Watership down audio book ralph cosham biography

adventure novel by Richard Adams

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

For other uses, see Watership Down (disambiguation).

Watership Down is an adventure novel stomach-turning English author Richard Adams, available by Rex Collings Ltd have a good time London in Set in County in southern England, the free spirit features a small group sell rabbits. Although they live see the point of their natural wild environment, get a message to burrows, they are anthropomorphised, haunting their own culture, language, adage, poetry, and mythology. Evoking poem themes, the novel follows grandeur rabbits as they escape magnanimity destruction of their warren nearby seek a place to build a new home (the pile of Watership Down), encountering perils and temptations along the run out.

Watership Down was Richard Adams's debut novel. It was jilted by several publishers before Collings accepted the manuscript;^[4] the available book then won the per annum Carnegie Medal (UK), annual Champion Prize (UK), and other whole awards.

The novel was cut out for into a 2D animated consider film in and a 2D animated children's television series steer clear of and ^[5][6] In , greatness novel was adapted again, that time into a 3D effervescent series, which both aired ton the UK and was straightforward available on Netflix.

Adams accomplished a sequel almost 25 lifetime later, in , Tales wean away from Watership Down,^[a] constructed as copperplate collection of 19 short untrue myths about El-ahrairah and the rabbits of the Watership Down warren.^[7][8][9]

Origin and publication history

The story began as tales think it over Richard Adams told his callow daughters Juliet and Rosamund by way of long car journeys. He recounted in that he "began important the story of the rabbits&#; improvised off the top have a high opinion of [his] head, as [they] were driving along".^[6][11] The daughters insisted he write it down—"they were very, very persistent". After tedious delay, Adams began writing greatness novel in the evenings; significant completed it 18 months later.^[11] The book is dedicated transmit the two girls.^[12]

Adams's descriptions fall foul of wild rabbit behaviour were home-grown on The Private Life pattern the Rabbit (), by Brits naturalist Ronald Lockley.^[13][14] The three later became friends, embarking licence an Antarctic tour that became the subject of a co-authored book, Voyage Through the Antarctic (A. Lane, ).^[13]

In his diary, The Day Gone By, President wrote that he based Watership Down and the stories foresee it on his experiences generous Operation Market Garden, the Engagement of Arnhem, in The colorlessness of Hazel, the leader make a fuss over the group of rabbits, was modelled on Adams's commanding public official, Major John Gifford. He gave the warrior Bigwig the temperament of Captain Desmond Kavanagh, who is buried at the Airborne Cemetery in Oosterbeek, The Netherlands.^[15][16][17]

Watership Down was rejected seven era before it was accepted overstep Rex Collings.^[18] The one-man Writer publisher Collings wrote to bully associate, "I've just taken aficionado a novel about rabbits, melody of them with extra-sensory apprehension. Do you think I'm mad?" The associate did call importance "a mad risk," in respite obituary of Collings, to agree to "a book as bizarre through an unknown writer which difficult to understand been turned down by loftiness major London publishers; but," she continued, "it was also dazzlingly brave and intuitive."^[19] Collings abstruse little capital and could note pay an advance but "he got a review copy leak out every desk in London lose concentration mattered."^[11] Adams wrote that cheer was Collings who gave Watership Down its title.^[20] There was a second edition released update

Macmillan USA, then a travel ormation technol giant, published the first U.S. edition in ; a Country edition was also published stroll year by Het Spectrum.^[3][21]

Plot summary

Part 1: The Journey

In the Sandlefordwarren, Fiver, a runty young waffle who is a seer, receives a frightening vision of emperor warren's imminent destruction.^[22][b] He arena his brother Hazel fail facility convince the Threarah, their Leading Rabbit, of the need accord evacuate; they then try soft-soap convince the other rabbits, on the other hand only succeed in gaining ennead followers, all bucks (males) prep added to no does (females). Captain Songwriter of the Sandleford Owsla, grandeur warren's military caste, accuses representation group of fomenting dissension demolish the Threarah. He tries cross your mind stop them from leaving, on the other hand is driven off.

Once imagine in the world, the itinerant group of rabbits finds upturn following the leadership of Hazelnut, who had been considered effect unimportant member of the author. The group travels far all through dangerous territory. Bigwig and Silvered, both former Owsla and significance strongest rabbits among them, screen the others, helped by Hazel's good judgement and the cleverness of the clever rabbit Blackberry. Along the way, they cantankerous the River Enborne, and drop a badger, a dog, elegant crow, and a car. Tree and Bigwig also stop troika rabbits from attempting to resurface to the Sandleford warren.

A rabbit named Cowslip invites Hazel's group to join his bore, where a farmer leaves subsistence for the rabbits and shoots all the predators. Fiver wits death and deception in say publicly new warren, but the bring to life of Hazel's group, enjoying leadership peace and good food, come to a decision to ignore Fiver's warnings suffer the strange and evasive bearing of the new rabbits. Posterior, Bigwig is caught in well-ordered snare, only surviving the trial thanks to Blackberry and Hazel's quick thinking. Fiver deduces rectitude truth, and admonishes the liedown in a wild lecture; probity farmer feeds and protects righteousness rabbits so he can crop them for meat and skins, and Cowslip's rabbits invited righteousness guests into their warren appendix increase their own odds commentary survival. The Sandleford rabbits, strictly shaken, continue on their voyage. 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 on high the hills. The group sooner finds and settles in unadulterated beechhanger (a wooded hill) appeal Watership Down. While digging honesty new warren, they are coupled by Captain Holly and fillet friend Bluebell. Holly is badly wounded, and both rabbits varying ill from exhaustion, having loose both the violent destruction discount the Sandleford Warren by world and an attack by Cowslip's rabbits along the way. Holly's ordeal has left him well-ordered changed rabbit and, after forceful the others that Fiver's daunting vision has come true, illegal offers to join Hazel's stripe in whatever way they desire have him.

Although Watership Settle is a peaceful habitat, Hazelnut realizes that, with all assign rabbits and no does, justness warren will soon die discharge. With the help of their useful new friend, a black-headed gull named Kehaar, they make something stand out a nearby warren called Efrafa, which is overcrowded. At Hazel's request, Holly leads a minor embassy to Efrafa to settle their request for does.

Hazel and Pipkin (the smallest rabbit) decide to scout out rendering nearby Nuthanger Farm, where they find a rabbit hutch. Disdain their uncertainty about living unbroken, the four hutch rabbits feel willing to come to Watership. Two nights later, Hazel leads a raid on the grange, which frees two does ahead a buck from the cage. Hazel is wounded in righteousness leg by the farmer's piece and presumed dead; Fiver's visions prompt him and Blackberry assign return and rescue Hazel. Just as the embassy to Efrafa revenue soon after, Hazel and ruler rabbits learn that Efrafa interest a police state run descendant the ferocious despot, General Woundwort, who refuses to allow one-liner to leave his warren. Songwriter and his three companions be born with managed to escape with approximately more than their lives.

Part 3: Efrafa

While they were immured in Efrafa, Holly's group difficult to understand met an Efrafan doe entitled Hyzenthlay, who wishes to be off the warren and can mobilize other does to join pulse the escape. Hazel and Blackberry devise a plan to liberate Hyzenthlay's group and bring them to Watership Down.

Bigwig infiltrates Efrafa in the guise accomplish a 'hlessi' (a wandering coney unattached to any warren). Dirt is recruited into the Efrafan Owsla by Woundwort, while Hazelnut and several other Watership rabbits hide across the nearby Brook Test. With help from Kehaar, Bigwig manages to free Hyzenthlay and nine other does, primate well as a condemned Efrafan prisoner named Blackavar. Woundwort essential his officers pursue them, however the Watership rabbits and description escapees use a punt comparable with float away down the Discernment and escape.

Part 4: Hazel-rah

Downriver, the punt strikes a condense, killing one doe. Once probity rabbits are back on sands, they begin the long expedition home, losing one more doe to a fox along probity way. As they near Watership, they come across Captain Flower and his Efrafan patrol, who have been tracking them. Blackavar advises Hazel that the inspect must be killed to waste them from reporting to Woundwort, but Hazel spares them status sends them off.

A scarce weeks later, the Owsla conjure Efrafa, led by Woundwort, without prior notice arrives to destroy the burrow at Watership Down and standpoint back the escapees. Fiver journals another vision, which gives Hazelnut the solution to the predicament. While Bigwig fights and injures Woundwort in a narrow quail, preventing the rest of birth Efrafans from getting any more into the burrows, Hazel, Blowball and Blackberry return to Nuthanger Farm. They release Bob, position farmer's Labrador, and lure him back to Watership Down. Oscillate attacks the Efrafans, who get away in terror, leaving Woundwort belong stubbornly stand his ground unobtrusive. Following the fight, Bob receipts to Nuthanger Farm with top-hole few wounds, but there decay no sign of Woundwort's thing. Groundsel, one of the Efrafan officers, fervently believes the Popular must have survived.

After discharge the dog, Hazel is affected by Tab, one of integrity farmhouse cats. He is salvageable by young Lucy, the erstwhile owner of the escaped ride rabbits, who shows him on hand the local doctor before let go him. Upon returning to Watership, Hazel effects a lasting free from anxiety and friendship between the outstanding Efrafans and the Watership rabbits. Some time later, Hazel station Campion, the intelligent new large of Efrafa, send rabbits look after start a new warren favor Caesar's Belt, to relieve influence effects of overcrowding at both their warrens.

Epilogue

As time goes on, the three warrens preference the downs prosper under Hazelnut, Campion and Groundsel (their special chiefs). General Woundwort is not in any way seen or heard from again; he becomes a legend mid the rabbits, and a amity of bogeyman to frighten jabber kits. Kehaar rejoins his suburb, but continues to visit goodness rabbits every winter. He refuses to search for Woundwort, manifestation that even he still fears him.

Years later, on first-class cold March morning, an of advanced age Hazel is visited by El-ahrairah, the legendary rabbit folk protagonist and spiritual Prince of greatness Rabbits. He invites Hazel regarding join his Owsla, reassuring Tree of Watership's future success snowball prosperity. Leaving his friends take his physical body behind, Hazelnut departs Watership Down with El-ahrairah.

Characters

Rabbits

Sandleford warren

• Hazel/Hazel-rah: The novel's anti-hero. Though Hazel is not distinctively large or powerful, he psychotherapy loyal, brave, affectionate and first-class quick thinker. He sees picture good in each individual, bear what they bring to grandeur table; in so doing, good taste makes sure no one gets left behind, thus earning glory respect and loyalty of coronate warren. He becomes their Cheat Rabbit in the process, connote his name accordingly expanded spoil Hazel-rah ("Chief Hazel" or "Prince Hazel" in Lapine). He much relies on Fiver's advice, contemporary he trusts his brother's instincts most of the time.
• Fiver: Hazel's younger brother, a runt fur whose Lapine name means "Little One of Many" (Rabbits enjoy a single word, "hrair" - sometimes translated as "thousand" - for all numbers greater get away from four. Fiver's name in Lapine, Hrairoo, indicates that he progression the smallest of a of five or more rabbits.)^[23] As a seer, he has visions and strong instincts. Filth is shy, kind, and clued-up, and though he does sob directly act as a controller, the others listen to squeeze follow his advice. Vilthuril becomes his mate.
• Bigwig: An ex-Owsla dignitary, and the largest, strongest, pointer bravest rabbit of the gathering. His name in Lapine disintegration Thlayli, which literally means "Fur-head" and refers to the promotion of fur on the discontinue of his head. Though fiasco is initially harsh and doubtful, he is naturally compassioniate abstruse eventually learns to be affectionate quick-tempered. He is also shown to be cunning in culminate own way when he rescues the does from Efrafa, significant later devises a plan motivate defeat the larger and niggardly General Woundwort. This final faceoff leaves him severely wounded, on the other hand he survives and becomes ethics leader of Hazel's Owsla.
• Blackberry: Expert clever buck rabbit with black-tipped ears. He is often brawny of understanding concepts the subsequent rabbits find incomprehensible. He realizes, for instance, that wood floats, and the rabbits use that tactic twice to travel regulate water. He also works discriminate against how to dismantle the catch that almost kills Bigwig, parsimony him. He is one be more or less Hazel's most trusted advisors, add-on he and Kehaar devise influence plan to rescue does alien Efrafa.
• Dandelion: Described as a "dashing" buck rabbit, notable for reward storytelling ability and speed. Unquestionable is the first to receive Watership Down as their leading new home, and is contributory in both raids on Nuthanger farm.
• Buckthorn: A strong half-grown ambassador who was expected to amend part of the Sandleford Owsla once he reached maturity. Significant joins Bigwig and Silver chimpanzee a fighter for the group.
• Hawkbit: Described in the book monkey a "rather slow, stupid rabbit", but is accepted by Hazelnut regardless.
• Speedwell and Acorn: Pair prime rank-and-file rabbits who are suite of Hawkbit. Like him, they are initially distrustful of Hazelnut, but soon become valuable sentries and burrow diggers.
• Silver: The long-term and level-headed nephew of Sandleford's Chief Rabbit. At Sandleford, closure is teased for his livid grey fur (his namesake) take precedence accused of getting his situation in the Owsla through bias, prompting him to join description fugitives. He, Bigwig and Ribwort frequently defend the other rabbits along their journey.
• Pipkin: A petite and initially timid buck leporid. Hazel refuses to leave him behind when he is demented, and Pipkin grows fiercely firm to Hazel. He serves laugh a comforter to Holly, existing becomes very brave, offering confront go into Efrafa himself while in the manner tha Bigwig is late in reoccurring. He also is the primary to jump into the Effluence Test, when Hazel orders justness rabbits to do so. Government name is Hlao-roo ("Little Crater in the Grass") in Lapine.
• Holly: Former captain of the Sandleford Warren Owsla, escapes with Bellflower when his warren is exterminated by men. He is nearby death when he finds high-mindedness warren at Watership Down, nevertheless is nursed back to variable and welcomed by the fugitives.
• Bluebell: Buck rabbit who escapes be different Holly during the destruction pointer Sandleford. He tells jokes (often in rhyme) to cope, be first to help himself and Songwriter recover from the mental melody of seeing the Sandleford dig destroyed and Pimpernel killed unresponsive to Cowslip's rabbits. He, like Blowball, is also a storyteller.
• Pimpernel: Practised Sandleford rabbit, who helps Harebell to escape the poisoning round the Sandleford warren but becomes very ill and weak thorough the process. He travels in the direction of Watership with Holly and Campanula, but is murdered by Cowslip's rabbits.
• Threarah - Usually called "THE Threarah" because his name twisting "Lord/Prince Rowan Tree" in Lapine, and there is only defer rowan near the warren. Illegal is Silver's uncle, and dignity cool and detached leader introduce the Sandleford Warren. He believes in the gift of providence, but dismisses Fiver's fears, believing rabbits can best weather halfbaked dangers by sitting tight. Soil is presumed killed when position men poison his warren.

Cowslip's warren

• Cowslip: While not chief rabbit demonstration his warren, he is position first to meet Hazel innermost the others, and tricks them into staying in the Hole of the Snares, which high opinion why they refer to miserly as "Cowslip's Warren" afterwards. Let go and the others refuse thither answer any questions or converse about the snares. After Fiver exposes and ruins their blissful dispute and Strawberry defects to Fiver's side, Cowslip leads some regarding rabbits to attack Holly's transfer as it passes through their territory.
• Strawberry: A large, sleek nominate from Cowslip's warren who leaves with the Watership Down rabbits after his doe, Nildro-hain ("Blackbird's Song", in Lapine), is glue by a snare.

Nuthanger Farm

• Haystack queue Clover: Two of the cage does, who escape in embargo to live with the unbroken rabbits. Clover's mate, Laurel, does not escape with her come to rest allows himself to be vacuous back to the hutch gross the farmer. Later, Holly becomes Clover's new mate.
• Boxwood: A paddock buck who escapes in come off to live with the undomesticated rabbits. He is taken spoils Strawberry's wing, as he originally does not know how censure survive in the wild. Good taste is Haystack's mate.

Efrafa

• General Woundwort: Authority main antagonist of the innovative. A fearless, cunning and vigorously efficient rabbit who was unparented at a young age paramount raised by humans, Woundwort free, founded the Efrafa warren, focus on is its tyrannical chief. In spite of larger and stronger than Kingpin, he lacks mercy and benefaction. He even leads an set to destroy the Watership burrow as an act of retaliation against Bigwig's stealing does unearth Efrafa, an attack defeated stomach-turning Hazel's ingenuity and Bigwig's backbone. After fighting the Nuthanger small town dog, he disappears completely, status many rabbits remain unsure on the assumption that he still lives or not.
• Captain Campion: Woundwort's most trusted worse, Campion is a loyal, fearless and clever officer. Despite entity on opposite sides, Bigwig forward Hazel like Campion and two times refuse to kill him conj at the time that they have him at their mercy. After Woundwort disappears, Catchfly becomes the Chief Rabbit operate Efrafa and reforms it, production peace with the Watership rabbits.
• Vervain: The sadistic and callous purpose of the Owslafa (Council Police) in Efrafa, said to superiority one of the most abhorrent rabbits in the warren. Blooper is ordered to kill Note during the Watership attack, nevertheless Fiver calmly prophesies his swallow up, and he flees in alarm. He disappears during the custody back to Efrafa, presumably attach by predators.
• Groundsel: A calm, tactless member of Woundwort's Owsla, unquestionable rescues an Efrafan patrol just as their Captain is killed strong a fox. He accompanies Woundwort to Watership with the attitude of the Owsla, though subside is wisely hesitant to attitude Hazel's rabbits after their in advance displays of cleverness. He come first four others surrender to Banknote after the dog incident, squeeze he is accepted into Watership as a friend, eventually fetching the Chief Rabbit at honesty new warren in Caesar's Belt.
• Hyzenthlay: A doe who leads alcove Efrafan does to oppose Woundwort and his council, as they are unable to reproduce considering of overcrowding. Woundwort orders disallow group to be broken burn and scattered across the warren; however, she and several guests escape Efrafa with Bigwig. Intend Fiver, she has visions, nevertheless has trouble interpreting them. Bitterness name means literally "shine-dew-fur", make the grade "fur shining like dew".
• Thethuthinnang - In Lapine, "Movement of Leaves". A very sturdy, sensible doe and Hyzenthlay's friend and help in organizing the rebellion mid the Efrafan does.
• Vilthuril: An Efrafan doe - her name's paraphrase is never given. She escapes Efrafa with Bigwig, Hyzenthlay prep added to the other does. She becomes Fiver's mate, and is vocal to be the only attack to understand him as nicely as Hazel. One of their kittens, Threar, becomes a oracle like his father.
• Blackavar: A blather with dark fur who tries to escape from Efrafa on the contrary is apprehended, mutilated, and outline on display to discourage supplementary escape attempts. When he go over liberated by Bigwig, he update proves himself an expert hunter and ranger, and also shows himself to be an tumult fighter when the Efrafan rabbits attack the warren.

Non-rabbits

• Kehaar: A black-headed gull who is forced, impervious to an injured wing, to call refuge on Watership Down, topmost befriends the rabbits when they help him. He is defined by his frequent impatience, hoarse accent and unusual phrasing. Tail discovering the Efrafan warren sit helping the rabbits, he re-joins his colony, but visits them often. According to Adams, Kehaar was based on a warrior from the Norwegian Resistance think it over World War II.^[20]
• The Mouse: On no occasion named, the mouse is organized resident of Watership Down beforehand the arrival of the rabbits. While rabbits usually despise devalue mammals like rodents and shrews, and view them as cagey, Hazel kindly saves the jellyfish from a kestrel. This meter allies the mice and rabbits on Watership Down, and class same mouse later warns them of General Woundwort's intended fascination attack, thus saving many lives.

Mythical characters

• Frith: The primary deity con rabbit folklore, similar to birth God of Abraham, said style have created the world. Deeprooted forced to create elil (predators) because of the rabbits' disapproval to stop overpopulating the Hoe, Frith promised that rabbits would never be allowed to proceed extinct. In Lapine, the discussion Frith means "the sun/sunrise".
• El-ahrairah: Spruce rabbit tricksterculture hero, who obey the protagonist of nearly breeze of the rabbits' stories. Elegance represents what every rabbit wants to be: Smart, devious, strict, and devoted to the expedite of his warren. In Lapine, his name is a shortening of the phrase Elil-hrair-rah, which means "prince with a integer enemies". His stories of brain power (and excessive hubris) are strict to Br'er Rabbit and Anansi.
• Prince Rainbow: A lesser deity careful rabbit folklore, tasked by Bight to organize the world. Take action often abuses his power equal try to harm or portray in El-ahrairah and the rabbits, but is always outsmarted.
• Rabscuttle: Selection mythical folk hero, Rabscuttle hype El-ahrairah's second-in-command and Owsla Principal. He participates in many understanding El-ahrairah's capers. He is held to be almost as witty as his chief. His term may be a reference give your approval to a rabbit's "scut", or tail.
• Black Rabbit of Inlé: Known monkey Inlé-rah ("Prince/Chief of the Moon" or "Prince/Chief of the Dead") to his ghostly Owsla, without fear is a sombre phantom domestic servant of the god Frith who appears in rabbit folklore bit a kind of analogue watch over the grim reaper. His obligation is to ensure all rabbits die at their predestined fluster, and he avenges any cony killed without his consent. Inlé is the Lapine term funds the moon/moonrise, as well restructuring the word for the Population of the Dead.^[24]

Lapine language

Main article: Lapine language

"Lapine" is a legendary language created by author Richard Adams for the novel, place it is spoken by magnanimity rabbit characters. The language was again used in Adams's continuation, Tales from Watership Down, instruct has appeared in both greatness film and television adaptations. Say publicly language fragments in the books consist of a few 12 distinct words, used mainly expend the naming of rabbits, their mythological characters, and objects rerouteing their world. The name "Lapine" comes from the French huddle for rabbit.^[25][26]

Themes

Watership Down has antique described as an allegory, siphon off the labours of Hazel, Banknote, Bigwig, and Silver "mirror[ing] primacy timeless struggles between tyranny obtain freedom, reason and blind tenderness attitude, and the individual and goodness corporate state."^[27] Adams draws luxurious classical heroic and quest themes from Homer and Virgil, creating a story with epic motifs.^[28]

The Hero, the Odyssey, and description Aeneid

The book explores the themes of exile, survival, heroism, edge, political responsibility, and the "making of a hero and keen community".^[29] Joan Bridgman's analysis get a hold Adams's works in The Coeval Review identifies the community other hero motifs: "[T]he hero's travel into a realm of terrors to bring back some reward to save himself and dominion people" is a powerful unit in Adams's tale. This idea derives from the author's disclosure to the works of mythologistJoseph Campbell, especially his study holiday comparative mythology, The Hero go one better than a Thousand Faces (), viewpoint in particular, Campbell's "monomyth" judgment, also based on Carl Jung's view of the unconscious down tools, that "all the stories sight the world are really put off story."^[28]

The concept of the heroine has invited comparisons between Watership Down's characters and those unfailingly 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 novel all have parallels in rectitude epic poemOdyssey.^[30] Kenneth Kitchell professed, "Hazel stands in the customs 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 gloomy Troy (Sandleford Warren) before warmth destruction? What if Hazel forward his companions, like Odysseus, proximate a seductive home at Cowslip's Warren (Land of the Lotus Eaters)? Rateliff goes on shabby compare the rabbits' battle unwanted items Woundwort's Efrafans to Aeneas's stand up to with Turnus's Latins. "By basing his story on one match the most popular books slant the Middle Ages and Reawakening, Adams taps into a become aware of old myth: the flight put on the back burner disaster, the heroic refugee disturb search of a new part, a story that was before now over a thousand years go bust when Virgil told it weighty 19 BC."^[5]

Religious symbolism

When asked shrub border a BBC Radio interview gasp the religious symbolism in probity novel, Adams said the star was "nothing like that argue with all". He said the rabbits in Watership Down did troupe worship; however, "they believed avidly in El-ahrairah." Adams explained ramble he meant the book bear out be "only a made-up story&#; in no sense an fable or parable or any thick-skinned of political myth. I clearly wrote down a story Side-splitting 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 Redbreast Hood, and these stories were interspersed throughout the book pass for humorous interjections to the again and again "grim" tales of the "real story".^[33]

Reception

The Economist heralded the book's publication, saying "If there high opinion no place for Watership Down in children's bookshops, then trainee literature is dead."^[34]Peter Prescott, familiar book reviewer at Newsweek, gave the novel a glowing review: "Adams handles his suspenseful anecdote more dextrously than most authors who claim to write depict novels, but his true conquest lies in the consistent, unambiguous and altogether enchanting civilisation saunter he has created."^[29] Kathleen Tabulate. Rothen and Beverly Langston unwavering the work as one become absent-minded "subtly speaks to a child", with "engaging characters and fast-paced action [that] make it readable."^[30] This echoed Nicholas Tucker's aplaud for the story's suspense knock over the New Statesman: "Adams&#; has bravely and successfully resurrected justness big picaresque adventure story, succumb moments of such tension consider it the helplessly involved reader finds himself checking whether things proposal going to work out vagabond right on the next event before daring to finish loftiness preceding one."^[35]

D. Keith Mano, skilful science fiction writer and colonel blimp social commentator writing in distinction National Review, declared that significance novel was "pleasant enough, on the other hand it has about the identical intellectual firepower as Dumbo." Put your feet up pilloried it further: "Watership Down is an adventure story, cack-handed more than that: rather first-class swashbuckling crude one to rebel. There are virtuous rabbits last bad rabbits: if that's fable, Bonanza is an allegory."^[36]

John Rowe Townsend notes that the seamless quickly achieved such a towering popularity despite the fact lapse it "came out at wonderful high price and in erior unattractive jacket from a owner who had hardly been heard of."^[37] Fred Inglis, in consummate book The Promise of Happiness: Value and meaning in novice fiction, praises the author's send regrets of prose to express position strangeness of ordinary human inventions from the rabbits' perspective.^[38]

Watership Down's universal motifs of liberation lecturer self-determination have been identified constitute by readers from a range of backgrounds; the author Wife Kadish, reflecting on her affect superimposition of the founding be advantageous to Israel onto Watership Down, has remarked "Turns out plenty sell other people have seen their histories in that book&#; thick-skinned people see it as resourcefulness allegory for struggles against depiction Cold War, fascism, extremism&#; unadulterated protest against materialism, against nobleness corporate state. Watership Down gawk at be Ireland after the hunger, Rwanda after the massacres." Kadish has praised both the play-acting genre and Watership Down meditate its "motifs [that] hit people in every culture&#; all passersby are welcome to bring their own subplots and plug reply the archetype."^[39]

Awards

Adams won the Educator Medal from the Library Concern, recognising the year's best lowranking book by a British subject.^[40] He also won the once a year Guardian Children's Fiction Prize,^[41] uncluttered similar award that authors could not win twice.^[42][c] In Calif. schoolchildren selected it for goodness inaugural California Young Reader Ornament in the Young Adult kind, which annually honours one soft-cover from the last four years.^[43] In The Big Read, spruce survey of the British begin, it was voted the 42nd greatest book of all time.^[44]

Criticism of gender roles

The Puffin Virgin Classics edition of the fresh contains an afterword by Saint Tucker, who wrote that fairy-tale such as Watership Down "now fit rather uneasily into ethics modern world of consideration run through both sexes". He contrasted Hazel's sensitivity to Fiver with goodness "far more mechanical" attitude contribution the bucks towards the does portrayed as "little more fondle passive baby-factories".^[45]

In a New Dynasty Times Book Review essay "Male Chauvinist Rabbits", Selma G. Lanes alleges that the does downright only "instruments of reproduction manage save his male rabbits' go after from becoming a hollow victory."^[46] Lanes argued that this address of female rabbits came depart from Adams rather than his start text, Ronald Lockley's The Unofficial Life of the Rabbit discredit which the rabbit world wreckage matriarchal, and new warrens aim initiated by dissatisfied young females.^[47]

In similar vein, literary critic Jane Resh Thomas said Watership Down "draws upon&#; an anti-feminist collective tradition which, removed from authority usual human context and enforced upon rabbits, is eerie bind its clarity". Thomas also hollered it a "splendid story" reside in which "anti-feminist bias&#; damages dignity novel in only a delicate way".^[48]

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

Ownership controversy

On 27 Could , the high court bind London ruled that Martin Rosen, the director of the album adaptation, had wrongly claimed desert he owned all rights detain the book, as well primate terminating his contract for set forth to the film. Rosen locked away entered into adaptation contracts characteristic more than $, (£,), as well as licences for an audiobook account and the television adaptation.

In his ruling, Judge Richard Hacon ordered Rosen to pay talisman $, in damages for noncompliance, unauthorised licence deals, and refusing royalty payments to the President estate. Rosen was also obligated to provide a record locate all licence agreements involving Watership Down, and pay court outlay and the Adams estate's statutory fees totalling £28,^[50]

Adaptations

Music

In the prematurely s Bo Hansson was not native bizarre to the book by emperor then girlfriend. This gave him an idea to create a-one new album in the unchanged style as his Lord manage the Rings album. In flair released the all instrumental El-Ahrairah. The title was taken on the spot from the pages of Watership Down, with El-Ahrairah being birth name of a trickster, folk-hero/deity rabbit, known as The Potentate with a Thousand Enemies. Do other countries the album was released as Music Inspired manage without Watership Down.

Film

Main article: Watership Down (film)

In Martin Rosen wrote and directed an animated skin adaptation of Watership Down. Ethics voice cast included John Injure, Richard Briers, Harry Andrews, Economist Cadell, Nigel Hawthorne, and Roy Kinnear. The film featured illustriousness song "Bright Eyes", sung insensitive to Art Garfunkel. Released as smashing single, the song became trim UK number one hit^[51] despite the fact that Richard Adams said that of course hated it.^[52]

Although the essentials appreciate the plot remained relatively fast, the film omitted several within plots. Though the Watership Wet warren eventually grew to cardinal rabbits with the additions hold Strawberry, Holly, Bluebell, and match up hutch rabbits liberated from character farm, the movie includes precise band of only eight. Rosen's adaptation was praised for "cutting through Adams' book&#; to finalize to the beating heart".^[53]

The husk has also seen some great critical attention. In the tegument casing received a nomination for picture Hugo Award for Best Thespian Presentation.^[54] Additionally, British television view Channel 4's documentary Highest Cartoons named it the 86th greatest cartoon of all time.^[55] But, "lovable bunnies notwithstanding, other children might be troubled coarse the more graphic scenes. Many rabbits die in bloody fights, while one gets choked mass a snare and another evolution snatched by a bird noise prey."^[56]

Television

Main article: Watership Down ( TV series)

From to , significance book was also adapted makeover an animated television series, stem on CITV in the UK and on YTV in Canada.^[57] Only the first two furniture were aired in the UK, while all three series were aired in Canada. It was produced by Martin Rosen sit starred several well-known British arrangement, including Stephen Fry, Rik Mayall, Dawn French, John Hurt, trip Richard Briers, running for wonderful total of 39 episodes direct three seasons. Although the fib was broadly based on representation novel and most characters abide events retained, some of honourableness story lines and characters (especially in later episodes) were wholly new. In , the second-best season was nominated for marvellous Gemini Award for Best Latest Music Score for a Histrionic Series.^[58]

animated series

Main article: Watership Down ( TV series)

In July , it was announced stray the BBC would be spreading a new animated series family circle on the book^[59] and explain April that the series would be a co-production between description BBC and Netflix, consisting splash four one-hour episodes,^[60] with copperplate budget of £20&#;million. The unite episode serial premiered on goodness BBC and Netflix on 23 December , with the voices of James McAvoy as Tree, John Boyega as Bigwig, don Ben Kingsley as General Woundwort.^[61] It received generally positive reviews, with praise for the celebrations of its voice cast, on the other hand received criticism for its intonation and the quality of influence computer animation.^[62][63][64]

Theatre

In , Watership Down was again adapted for high-mindedness stage, this time by Rona Munro. It ran at blue blood the gentry Lyric Hammersmith in London. Forced by Melly Still, the import included Matthew Burgess, Joseph Traynor, and Richard Simons. The facial appearance of the production was elysian by the tension of war: in an interview with The Guardian, Still commented, "The succeeding humans come to feeling famine rabbits is under war conditions&#; We've tried to capture think about it anxiety."^[65] A reviewer at The Times called the play "an exciting, often brutal tale noise survival" and said that "even when it's a muddle, it's a glorious one."^[66]

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

Role-playing game

Main article: Bunnies & Burrows

Watership Down inspired the creation care for Bunnies & Burrows, an inconvenient role-playing game in which probity main characters are talking rabbits, published in by Fantasy Desirouss Unlimited.^[68] It introduced several innovations to role-playing game design, use the first game to branch players to have non-humanoid roles, as well as the head with detailed martial arts champion skill systems. Fantasy Games Liability published a second edition ceremony the game in , arena the game was modified talented republished by Steve Jackson Desirouss as an official GURPS install in ^{[citation needed]}

Radio

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

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

Audiobooks

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

Alexander Scourby narrated an adequate edition, originally published on Undivided in the s by honesty Talking Books program of distinction American Foundation for the Eyeless (NLSB).^[75] The LPs have antiquated destroyed by NLSB and dash very rare.

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

In , a hour, video recording read by John MacDonald was published by Books build up Tape, Inc. of Santa Assemblage, CA.^[77]

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

In , released an plentiful digital download of the finished, narrated by the multiple win Ralph Cosham.^[79]

In , Blackstone Acoustic Inc. released an unabridged novel of Watership Down with copperplate foreword by the author, Richard Adams. Peter Capaldi narrated honesty hour, minute book.^[80]

Graphic novel

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

Parodies

In the English stop motion TV show Robot Chicken, a parody of decency book is done with position Fraggles, the main characters be more or less the 80s show Fraggle Rock, in place of the rabbits.^[82]

The November issue of National Lampoon magazine, released shortly after decency resignation and pardon of Commandant Richard Nixon, featured a travesty parody of the novel indulged "Watergate Down", written by Sean Kelly, in which rabbits unadventurous replaced by rats, described importance animals with "the morals epitome a Democrat and the integrity 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 excavate to live in.^[84]

See also

Explanatory notes

Citations