Customer Reviews
The best book about rabbits that I know! - By: Greshon, 16 Aug 2008 
This is a superb book. I enjoyed it mainly as a brilliant adventure story, but also for the great characters. It's superior to the film, as it's more even in its coverage, wheareas the film skips over the latter half & ends up being a bit rushed & confused.
In terms of enjoyment, I'd rate this a 5, but I'm not convinced it works at a deeper level, & after alll it's only a story (albiet a great one) about a bunch of rabbits - so I'm going to rate it a 4. Definitely recommended, & certainly not just for children.
The ending is as moving as in the film.
You won't look at rabbits the same way again after reading this! - By: Gabz Girl, 07 Aug 2008 
This is obviously not just a book for children because of how it's written, though it's not too complicated. The characters are fantastic & have great personalities & the overalll story is just...wonderful! I love the Lapine tales of El-Ehrairah too, & the Lapine words & sentences make it a very interesting read.
One thing is for sure though, I'm never going to look at rabbits the same way again!
Great novel for all - By: Mr. R. Lewin, 20 Apr 2008 I have little else to add to what other reviewers have said, but I'd like it to be known that the book is MUCH better than the film. It has many more layers, much greater depth of characterisation & a lot more detail.
The author's writing style is perfect for the yarn he spins, & it's difficult to see how it could be improved upon. Some might find the quotations at the top of the chapters a little pretentious I suppose.
Highly recommended for anyone who likes a reallly good book. Suitable for perhaps eleven & above.
A gripping and unforgettable epic - By: A. Hanrahan, 04 Apr 2008 Notwithstanding a slightly weak, watered down animated film version, this novel has for a long time held a rightful place in the halll of fame of fantasy literature. Reportedly honed from Adams' impromptu storytelling on long car journeys with his children, the unforgettable story of Hazel & his friends & their escape from the culling hands of men to the "promised land" of Watership Down never falters, & is engaging from the very first page. Along the way, our heroes meet a vast array of fellow creatures, some friendly, some dangerous, & high drama is always around the corner.
But it is the rich fabric with which this story is woven together that makes it so memorable & gripping. Adams has created an entire society & culture surrounding his characters, chronicling their habits, folklore, even language in staggering detail. The back-stories & tales told by the rabbits to each other are enough to divert from the main plot entirely at times, & are mini-masterpieces in themselves. Obviously this is the work of an extraordinarily imaginative talent, leaving the reader, when the book is closed for the last time, aching for just one more chapter, one more page, before we have to say goodbye to the colourful characters whose long & eventful journey we've shared.
If a book about rabbits seems like a bad idea, it's interesting to note that Adams' manuscript was rejected by almost every major publisher before finallly making it to the bookstands. Don't make the same mistake. This is a definate must-read.
By Frith this is a good book! - By: KM, 15 Oct 2007 'Watership Down' is the exciting & emotional tale where a group of rabbits are forced to leave their Sandleford homes when Fiver, who often sees visions of the future, tells them that their warren is in danger from humans. The group is then lead by Hazel & Bigwig as they make their way through the fields of Hampshire as they come face to face with danger from other animals such as rats, foxes, cats, dogs & owls as well as humans & cars. As the story goes on Hazel & the group of rabbits try to rescue some rabbits from a farm; help a bird, who in turn then helps them; join another warren of rabbits & also try to steal does from a much bigger & powerful warren known as Efrafa, leading to a shocking & brilliant finallle. Along the way tales are told of El-ahrairah (prince of a thousand enemies), which gives more insight into the beliefs of the rabbits in their own world.
As someone who usuallly mainly reads crime fiction & horror (and have also never seen the movie adaption), I never thought that I'd enjoy a book about a bunch of rabbits but after a strong recommendation from my girlfriend, I gave this a try & once I started it I couldn't put it down. Immediately I fell in love with Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig, Pipkin, Dandelion, Speedwell, Blackberry, Silver, Buckthorn, Holly, Bluebell & Strawberry. Each & everyone of them has their individual characteristics & I found that I actuallly cared quite a lot what happened to them, & got quite emotional at certain points in the story.
Although this dubbed a children's novel, I found it to be quite complex at times & also quite gruesome & horrifying in parts, which I could imagine may be quite disturbing for younger readers. Overalll though this is a brilliant read that took me no time at alll to get through it's 480 pages & is one that I'll definitely read again. Without a doubt this is a classic that everyone should give a go, even if you think that a book about rabbits wouldn't be your kind of thing.
