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Watership Down

by Richard Adams
Watership Down

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  • Synopses & Reviews

ISBN13: 9780743277709
ISBN10: 0743277708
Condition: Standard


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From Powells.com

50 Books for 50 Years

50 Books for 50 years

Powell's anniversary list: 1971-2021


Staff Pick

My dad used to read to me and my brother almost every night before bed, and those nights are some of my favorite childhood memories. Many of the books we read together have stuck with me through the intervening years, but I have particularly fond memories of listening to him read Watership Down. 25 years later, I can still remember the feeling of being completely absorbed in the story. I was so enthralled that, when he had to go on a business trip before we finished the book, I got it down from the shelf and sounded the words out myself because I just couldn't wait until he got back to find out what happened. Watership Down, along with my dad, gets the credit for teaching me to read, turning me into a bookworm, and all my subsequent bookish career and life choices. All of this made me afraid to reread it. I'm always scared to reread childhood favorites and revisiting this one felt particularly daunting. What if it isn't as magical as I remember? What if it's dated or problematic, or just doesn't live up to my memory of it? I shouldn't have worried. I finally read it again this past year and I can tell you that it is one of those rare books that is just timeless. At five, it was an epic adventure story about bunnies. At 30, it is a remarkably deep epic adventure story about bunnies and (49-year-old spoiler) Hazel's passing still makes me cry. Recommended By Emily B., Powells.com

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments

A worldwide bestseller for more than 40 years, Watership Down is the compelling tale of a band of wild rabbits struggling to hold onto their place in the world — “a classic yarn of discovery and struggle” (The New York Times).

Richard Adams’s Watership Down is a timeless classic and one of the most beloved novels of all time. Set in the Hampshire Downs in Southern England, an idyllic rural landscape, this stirring tale of “suspense, hot pursuit, and derring-do” (Chicago Tribune) follows a band of rabbits in flight from the incursion of man and the destruction of their home. Led by a stouthearted pair of brothers, they travel forth from their native Sandleford warren through harrowing trials to a mysterious promised land and a more perfect society. “A marvelous story of rebellion, exile, and survival” (Sunday Telegraph) this is an unforgettable literary classic for all ages.

Review

"Spellbinding....Marvelous....A taut tale of suspense, hot pursuit and derring-do." Chicago Tribune

Review

"A classic....A great book." Los Angeles Times

Review

"Quite marvelous....A powerful new vision of the great chain of being." New York Times Book Review

Synopsis

Now with a new introduction by Madeline Miller, the New York Times bestselling author of The Song of Achilles and Circe.

The 50th anniversary edition of Richard Adam's timeless classic, the tale of a band of wild rabbits struggling to hold onto their place in the world--"a classic yarn of discovery and struggle" (The New York Times).

A worldwide bestseller for over thirty years, Watership Down is one of the most beloved novels of all time. Set in England's Downs, a once idyllic rural landscape, this stirring tale follows a band of very special creatures on their flight from the intrusion of man and the certain destruction of their home. Led by a stouthearted pair of brothers, they journey from their native Sandleford Warren, through the harrowing trials posed by predators and adversaries, and toward the dream of a mysterious promised land and a more perfect society.

"Spellbinding...Marvelous...A taut tale of suspense, hot pursuit and derring-do." --Chicago Tribune


About the Author

Richard Adams, the son of a country doctor, was born in Newbury in England in 1920. He was educated at Bradfield College and Worcester College, Oxford. He served in the Second World War and in 1948 joined the civil service. In the mid-1960s he completed his first novel, Watership Down, for which he struggled for several years to find a publisher. It was eventually awarded both the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Award for children's fiction for 1972. In 1974 he retired from the civil service and published a series of further books, including Shardik, Tales From Watership Down, Maia, The Plague Dogs, and The Girl in a Swing. Adams died on Christmas Eve 2016.

4.8 6

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating 4.8 (6 comments)

`
MissLaney , June 18, 2018 (view all comments by MissLaney)
This book came to me through one of my favorite movies of all time, Donnie Darko. Watership Down is so full of fantastical imagery, metaphor, and a running line of morality that we can see in the world even to this day. I've never had a book speak to me as much as this one did, tiny rabbits and all. With every turn of the page, you grow closer to these lapine creatures and their plight, worry for their safety, and celebrate every success. I recommend this book to everyone I meet, if only to learn to trust your gut from a little rabbit named Fiver.

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Craig Ensz , April 24, 2015 (view all comments by Craig Ensz)
If you remember reading Animal Farm, Watership Down will intrigue you and make you think about society.

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`
chelleydee33 , August 04, 2012
The interactions and relationships between the rabbits drew me in immediately. I put off reading this book for a long time because I thought I'd be let down from all the build up; but, I was not let down at all. It's a quick read.

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Elliott , February 01, 2011 (view all comments by Elliott)
This was one of those classic books that had somehow escaped me having read it in school but I kept seeing it pop up different places and decided to finally read it. And boy am I glad I did! This is an amazing story that Richard Adams made up for his daughters while on a road trip. How incredible is that? My dad certainly never did or maybe my sister and I would have enjoyed road trips more. I'm amazed at how intricate these stories within a story are, especially with all of its rich mythology for the rabbits.

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Jacob Pearson , January 16, 2011
A fantastic read, one of the best books that i've come across! Highly recommended, couldn't put it down after I started it. You'll enjoy it without a doubt!

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K Magill , July 27, 2008 (view all comments by K Magill)
I first read Watership Down when I was ten years old, and for a long time afterwards it was my very favorite novel: the sense of adventure, the emotionally engaging characters (quite an accomplishment for a tale whose stars are rabbits!), and the lovely pastoral setting make it a perfect match for kids who are big fans of fantasy novels such as the Redwall series but who are looking for something more challenging. This is no children's novel, mind you. I've read Watership Down several times as an adult. Each time I return to it, the story's environmentally-conscious message, Adams' emphasis on man's capacity to destroy the world that he shares with so many other creatures, hits home a little bit harder. The quick-paced narrative makes this a great read-aloud and conversation-starter for folks raising children to be conscious and compassionate world citizens. Of course, this is a rousing good read for those without kids, too!

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Product Details

ISBN:
9780743277709
Binding:
Trade Paperback
Publication date:
11/01/2005
Publisher:
SIMON & SCHUSTER TRADE
Pages:
496
Height:
1.19IN
Width:
5.25IN
Thickness:
1.25
Number of Units:
1
Copyright Year:
2005
UPC Code:
2800743277701
Author:
Richard Adams
Intro:
Madeline Miller
Subject:
Fantasy fiction
Subject:
Adventure fiction
Subject:
Literature-A to Z
Subject:
General Fiction
Subject:
Rabbits

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