Watership Down

Hadn't read this one since I was a kid, and I was surprised at how well it held up. It's really quite an action/adventure story, and the pacing is mostly first rate. The anthropomorphizing is fascinating, in part because Adams is able to keep the animalistic nature of the rabbits even though they are going around talking, theorizing and the like. It's definitely a product of its time regarding gender, but it still takes on an amazing number of (human) social problems for a book that is ostensibly about a bunch of rabbits. In particular, the fascist police state warren seems particularly poignant at the moment, as our police state continues to grow.

”???Well, I???d rather say no more about the end of that meeting. Strawberry tried all he could to help me. He spoke very well about the decency and comradeship natural to animals. ???Animals don???t behave like men,??? he said. ???If they have to fight, they fight; and if they have to kill, they kill. But they don???t sit down and set their wits to work to devise ways of spoiling other creatures??? lives and hurting them. They have dignity and animality.???

In the introduction, the author addresses the rejections he got when trying to find a publisher for the book. All of them said that it was too childish for older children and written in too adult of a fashion for younger children. And that is basically my assessment of the book as well. However, some publisher saw something in the manuscript, and I'm glad, because it is definitely an enjoyable book to read. I'm just not sure who would read it. It's an adventure tale about a group of rabbits, great children's book material. But it is rather dark and gruesome at points. It might be best for adults like me who like to sometimes read books intended for somewhat younger audiences. Overall, delightful characters, gripping plot twists and great writing.