Reg sones was one of richard adams closest friends, who read and corrected the proofs of watership down. Perhaps youre into grim, gritty realism and think youre beyond any such fluff. Watership down study guide from litcharts the creators of. Set in southern england, around hampshire, the story features a small group of rabbits. This is a really special familyfriendly edition of watership down. If you find and correct errors in the text, please. Watership down is a hill, or down, at ecchinswell in the civil parish of ecchinswell, sydmonton and bishops green in the english county of hampshire, as part of the hampshire downs. May 05, 2015 watership down wasnt called watership down. Richard george adams 9 may 1920 24 december 2016 was an english novelist and writer of the books watership down, shardik and the plague dogs. Finally, a book that tells us the honesttogoodness truth about rabbits. Watership down was written for adults, but adolescents often find it more irresistible than their elders do. And since this is a new place, they have the chance to come up with some new ideas and start over.
On one level it is quite a long book, written in fairly adult language which deals with serious issues like life and death, making it seem unsuitable for children. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading watership down. The book sold a million copies worldwide in its first few years in print and has gone on to become recognized as a modern classic. A novel of the middle ages ive tremendously enjoyed rereading this wonderful book. This study guide consists of approximately 76 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of watership down. And youd be forgiven for thinking the book is merely an overlong fairy tale or something akin to brian jacques series of redwall fantasy novels. Dandelion was one of the sandleford warren survivors. Rex collings, the intrepid publisher who took a chance on the thenunknown adams, was the first to suggest calling the novel watership down. In 1974, two years after watership down was published. Although they live in their natural wild environment, with burrows, they are anthropomorphised, possessing their own culture. He becomes the leader of the rabbits when they reach watership down, with a particular talent at bringing out the best in his friends and inspiring their loyalty. Fiver foresees great danger to the rabbits home warren. Watership down simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Afterwards, he completed his studies, and then joined the british civil service.
Why watership down should be on every students reading list. In this fantasy book, rabbits with human intelligence are shown in their natural environment. Watership down is a modern classic that has sold over 50 million copies worldwide. The novel takes place close to where richard adams grew up in berkshire. A list of important facts about richard adamss watership down, including setting, climax, protagonists, and antagonists. He studied modern history at university before serving in the british army during world war ii. Watership down is an odd book and i can see why publishers were so hesitant to touch it. It tells the story of rabbits and their adventures concerning their warren at a hill in the north of hampshire, england known as watership down in this fantasy book, rabbits with human intelligence are shown in their natural environment. After a rabbit named fiver has a vision that his warren will be destroyed, he tells his fellow rabbits to run away with him. May 18, 2012 watership down the television show lasted for 39 episodes from 1999 to 2001. The original book s author richard adams came up with the story to keep his daughters happy on a long car journey.
They have a culture, a language, proverbs, poetry and. A novel puffin books book 1 kindle edition by adams, richard. Watership down is my 3rd favorite book of all time behind gone with the wind and in a dark wood wandering. Watership down is the tale of a group of rabbits in search of a home. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. May 05, 2020 richard adams, in full richard george adams, born may 9, 1920, wash common, berkshire now west berkshire, englanddied december 24, 2016, english author known for reinvigorating the genre of anthropomorphic fiction, most notably with the beloved childrens book watership down 1972. They implant themselvessome by main force, others by subtle injectioninto the living tissues of your being, to remain there, illuminating your view of life ever after. Watership down is a survival and adventure novel by english author richard adams, published by rex collings ltd of london in 1972. But trust me, watership down is so much more than a simple childrens story. Adams wrote watership down and began sending it to agents and publishers. Hazel and fiver are eating with two other rabbits, blackberry and dandelion. Cane, their little girl lucy and their farmhands are fictitious and bear no intentional resemblance to any persons known to me, living or.
First published in 1972, this paperback reissue with a stunning new cover celebrates its 40th anniversary. Although this is an animated film featuring cute rabbits as the main characters, this is far from a childrens movie, and considering the. In sum, watership down, though not a comfortable nor even a lovely book, is deeply moving and vividly memorable in the way that all good books, all works of true art, are. Watership down study guide from litcharts the creators. He can tell when things are going to happen and he can sense whether they will be good or bad. Watership down the television show lasted for 39 episodes from 1999 to 2001.
His brother hazel, who is slightly larger and helps take care of fiver, takes. The watership down quotes below are all either spoken by fiver or refer to fiver. It retold much of the classic story with modifications and included other characters and adventures. Winner of the carnegie medal and the guardian childrens fiction prize. Something terrible was going to happen to the warren he felt sure of it. They have a culture, a language, proverbs, poetry and mythology.
He always makes a joke when someone says something out of the ordinary, and he talks back to everyone. But as richard adamss watership down teaches us, rabbits are actually violent, adventurous creatures, with a complex culture and mythology. For instance, they could build an awesome palace of a rabbit hole like cowslips warren or maybe invent online social networking. Watership down is a novel written by richard adams. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. A group of rabbits flee their doomed warren and face many dangers to find and protect their new home. Watership down by richard adams takes place in the english countryside. They have their own culture, language, proverbs, poetry and mythology. This stirring tale of courage and survival against the odds has become one of the bestloved animal adventures of all time. With john hurt, richard briers, ralph richardson, michael graham cox.
Sparknotes is here for you weve got everything you need to ace or teach. The character of fiver in watership down from litcharts. He told the story of elahrairah and his friend and right side leader, rabscuttles, long journey home from the warren of the dead. Watership down is an epic journey, a stirring tale of adventure, courage and survival against the odds. Richard adams, in full richard george adams, born may 9, 1920, wash common, berkshire now west berkshire, englanddied december 24, 2016, english author known for reinvigorating the genre of anthropomorphic fiction, most notably with the beloved childrens book watership down 1972. Inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, to reg sones with gratitude and warm feelings richard adams november 1972. Nuthanger farm is a real place, like all the other places in the book. It rises fairly steeply on its northern flank the scarp side, but to the south the slope is much gentler the dip side. In the second book, tales from watership down, dandelion told the stories following elahrairah finding the black rabbit of inle, and going through the warren of the dead. Watership down tells the tale of a very dark journey. It tells the story of rabbits and their adventures concerning their warren at a hill in the north of hampshire, england known as watership down. It tells the story of rabbits and their adventures concerning their warren at a hill in the north of hampshire, england known as watership down in this fantasy novel, rabbits of human intelligence are shown in their natural environment.
Hazel, also known as hazelrah by the watership down rabbits, is a brave and intelligent buck, the main protagonist in watership down, and a character in tales from watership down. All this time we thought rabbits were just cute, floppyeared carroteaters with a penchant for hopping. Although the rabbit characters have a language and a culture, and they converse and interact just as humans do, these are not capandwaistcoat picture book bunnies, but fully realized characters whose conflicts and triumphs keep readers engrossed. In this fantasy novel, rabbits of human intelligence are shown in their natural environment. Many of the does rescued from efrafa give birth to new litters of kittens.
Illustrated with a combination of stills from the tv and soft line artwork, this is a wonderful introduction to richard adams original awardwinning story, first published over 45. Watership down is a world of rabbits in darkness popmatters. Watership down is a real place that you can actually visit. A novel of the middle ages ive tremendously enjoyed rereading this wonderful book again.
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