Watership Down by Richard AdamsMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I have often heard that Richard Adams' Watership Down is a book which a number of people have read in school; though I did not . . . and in fact, I've never even heard of this book until my mid-twenties when someone mentioned the movie adapted from the book. After having finally read it, there is definitely a classic literary feel. Now, I am a fan of xenofiction (anthropomorphic fiction), but this book definitely feels more at home in a high school english class or university literature course as opposed to just being another book on the shelves of a sci-fi/fantasy fan's collection.
That doesn't mean that I didn't like the book. In fact, I was quite fond of the story and the characters, but it was a book not quite suitable for the mood I was a seeking. I was hoping for something a little more adventurous and anthropomorphic. I knew before reading the book that that was most likely not going to be the case, and instead I fault myself for having higher expectations, but nevertheless reading this book made me feel like it was an english class all over again, trying to pin-point figurative versus literal meanings, symbolism and other various thematic elements. But all the same, I enjoyed the book and I am glad to have finally read it after all these years. It was a cozy little read.
Good Book, Good Read.
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For many, many years this was my favorite book. I think I read it first in sixth grade (maybe fifth). I still love it, but I can see its flaws now. I think it's one of those books that you have to have read very early in life to fully appreciate its magic--sort of like Lord of the Rings, which I didn't read until I was in my 30s and wasn't all that impressed with.
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