Watership Down

[Andre Fairchilde]

Has anyone read Watership Down? I'm 36, and I've never read nor really heard of this book.

It's written for young adults; for those that have read it how did it influence you?

[Artemician]

Young adults? Pah! Don't lump such a masterpiece with the like of The Princess Diaries and A Series of Unfortunate Events. Watership Down is a very, very good book, and one that I feel everyone should read in their lifetime at least once.

I read it when I was 10, and found it a good book. I reread it last month, and I found it a fantastic book. There's just so much subtext going on.. and every single character is absurdly well-developed and characterized. People always say the ending was sad, I found it incredibly poignant and touching, but not sad.

In any case, my pitiful language skills fail to do justice to such a wonderful book. Read! Or die!

EDIT: Can't believe I put the Princess Bride up there.. Should have been Princess Diaries. No way in heck the Princess Bride's a bad book. Silly me! :smallredface: :smallredface:

[Tirian]

I agree with Artemician, except for the swipe at The Princess Bride which is also a very entertaining book. The two books also share the similarities that their movie versions are excellent in their own rights and you should get around to experiencing both.

[bosssmiley]

"Watership Down" the book and the follow-up "Tales from Watership Down" (basically the Silmarillion of the rabbit world) are fantastic! It's what all the other anthropomorphic animal books ("Duncton Wood" and the like) are straining to be.

Black Rabbit of Inle. :smallcool:

[averagejoe]

I agree with the others above. I read the book when I was in high school, and I have found that it has only improved as I become more sophisticated a reader. Terriffic stuff. I reread it a little while back, and it was one of the most satisfying reads in a long time.

[Winterwind]

*googles it*
:smalleek:
I... I have seen that movie as a child! I remember it impressed me like few other movies did, yet I completely forgot how it was called!
I'd like to express my gratitude. Now that I know what that movie was, I will be able to seek out either the movie or the book as soon as there is an opportunity to do so. Thank you for that.

[nagora]

Has anyone read Watership Down? I'm 36, and I've never read nor really heard of this book.

It's written for young adults; for those that have read it how did it influence you?

It was the first adult book I read in one sitting and I'd say that at the right age it's a life changer; at 36 you might be a bit too cynical to really get the same effect but there are some very powerful, haunting, and disturbing scenes in it which have certainly stayed with me for 30+ years.

[feghoot]

"The Black Rabbit of Inle."

That would've been my name if I'd read this thread sooner. :smallsigh:

[BanjoTheClown]

This is a book for young adults? Its about rabbits and bunnys. :smalleek:

[averagejoe]

*googles it*
:smalleek:
I... I have seen that movie as a child! I remember it impressed me like few other movies did, yet I completely forgot how it was called!
I'd like to express my gratitude. Now that I know what that movie was, I will be able to seek out either the movie or the book as soon as there is an opportunity to do so. Thank you for that.

Haha, the same thing happened to me, but with Ender's Game. I'd wanted to read that damn book since I heard about it in the third grade, but couldn't remember the name until someone did a book report on it in high school, almost a decade later. I'm glad you found it.

[Andre Fairchilde]

*googles it*
:smalleek:
I... I have seen that movie as a child! I remember it impressed me like few other movies did, yet I completely forgot how it was called!
I'd like to express my gratitude. Now that I know what that movie was, I will be able to seek out either the movie or the book as soon as there is an opportunity to do so. Thank you for that.


I am very very happy to have helped you.

And, I'm not sure I'd be too cynical. I usually cry when I read Terry Pratchett (i.e. the end of 'Small Gods').

[....]

This is a book for young adults? Its about rabbits and bunnys. :smalleek:

Rabits and bunnies kicking each other's asses.

Seriously. Bigwig and/or General Woundwort own you.

[Drider]

Rabits and bunnies kicking each other's asses.

Seriously. Bigwig and/or General Woundwort own you.

been a while since i've seen it, but was'nt there a big as **** dog, that ripped them to shreds

[averagejoe]

been a while since i've seen it, but was'nt there a big as **** dog, that ripped them to shreds

Woundwort OWNED that dog, then went off to find something bigger to take down.

[....]

Woundwort OWNED that dog, then went off to find something bigger to take down.

Well, its sort of unsure wether or not Woundwort fought the dog off. Hazel used it to save Watership Down, but Woundwort always said he was willing to fight a dog. Personally, I don't think he could take a dog, but at the same time, most dogs won't really try to kill something that fights back. So who knows? Just be good, else the General might get you.

[averagejoe]

Well, its sort of unsure wether or not Woundwort fought the dog off. Hazel used it to save Watership Down, but Woundwort always said he was willing to fight a dog. Personally, I don't think he could take a dog, but at the same time, most dogs won't really try to kill something that fights back. So who knows? Just be good, else the General might get you.

Yeah, well, I like my version better. :smalltongue:

[Hell Puppi]

I loved Watership Down, I also loved the Plauge Dogs by the same author.
Tales from watership down is also good, mainly because I really enjoyed the stories of the Black Rabbit of Inle, and what happened to Woundwort's warren later on.

It is a very sad book in it's own right. I wouldn't really call it a young adult book. Everyone that has a little bit of imagination will enjoy it. If you don't, you'll just sit around wondering why your reading a story about rabbits.

[....]

I loved Watership Down, I also loved the Plauge Dogs by the same author.

Plague Dogs was awesome. Wish the ending had been sader, though. Seemed like he wanted a sad ending, then at the last moment changed his mind.

[Hell Puppi]

They actually did an animated film in which they left out the 'happy' ending (You see them swimming to the island...)

How they labeled that a children's movie...

[....]

They actually did an animated film in which they left out the 'happy' ending (You see them swimming to the island...)

How they labeled that a children's movie...

Yeah, the Watership Down movie wasn't very child friendly either. They actually added characters just so they could die along the way to Watership Down.

[bosssmiley]

This is a book for young adults? Its about rabbits and bunnys. :smalleek:

Bunny rabbits who happen to be really cool people (once you understand that you're one step closer to understanding Great British Win :smallwink: )

Watership Down: 2nd most traumatic kids film of all time (http://www.cracked.com/index.php?name=News&sid=2399), beaten only by the horror of magical raccoon testicles. :smalleek:

PS: Woundwort pwnt that mastiff - we all know it's true. :smallcool:

[Andre Fairchilde]

Boss -

Yes, that was actually where I was at when I was like - "Why haven't I heard of this?"

[factotum]

This is a book for young adults? Its about rabbits and bunnys. :smalleek:

That's like saying that Phillip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" can't have any depth to it because its main protagonists are children...

[Sage in the Playground]

I am very very happy to have helped you.

And, I'm not sure I'd be too cynical. I usually cry when I read Terry Pratchett (i.e. the end of 'Small Gods').

Why do you cry at the end of Small Gods?

[Andre Fairchilde]

Why do you cry at the end of Small Gods?

Have you read it? I don't want to go into it without going into a spoiler.

[Ego Slayer]

Oh, I love Watership Down. I read it when I was 12-ish, I think, so it's been awhile. I need to reread it. There was a movie? :smallconfused:

[smellie_hippie]

Watership Down ranks in my top 5 novels of all time. For those who feel that this piece of literature (not book... piece of literature) is not a worthwhile read...

"Silflay Hraka and stop running" :smallamused:

[averagejoe]

Watership Down: 2nd most traumatic kids film of all time (http://www.cracked.com/index.php?name=News&sid=2399), beaten only by the horror of magical raccoon testicles. :smalleek:

Holy crap! I thought that I was the only one who thought this about The Incredibles. This is wonderful.

[Sage in the Playground]

Have you read it? I don't want to go into it without going into a spoiler.

Yes. I just didn't find the ending sad.

[Hell Puppi]

That's like saying that Phillip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" can't have any depth to it because its main protagonists are children...

That's actually what I though once I started reading that series...

'This book is marketed towards children?! WTF are they thinking?!?'

I mean, c'mon. Aside from all the horrible death there's also soul-ripping, bears eating people, and pretty damned scary ghosts.

Those books also confirmed my hated of monkeys.:smallannoyed:

[Kurald Galain]

The book is awesome, and so is the film. People assume it's a children's movie since it's animated, but it's both not suitable for the very young, and very entertaining for adults.

And the book goes much deeper than that. The traumatic poetic rabbits... the misunderstood strange Fiver... allying themselves with Kehaar... and especially the mythology. I tend to re-read all the chapters with tales of El-Ahrairah's trickery.

Did people know that one of the oldest roleplaying games, [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunnies & Burrows]Bunnies & Burrows[/i], was based upon Watership down?

[BDS]

The book and the movie remain two of the best achievments in Childrens literature.

I also like the idea of an ambigious fate for the antagonist, something I've stolen a few times :P.

[Telonius]

The movie takes its place along with "Yellow Submarine," "The Black Cauldron," and "The Wall" (what in God's name were they thinking, showing that thing at three in the afternoon) as the movies that warped young Tel's mind. The image of the General scarring the rabbits' ears stayed with me, as did the Black Rabbit at the end. Though for some reason the end never scared me. Probably because it was the kindest image of Death that I'd experienced up to that point.

I tried to read the book when I was much too young to understand it. Never actually got back to finish it.

[Greebo]

Saw the movie and my dad read the book to me at an early age.

Haven't read the book in a while - need to go look for it on Audible.com when I finish LOTR.

It's a book about rabbits, but it's a book about rabbits like Lord of the Flies is a book about kids on the beach.

Don't go tharn.

Oh, and the movie was a horrendous retelling, butchered as only hollywood can butcher. But the imagry was apt.

ETA: Dang, Audible doesn't have it. :(

[....]

Though for some reason the end never scared me. Probably because it was the kindest image of Death that I'd experienced up to that point.

Um, did the Black Rabbit come at the end of the movie?

At the end of the book it was The Prince With a Thousand Enemies (I can't spell his Lapine name). Not the black rabbit.

So I always assumed Hazel ascended rather than just died.

Also, Roland in The Dark Tower comments that he sees rabbits at silfay, and Stu Redman from The Stand mentions how Watership Down was one of the only books he ever read. I think Mr. King has a thing for Mr. Adams.

[factotum]

Um, did the Black Rabbit come at the end of the movie?

At the end of the book it was The Prince With a Thousand Enemies (I can't spell his Lapine name). Not the black rabbit.


At the end of the movie, it's the white rabbit who first appears to Hazel, then, as Hazel's spirit follows him into the sky, he turns into the Black Rabbit. I think the implication was that they were both the same entity (you know, in the same way the Christian god is supposed to be split into Father, Son and Holy Ghost). The last time I read the book must be more than twenty years ago now, so I can't remember if that interpretation is supported by the events therein.

[Artemician]

Um, did the Black Rabbit come at the end of the movie?

At the end of the book it was The Prince With a Thousand Enemies (I can't spell his Lapine name). Not the black rabbit.

So I always assumed Hazel ascended rather than just died.



I would think it was kind of obvious that the rabbit at then end was Elil-hrair-rah rather than the Black Rabbit.

In the Story of the Black Rabbit of Inle, at the end Frith gives Elilhrairah a pair of ears forged from starlight to replace his original pair. And the strange rabbit is explicitly mentioned as having shining ears.

[....]

At the end of the movie, it's the white rabbit who first appears to Hazel, then, as Hazel's spirit follows him into the sky, he turns into the Black Rabbit. I think the implication was that they were both the same entity (you know, in the same way the Christian god is supposed to be split into Father, Son and Holy Ghost). The last time I read the book must be more than twenty years ago now, so I can't remember if that interpretation is supported by the events therein.

Its not, its pretty clear that the Black Rabbit and the Prince are two different creatures.

[Aizle]

Bigwig rocks.

Great book and great movie. Well worth reading and watching at any age past maybe 14.

[ALOR]

i have never read the book and it's been 20+ years since i've seen the movie but i remember bunnies beating the crap out of things and that has stuck with me throughout my life. I give it a thumbs way up

[Terumitsu]

Oh this one... It was a few years back but I still think it pretty good. I actualy picked it up thinking it was a seafaring story.... I was then whacked upside the head with the "can't judge a book by it's cover" saying... I should know that with how much I read anyway...

But still good... And yeah Bigwig ruled.

But it was the Black Rabbit of Ine-le or something like that... the Prince and then Hazel... I can kinda see the biblical thing what with Hazel being more of a Moses figure though...

[darrell]

There was also a UK TV series, that did a better job of the adaption as they didn't have to jam it all into 90 minutes.

Glad someone else mentioned Plague Dogs, such a good book. Helped me to form my opinions on animal testing when I read it in my early teens 25 years ago. Some of the descriptions of the experiments were so explicit. BBC Radio dramatised that book too.

[truemane]

It's been said already, but Watership Down is FANTASTIC. It's one of the defining moments of my childhood. I'm old enough to remember when my parents bought the first home video machine (it was called the RCA Player and it was the precursor to the VCR).

I sat down one fine afternoon, a young and innocent chap of no more than five years of age and my mother, blissfully ignorant of the horror she was about to inflict upon her offspring, gave me a cheese sandwhich, a glass of milk, and placed the happy little bunny movie into the machine and pressed Play.

And then...

Minutes later...

MOMMY MOOMY! WHY ARE THE BUNNIES KILLING EACH OTHER?!?!?!?! MOMMMMMMYYYYY!!

There are a couple of images from that film BURNED into my mind like cattle brands. I've read the book a good half-dozen times over the years, and seen the film many many more times. El-ahrairah is my personal hero.

It also contains Bright Eyes, the only song I can identify by Art Garfunkle.

Anyway.

Good times.

PS: I never liked Plague Dogs. But Shardik was excellently surreal and wacky.

[darrell]

PS: I never liked Plague Dogs. But Shardik was excellently surreal and wacky.

I read Shardik when I was about thirteen I guess, maybe twelve. Other than it contained a bear I can remember nothing from it or what it was about. I honestly didn't think that there was a single book that I had read which left such a small impression. :annoyed:

[Pepz]

heh I guess this is one hell of movie eh guys? I mean, I'm from the Netherlands, only saw a video of the book (not sure if it's the same film/video you guys are talking about) and it scared the crap out of me :smallsmile:

All I remember is that I thought it was a happy bunny video, a lot of black shadows dancing around and a bunny dying....I think I saw a (somewhat friendlier) different version than you guys....but it was still mighty impressive...

I'm going to have find this in the library one of these days ;)

O and Lord of the Flies is one of my own personal favorites :smallcool:

[....]

Shardik was much cooler in The Wastelands than in Shardik.

Hell, the only reason I even read that book was so I could get the reference.

[Zael Zuran]

Its not, its pretty clear that the Black Rabbit and the Prince are two different creatures.

To be fair, the movie ending makes this somewhat confusing. It appears that the Prince sends an invitation to Hazel through the Black Rabbit.

The White Prince does the talking, inviting Hazel to come to his realm, but periodically he turns Black, implying both are the same. An obvious hint that the Black Rabbit is not there for Hazel under normal circumstances is that the Prince gives Hazel the choice to come join him.

The movie is also extremely clear that Hazel physically dies, but his spirit rises up to follow the Black Rabbit / El-ahrairah sending to his final resting place.

Nevertheless, its a curious ending sequence, as the creation myth in the beginning of the film makes it perfectly clear that El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit are two seperate beings. I guess someone just forgot, or felt that Hazel slumping over and ceasing to breathe (while his soul rises from the corpse) wasn't heavy handed enough in conveying that he'd died. :smallbiggrin:

[Zael Zuran]

I love the cat in the movie also. Aside from being the only predator shown speaking in the movie, I think they got the "hunting malice" of cats down perfectly. Especially her return of Hazel's taunt while needling him with her claws.

"Can you run? I think not.... I think not."

I walked into that scene more times than I can count with my old one eyed cat Monk.

My Mom grew tired of finding bird heads on the porch, so she slapped a bell on him. The next morning the porch was covered with eviscerated rabbits and squirrels.

So much for the bell. Turns out he felt the birds were more fun / challenging to chase. So he made a point to my mother. The bell was gone, and it was back to birds. (He also hunted vermin: moles, mice, bugs, etc.)

I miss him. :smallfrown:

[....]

I love the cat in the movie also. Aside from being the only predator shown speaking in the movie, I think they got the "hunting malice" of cats down perfectly. Especially her return of Hazel's taunt while needling him with her claws.

"Can you run? I think not.... I think not."


The cat had the same line in the book. Its one of the better villain quotes out there, I think.

That book made me hate cats, muha ha.

[Kitya]

I do not own the book, altho it's on my "To Buy" list. I saw the movie as a kid, and to this day, even tho I have not seen it in a good 20 years, I can still sing the entire song of Bright Eyes. A year ago I saw the movie selling for 10 bucks at WalMart and I snagged it so fast! I am waiting till my kidlet is a bit older before I let her watch it, but it was an amazing movie.

Watership down didn't scare me the same way that Watcher In The Woods did. Watership Down made me sad. I really empathised with the characters. Watcher in the Woods, on the other hand, just scared the bejesus outta me. My folks figured, Oh! Disney Movie! Kid movie! I THINK NOT! Talk about creepy music! Ghostly child in mirrors?! ACK! Of course... this is the same child that watched Jaws umm.. don't remmber which number... the one with the aquarium with the shark tunnel... My UNCLE thought it would be a PERFECT movie for us kids to watch with the adults. HAH! Me and my little brother spent the entire time peeking over the back of the couch! We were terrified, but we had to keep watching. *laffs*

I suppose this explains why I am so warped.

[Maryring]

Oh, I read that book, and loved it. And then I saw the movie, and even though I was... what, 16? The scene where the rabbits are poisoned to death... that scene really REALLY scared me. Even though I was old, it was so gruesome. I by far prefered the book, as I could make it far less graphical.

The movie was far too gory, but the book was excellent.

[Toastkart]

Reading this thread has made me reread the book, something I haven't done this year. Usually I reread this book once a year, it's that good.

[Hell Puppi]

The Black rabbit and el-ahrairah are 2 different entities, there's also Frith-rah, which is the sun-god of bunnies. Tales from Watership Down explains it a little better.

Shardik I didn't find to be all that great, though he was awesome in the Dark Tower series. You know Stephen King reads Richard Adams...he even mentions Watership Down in The Stand.

Yeah I read way too much SK and Richard Adams. Canya tell?

[horseboy]

Hmm, the movie hit me somewhere between Roy Fokker dying on camera, but not as much as Optimus Prime's death. Probably a notch or two below that Warner Brother's short "Peace on Earth" that shows the death of man in a genocidal war. Man, no wonder I'm so messed up.

Book: easily on par with Kipling. Maybe even to the level of Cervantes.

[....]

Probably a notch or two below that Warner Brother's short "Peace on Earth" that shows the death of man in a genocidal war. Man, no wonder I'm so messed up.

Holy crap, is that the one where the last two men on earth shoot each other in WW2 era uniforms and the bunnies and other cute animals tell stories about it?

That cartoon ruined me, man.

[Serpentine]

It's a book about rabbits, but it's a book about rabbits like Lord of the Flies is a book about kids on the beach.
I love this description.
I haven't read the book or seen the movie - although the image of a rabbit seeing a vision of a tide of blood washing over the hills is burned in my mind, so I suppose I've seen the start? - but I know the gist of what it's about. The Animals of Farthing Wood wasn't written by the same guy, was it? It seems like a story along those same lines.
Regarding Plague Dogs, I'm pretty glad it had a happy ending, but then, I don't like being sad.

[Kaelaroth]

I read it last year. My favourite character was Fiver. And maybe I cried a little bit. Traumatising!!!

What? I'm a teen, I'm hormonal... :smallfrown:

[CurlyKitGirl]

The book is in my chariity shop and I keep asking my mum to get it for me but she always forgets and I never get home until six so I can't buy it.
And the film: my Gods, I saw it all the way through for the fist time last year so I was fifteen. It was traumatising as hell. I mean how could that be a childrens' film, the seagull swears, there's visions of blood and traumatising abstract ways of bunnies from the original warren being gassed and so many bunnes die.
I mean, everyone watching sees the bunnies as humans in a way and it's a very deep and terrifying experience. Ans so vicious. How could they make this a childrens film? I've seen Freddy films with less eaths and traumatising ways.
And the end always makes me cry too. Long live Hazel-Ra.
Woundwort was damn scarty but he probably killed the dog and fled. I think.