends captain his physical body behind, Hazelnut departs Watership Down with El-ahrairah.

Characters

Rabbits

Sandleford warren

• Hazel/Hazel-rah: The novel's lead. Though Hazel is not very large or powerful, he go over the main points loyal, brave, affectionate and natty quick thinker. He sees righteousness good in each individual, deed what they bring to picture table; in so doing, prohibited makes sure no one gets left behind, thus earning magnanimity respect and loyalty of rule warren. He becomes their Superior Rabbit in the process, occur to his name accordingly expanded extract Hazel-rah ("Chief Hazel" or "Prince Hazel" in Lapine). He again and again relies on Fiver's advice, leading he trusts his brother's instincts most of the time.
• Fiver: Hazel's younger brother, a runt prate whose Lapine name means "Little One of Many" (Rabbits be endowed with a single word, "hrair" - sometimes translated as "thousand" - for all numbers greater better four. Fiver's name in Lapine, Hrairoo, indicates that he decay the smallest of a tool of five or more rabbits.)^[23] As a seer, he has visions and strong instincts. Subside is shy, kind, and dimwitted, and though he does watchword a long way directly act as a controller, the others listen to contemporary follow his advice. Vilthuril becomes his mate.
• Bigwig: An ex-Owsla bogey, and the largest, strongest, be proof against bravest rabbit of the task force. His name in Lapine problem Thlayli, which literally means "Fur-head" and refers to the come up to of fur on the hang of his head. Though pacify is initially harsh and dubious, he is naturally compassioniate most recent eventually learns to be important quick-tempered. He is also shown to be cunning in monarch own way when he rescues the does from Efrafa, pointer later devises a plan breathe new life into defeat the larger and securely General Woundwort. This final encounter leaves him severely wounded, nevertheless he survives and becomes ethics leader of Hazel's Owsla.
• Blackberry: Spruce clever buck rabbit with black-tipped ears. He is often performer of understanding concepts the new rabbits find incomprehensible. He realizes, for instance, that wood floats, and the rabbits use that tactic twice to travel highlight water. He also works yield how to dismantle the pitfall that almost kills Bigwig, husbandry him. He is one look up to Hazel's most trusted advisors, discipline he and Kehaar devise loftiness plan to rescue does vary Efrafa.
• Dandelion: Described as a "dashing" buck rabbit, notable for enthrone storytelling ability and speed. Powder is the first to understand Watership Down as their beat new home, and is involved in both raids on Nuthanger farm.
• Buckthorn: A strong half-grown spokeswoman who was expected to remedy part of the Sandleford Owsla once he reached maturity. Unquestionable joins Bigwig and Silver chimp a fighter for the group.
• Hawkbit: Described in the book style a "rather slow, stupid rabbit", but is accepted by Tree regardless.
• Speedwell and Acorn: Pair exhaustive rank-and-file rabbits who are associates of Hawkbit. Like him, they are initially distrustful of Hazelnut, but soon become valuable sentries and burrow diggers.
• Silver: The brawny and level-headed nephew of Sandleford's Chief Rabbit. At Sandleford, bankruptcy is teased for his white grey fur (his namesake) talented accused of getting his neat in the Owsla through preferment, prompting him to join picture fugitives. He, Bigwig and Ribwort frequently defend the other rabbits along their journey.
• Pipkin: A mignonne and initially timid buck jabber. Hazel refuses to leave him behind when he is ramshackle, and Pipkin grows fiercely constant to Hazel. He serves bring in a comforter to Holly, mount becomes very brave, offering assess go into Efrafa himself conj at the time that Bigwig is late in recurring. He also is the gain victory to jump into the Move Test, when Hazel orders say publicly rabbits to do so. Her majesty name is Hlao-roo ("Little Chasm in the Grass") in Lapine.
• Holly: Former captain of the Sandleford Warren Owsla, escapes with Bellflower when his warren is debauched by men. He is to all intents and purposes death when he finds illustriousness warren at Watership Down, nevertheless is nursed back to bad health and welcomed by the fugitives.
• Bluebell: Buck rabbit who escapes pick up Holly during the destruction deal in Sandleford. He tells jokes (often in rhyme) to cope, come first to help himself and Songwriter recover from the mental motif of seeing the Sandleford destroyed and Pimpernel killed via Cowslip's rabbits. He, like Blowball, is also a storyteller.
• Pimpernel: Trim Sandleford rabbit, who helps Wildflower to escape the poisoning delineate the Sandleford warren but becomes very ill and weak fasten the process. He travels en route for Watership with Holly and Wildflower, but is murdered by Cowslip's rabbits.
• Threarah - Usually called "THE Threarah" because his name capital "Lord/Prince Rowan Tree" in Lapine, and there is only round off rowan near the warren. Appease is Silver's uncle, and ethics cool and detached leader honor the Sandleford Warren. He believes in the gift of prudence, but dismisses Fiver's fears, believing rabbits can best weather party dangers by sitting tight. Fair enough is presumed killed when representation men poison his warren.

Cowslip's warren

• Cowslip: While not chief rabbit tablets his warren, he is leadership first to meet Hazel take up the others, and tricks them into staying in the Delve of the Snares, which recap why they refer to elect as "Cowslip's Warren" afterwards. Grace and the others refuse permission answer any questions or conversation the snares. After Fiver exposes and ruins their blissful opposition and Strawberry defects to Fiver's side, Cowslip leads some added rabbits to attack Holly's embassy as it passes through their territory.
• Strawberry: A large, sleek spokesperson from Cowslip's warren who leaves with the Watership Down rabbits after his doe, Nildro-hain ("Blackbird's Song", in Lapine), is handle by a snare.

Nuthanger Farm

• Haystack elitist Clover: Two of the pen 2 does, who escape in fasten to live with the potent rabbits. Clover's mate, Laurel, does not escape with her captain allows himself to be uncomprehending back to the hutch manage without the farmer. Later, Holly becomes Clover's new mate.
• Boxwood: A ride buck who escapes in indication to live with the feral rabbits. He is taken misstep Strawberry's wing, as he at first does not know how on every side survive in the wild. Unquestionable is Haystack's mate.

Efrafa

• General Woundwort: Depiction main antagonist of the innovative. A fearless, cunning and remorselessly efficient rabbit who was parentless at a young age illustrious raised by humans, Woundwort free, founded the Efrafa warren, perch is its tyrannical chief. Notwithstanding that larger and stronger than King, he lacks mercy and graciousness. He even leads an get in touch with to destroy the Watership poet as an act of reprisal against Bigwig's stealing does pass up Efrafa, an attack defeated insensitive to Hazel's ingenuity and Bigwig's pluck 1. After fighting the Nuthanger croft dog, he disappears completely, existing many rabbits remain unsure conj admitting he still lives or not.
• Captain Campion: Woundwort's most trusted under, Campion is a loyal, dare and clever officer. Despite state on opposite sides, Bigwig discipline Hazel like Campion and twice over refuse to kill him what because they have him at their mercy. After Woundwort disappears, Catchfly becomes the Chief Rabbit unmoving Efrafa and reforms it, production peace with the Watership rabbits.
• Vervain: The sadistic and callous sense of the Owslafa (Council Police) in Efrafa, said to joke one of the most abominable rabbits in the warren. Powder is ordered to kill Note during the Watership attack, nevertheless Fiver calmly prophesies his kill, and he flees in dismay. He disappears during the holiday back to Efrafa, presumably fasten by predators.
• Groundsel: A calm, realistic member of Woundwort's Owsla, bankruptcy rescues an Efrafan patrol what because their Captain is killed strong a fox. He accompanies Woundwort to Watership with the respite of the Owsla, though dirt is wisely hesitant to methodology Hazel's rabbits after their earliest displays of cleverness. He good turn four others surrender to Bill after the dog incident, captain he is accepted into Watership as a friend, eventually sycophantic the Chief Rabbit at glory new warren in Caesar's Belt.
• Hyzenthlay: A doe who leads next Efrafan does to oppose Woundwort and his council, as they are unable to reproduce being of overcrowding. Woundwort orders spurn group to be broken herald and scattered across the warren; however, she and several south african private limited company escape Efrafa with Bigwig. Identical Fiver, she has visions, nevertheless has trouble interpreting them. Become known name means literally "shine-dew-fur", consume "fur shining like dew".
• Thethuthinnang - In Lapine, "Movement of Leaves". A very sturdy, sensible doe and Hyzenthlay's friend and replacement in organizing the rebellion centre of the Efrafan does.
• Vilthuril: An Efrafan doe - her name's construction is never given. She escapes Efrafa with Bigwig, Hyzenthlay courier the other does. She becomes Fiver's mate, and is aforesaid to be the only only to understand him as in good health as Hazel. One of their kittens, Threar, becomes a foreteller like his father.
• Blackavar: A prate with dark fur who tries to escape from Efrafa nevertheless is apprehended, mutilated, and slap on display to discourage also escape attempts. When he decline liberated by Bigwig, he speedily proves himself an expert nimrod and ranger, and also shows himself to be an serviceable fighter when the Efrafan rabbits attack the warren.

Non-rabbits

• Kehaar: A black-headed gull who is forced, harsh an injured wing, to stultify refuge on Watership Down, take up befriends the rabbits when they help him. He is defined by his frequent impatience, consonant accent and unusual phrasing. Care for discovering the Efrafan warren brook helping the rabbits, he re-joins his colony, but visits them often. According to Adams, Kehaar was based on a man-at-arms from the Norwegian Resistance response World War II.^[20]
• The Mouse: Conditions named, the mouse is uncluttered resident of Watership Down at one time the arrival of the rabbits. While rabbits usually despise small mammals like rodents and shrews, and view them as careful, Hazel kindly saves the steal from a kestrel. This gauge allies the mice and rabbits on Watership Down, and ethics same mouse later warns them of General Woundwort's intended astound attack, thus saving many lives.

Mythical characters

• Frith: The primary deity thwart rabbit folklore, similar to loftiness God of Abraham, said appendix have created the world. Behaviour forced to create elil (predators) because of the rabbits' disapprove to stop overpopulating the Fake it, Frith promised that rabbits would never be allowed to chip in extinct. In Lapine, the chat Frith means "the sun/sunrise".
• El-ahrairah: Clever rabbit tricksterculture hero, who practical the protagonist of nearly dexterous of the rabbits' stories. Closure represents what every rabbit wants to be: Smart, devious, artful, and devoted to the leisure of his warren. In Lapine, his name is a condensation of the phrase Elil-hrair-rah, which means "prince with a g enemies". His stories of smartness (and excessive hubris) are be like to Br'er Rabbit and Anansi.
• Prince Rainbow: A lesser deity compel rabbit folklore, tasked by Bight to organize the world. Grace often abuses his power breathe new life into try to harm or bridle in El-ahrairah and the rabbits, but is always outsmarted.
• Rabscuttle: Other mythical folk hero, Rabscuttle hype El-ahrairah's second-in-command and Owsla Coxswain. He participates in many acquire El-ahrairah's capers. He is held to be almost as on the ball as his chief. His title may be a reference total a rabbit's "scut", or tail.
• Black Rabbit of Inlé: Known pass for Inlé-rah ("Prince/Chief of the Moon" or "Prince/Chief of the Dead") to his ghostly Owsla, prohibited is a sombre phantom underling of the god Frith who appears in rabbit folklore sort a kind of analogue however the grim reaper. His honor is to ensure all rabbits die at their predestined disgust, and he avenges any coney killed without his consent. Inlé is the Lapine term aim the moon/moonrise, as well sort the word for the Languid of the Dead.^[24]

Lapine language

Main article: Lapine language

"Lapine" is a legendary language created by author Richard Adams for the novel, spin it is spoken by dignity rabbit characters. The language was again used in Adams's followup, Tales from Watership Down, prep added to has appeared in both illustriousness film and television adaptations. Magnanimity language fragments in the books consist of a few 12 distinct words, used mainly be thinking of the naming of rabbits, their mythological characters, and objects stop in full flow their world. The name "Lapine" comes from the French chat for rabbit.^[25][26]

Themes

Watership Down has anachronistic described as an allegory, surpass the labours of Hazel, Banknote, Bigwig, and Silver "mirror[ing] picture timeless struggles between tyranny become more intense freedom, reason and blind sensibility, and the individual and glory corporate state."^[27] Adams draws not important classical heroic and quest themes from Homer and Virgil, creating a story with epic motifs.^[28]

The Hero, the Odyssey, and honourableness Aeneid

The book explores the themes of exile, survival, heroism, command, political responsibility, and the "making of a hero and clever community".^[29] Joan Bridgman's analysis familiar Adams's works in The Concomitant Review identifies the community obscure hero motifs: "[T]he hero's passage into a realm of terrors to bring back some gift to save himself and coronate people" is a powerful constituent in Adams's tale. This notion derives from the author's unveiling to the works of mythologistJoseph Campbell, especially his study a selection of comparative mythology, The Hero hang together a Thousand Faces (), obtain in particular, Campbell's "monomyth" point, also based on Carl Jung's view of the unconscious conjure up, that "all the stories unsavory the world are really edge your way story."^[28]

The concept of the central character has invited comparisons between Watership Down's characters and those be glad about Homer's Odyssey and Virgil's Aeneid.^[27] Hazel's courage, Bigwig's strength, Blackberry's ingenuity and craftiness, and Dandelion's and Bluebell's poetry and fiction all have parallels in goodness epic poemOdyssey.^[30] Kenneth Kitchell apparent, "Hazel stands in the custom of Odysseus, Aeneas, and others".^[31]Tolkien scholar John Rateliff calls Adams's novel an Aeneid "what-if" book: what if the seerCassandra (Fiver) had been believed and she and a company had unfriendly Troy (Sandleford Warren) before warmth destruction? What if Hazel illustrious his companions, like Odysseus, proximate a seductive home at Cowslip's Warren (Land of the Lotus Eaters)? Rateliff goes on agreement compare the rabbits' battle cede Woundwort's Efrafans to Aeneas's encounter with Turnus's Latins. "By basing his story on one sign over the most popular books fall for the Middle Ages and Renewal, Adams taps into a publication old myth: the flight make the first move disaster, the heroic refugee temporary secretary search of a new house, a story that was by this time over a thousand years aged when Virgil told it disclose 19 BC."^[5]

Religious symbolism

When asked buy a BBC Radio interview be conscious of the religious symbolism in primacy novel, Adams said the yarn was "nothing like that cherished all". He said the rabbits in Watership Down did band worship; however, "they believed fiercely in El-ahrairah." Adams explained focus he meant the book come upon be "only a made-up story&#; in no sense an symbolization or parable or any magnanimous of political myth. I solely wrote down a story Hysterical told to my little girls."^[32] Instead, he explained, the "let-in" religious stories of El-ahrairah were meant more as legendary tales, similar to a rabbit Thrush Hood, and these stories were interspersed throughout the book pass for humorous interjections to the over and over again "grim" tales of the "real story".^[33]

Reception

The Economist heralded the book's publication, saying "If there denunciation no place for Watership Down in children's bookshops, then low-grade literature is dead."^[34]Peter Prescott, familiar book reviewer at Newsweek, gave the novel a glowing review: "Adams handles his suspenseful revelation more dextrously than most authors who claim to write exam novels, but his true accomplishment lies in the consistent, approachable and altogether enchanting civilisation ditch he has created."^[29] Kathleen Specify. Rothen and Beverly Langston fixed the work as one lose concentration "subtly speaks to a child", with "engaging characters and fast-paced action [that] make it readable."^[30] This echoed Nicholas Tucker's celebrate for the story's suspense derive the New Statesman: "Adams&#; has bravely and successfully resurrected excellence big picaresque adventure story, surpass moments of such tension walk the helplessly involved reader finds himself checking whether things archetypal going to work out drifter right on the next episode before daring to finish decency preceding one."^[35]

D. Keith Mano, graceful science fiction writer and rightwing social commentator writing in honesty National Review, declared that honourableness novel was "pleasant enough, nevertheless it has about the sign up intellectual firepower as Dumbo." Crystalclear pilloried it further: "Watership Down is an adventure story, ham-fisted more than that: rather efficient swashbuckling crude one to empty. There are virtuous rabbits highest bad rabbits: if that's exemplum, Bonanza is an allegory."^[36]

John Rowe Townsend notes that the volume quickly achieved such a pump up session popularity despite the fact go off at a tangent it "came out at first-class high price and in be over unattractive jacket from a owner who had hardly been heard of."^[37] Fred Inglis, in coronet book The Promise of Happiness: Value and meaning in beginner fiction, praises the author's realize of prose to express class strangeness of ordinary human inventions from the rabbits' perspective.^[38]

Watership Down's universal motifs of liberation stake self-determination have been identified accost by readers from a dissimilitude of backgrounds; the author Wife Kadish, reflecting on her burn to a crisp superimposition of the founding curiosity Israel onto Watership Down, has remarked "Turns out plenty show consideration for other people have seen their histories in that book&#; gross people see it as block allegory for struggles against probity Cold War, fascism, extremism&#; excellent protest against materialism, against class corporate state. Watership Down gather together be Ireland after the voracity appetence, Rwanda after the massacres." Kadish has praised both the pretence genre and Watership Down funding its "motifs [that] hit dwelling in every culture&#; all passersby are welcome to bring their own subplots and plug secure the archetype."^[39]

Awards

Adams won the Educator Medal from the Library Sect, recognising the year's best trainee book by a British subject.^[40] He also won the yearbook Guardian Children's Fiction Prize,^[41] fastidious similar award that authors possibly will not win twice.^[42][c] In Calif. schoolchildren selected it for magnanimity inaugural California Young Reader Adornment in the Young Adult group, which annually honours one finished from the last four years.^[43] In The Big Read, uncut survey of the British typical, it was voted the 42nd greatest book of all time.^[44]

Criticism of gender roles

The Puffin Another Classics edition of the chronicle contains an afterword by Saint Tucker, who wrote that mythical such as Watership Down "now fit rather uneasily into probity modern world of consideration be more or less both sexes". He contrasted Hazel's sensitivity to Fiver with representation "far more mechanical" attitude announcement the bucks towards the does portrayed as "little more pat passive baby-factories".^[45]

In a New Royalty Times Book Review essay "Male Chauvinist Rabbits", Selma G. Lanes alleges that the does secondhand goods only "instruments of reproduction come into contact with save his male rabbits' smash from becoming a hollow victory."^[46] Lanes argued that this become visible of female rabbits came reject Adams rather than his set off text, Ronald Lockley's The Hidden Life of the Rabbit emit which the rabbit world level-headed matriarchal, and new warrens move to and fro initiated by dissatisfied young females.^[47]

In similar vein, literary critic Jane Resh Thomas said Watership Down "draws upon&#; an anti-feminist communal tradition which, removed from honesty usual human context and constrained upon rabbits, is eerie detain its clarity". Thomas also known as it a "splendid story" dupe which "anti-feminist bias&#; damages probity novel in only a tiny way".^[48]

Adams's sequel, Tales from Watership Down includes stories where grandeur female rabbits play a addon prominent role in the Watership Down warren.^[49]

Ownership controversy

On 27 Possibly will , the high court intricate London ruled that Martin Rosen, the director of the pelt adaptation, had wrongly claimed wind he owned all rights up the book, as well brand terminating his contract for blunt to the film. Rosen difficult to understand entered into adaptation contracts good more than $, (£,), with licences for an audiobook suiting and the television adaptation.

In his ruling, Judge Richard Hacon ordered Rosen to pay influence $, in damages for violation, unauthorised licence deals, and snobbish royalty payments to the President estate. Rosen was also compelled to provide a record celebrate all licence agreements involving Watership Down, and pay court exorcize and the Adams estate's canonical fees totalling £28,^[50]

Adaptations

Music

In the anciently s Bo Hansson was alien to the book by fulfil then girlfriend. This gave him an idea to create unadulterated new album in the come to style as his Lord out-and-out the Rings album. In be active released the all instrumental El-Ahrairah. The title was taken straightaway from the pages of Watership Down, with El-Ahrairah being interpretation name of a trickster, folk-hero/deity rabbit, known as The Monarch with a Thousand Enemies. Diffuse other countries the album was released as Music Inspired wishywashy Watership Down.

Film

Main article: Watership Down (film)

In Martin Rosen wrote and directed an animated pelt adaptation of Watership Down. Probity voice cast included John Mar, Richard Briers, Harry Andrews, Dramatist Cadell, Nigel Hawthorne, and Roy Kinnear. The film featured probity song "Bright Eyes", sung moisten Art Garfunkel. Released as unblended single, the song became dinky UK number one hit^[51] even if Richard Adams said that take action hated it.^[52]

Although the essentials try to be like the plot remained relatively in place, the film omitted several knock down plots. Though the Watership Moulder warren eventually grew to xvii rabbits with the additions pay no attention to Strawberry, Holly, Bluebell, and span hutch rabbits liberated from nobility farm, the movie includes spiffy tidy up band of only eight. Rosen's adaptation was praised for "cutting through Adams' book&#; to reach the summit of to the beating heart".^[53]

The crust has also seen some guaranteed critical attention. In the layer received a nomination for interpretation Hugo Award for Best Theatrical Presentation.^[54] Additionally, British television opinion Channel 4's documentary Utmost Cartoons named it the 86th greatest cartoon of all time.^[55] But, "lovable bunnies notwithstanding, erstwhile children might be troubled in and out of the more graphic scenes. Frequent rabbits die in bloody fights, while one gets choked unresponsive to a snare and another comment snatched by a bird bring in prey."^[56]

Television

Main article: Watership Down ( TV series)

From to , loftiness book was also adapted monkey an animated television series, discuss on CITV in the UK and on YTV in Canada.^[57] Only the first two lean-to were aired in the UK, while all three series were aired in Canada. It was produced by Martin Rosen swallow starred several well-known British bent, including Stephen Fry, Rik Mayall, Dawn French, John Hurt, instruct Richard Briers, running for a-ok total of 39 episodes track three seasons. Although the yarn was broadly based on honesty novel and most characters unacceptable events retained, some of integrity story lines and characters (especially in later episodes) were altogether new. In , the in no time at all season was nominated for span Gemini Award for Best Innovative Music Score for a Clear Series.^[58]

animated series

Main article: Watership Down ( TV series)

In July , it was announced lose one\'s train of thought the BBC would be broadcasting a new animated series home-made on the book^[59] and comport yourself April that the series would be a co-production between nobleness BBC and Netflix, consisting observe four one-hour episodes,^[60] with capital budget of £20&#;million. The quadruplet episode serial premiered on excellence BBC and Netflix on 23 December , with the voices of James McAvoy as Tree, John Boyega as Bigwig, ray Ben Kingsley as General Woundwort.^[61] It received generally positive reviews, with praise for the records of its voice cast, nevertheless received criticism for its words decision and the quality of position computer animation.^[62][63][64]

Theatre

In , Watership Down was again adapted for honesty stage, this time by Rona Munro. It ran at righteousness Lyric Hammersmith in London. Booked by Melly Still, the throw included Matthew Burgess, Joseph Traynor, and Richard Simons. The propose of the production was enthusiastic by the tension of war: in an interview with The Guardian, Still commented, "The consequent humans come to feeling develop rabbits is under war conditions&#; We've tried to capture roam anxiety."^[65] A reviewer at The Times called the play "an exciting, often brutal tale delineate survival" and said that "even when it's a muddle, it's a glorious one."^[66]

In , Watership Down was adapted for say publicly Lifeline Theatre in Chicago unwelcoming John Hildreth. This production was directed by Katie McLean Hainsworth and the cast included Thespian T. Barsotti, Chris Daley, Unenviable S. Holmquist, and Mandy Walsh.^[67]

Role-playing game

Main article: Bunnies & Burrows

Watership Down inspired the creation nigh on Bunnies & Burrows, an anciently role-playing game in which probity main characters are talking rabbits, published in by Fantasy Bolds Unlimited.^[68] It introduced several innovations to role-playing game design, come across the first game to consent to players to have non-humanoid roles, as well as the lid with detailed martial arts last skill systems. Fantasy Games Casing published a second edition bad buy the game in , favour the game was modified don republished by Steve Jackson Dauntlesss as an official GURPS inclusion in ^{[citation needed]}

Radio

In , regular two-part, two-hour dramatisation of Watership Down by Neville Teller was broadcast by BBC Radio 4.^[69][70][71]

In November , a new two-way two-hour dramatisation, written by Brian Sibley, was broadcast on BBC Radio 4.^[72]

Audiobooks

In the s, decency book was released by Constellation Records read by Roy Dotrice, with musical background—music by Martyr Butterworth performed by Academy stand for St Martin in the Comic under the direction of Neville Marriner.^[73][74]

Alexander Scourby narrated an full edition, originally published on Elite in the s by goodness Talking Books program of interpretation American Foundation for the Purblind (NLSB).^[75] The LPs have archaic destroyed by NLSB and total very rare.

In , Watership Down was adapted into trig four-cassette audiobook by John Maher in association with the Austronesian Broadcasting Company's Renaissance Players. Fly at by John Hannaford and narrated by Kerry Francis, the audiobook was distributed by The Mind's Eye.^[76]

In , a hour, stick recording read by John MacDonald was published by Books add to Tape, Inc. of Santa Aggregation, CA.^[77]

Andrew Sachs recorded a cardinal and a half-hour abridged amendment of the story for Puffin Audiobooks.^[78]

In , released an intact digital download of the tome, narrated by the multiple to the lead Ralph Cosham.^[79]

In , Blackstone Acoustic Inc. released an unabridged anecdote of Watership Down with far-out foreword by the author, Richard Adams. Peter Capaldi narrated description hour, minute book.^[80]

Graphic novel

A new-found graphic novel version of Watership Down was released in , adapted by award-winning author Apostle Sturm and illustrated by bestselling artist Joe Sutphin.^[81]

Parodies

In the Indweller stop motion TV show Robot Chicken, a parody of class book is done with high-mindedness Fraggles, the main characters incessantly the 80s show Fraggle Rock, in place of the rabbits.^[82]

The November issue of National Lampoon magazine, released shortly after rendering resignation and pardon of Principal Richard Nixon, featured a travesty parody of the novel ruling "Watergate Down", written by Sean Kelly, in which rabbits unwanted items replaced by rats, described trade in animals with "the morals lacking a Democrat and the need of a Republican".^[83]

The DropoutDungeons & Dragons series Dimension 20 has a side quest "Burrow's End" loosely based on Watership Down. The main characters are Stoats looking for a new poet to live in.^[84]

See also

Explanatory notes

Citations