Watership Down by Richard Adams

Amazing read. I had started to read this book back when it came out in my high school years, but I rashly dismissed it as a children’s story (which, on the surface it is) and didn’t really care to read about talking rabbits. (Animal Farm is another matter; I rather enjoyed it.)
This is an adventure story very hard to put down, and when you do, you look forward to picking it up again. I especially liked the rabbit folklore storytelling about the legendary El-ahrairah rabbit and his tricks.
It is a rather long book, but so is the rabbit’s journey from their home warren to ‘the promised land’ where there is peace & security and room to prosper. There are a few allegories throughout the book; various rabbit ‘governments’ that they encounter on the journey(some semi-good, some oppressive/aggressive) and their religion (so to speak) of Frith, Prince Rainbow and El-ahrairah.
My favourite characters are other animals: mice (with an Italian accent), a wounded gull (with a Russian/east European accent), dogs and cats and how the rabbits interact with them as well as a few humans.
If you haven’t read this book, I recommend it for readers of all ages.

James M. Fisher

Founding Editor -- Website

James M. Fisher is the Founding Editor of The Miramichi Reader. He began TMR in 2015, realizing that there was a genuine need for more book reviews of Canadian literature. It has since become Canada’s best-regarded source for the finest in new literary releases. James has been interviewed about TMR on CBC Radio and other media sites. He works as a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Technologist and lives in Miramichi, New Brunswick with his wife Diane, their tabby cat Eddie, and Buster the Red Merle Border Collie.