Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Book learning #15.



Watership Down by Richard Adams.

I loved this book!
Loved it! Loved it! Loved it!

Well written, gentle (although in places horrifically violent) escapism. Perfect for the rural Englishman trapped in a New York summer.

I never thought that i would enjoy a novel about rabbits. I had recently seen the movie again (after a twenty five year lapse) and enjoyed it. I showed the movie to my class in June, they liked it, (except child of teacher chum who was freaked out and had to leave the room).
I was in a bookstore a few weeks ago looking for something for Frau Random Doubt when I picked this up, thought "Why not? It's summer, not alot else going on? A novel about rabbits? The worst that can happen is that it can suck, right?"

Well it did not suck, it delighted me at every turn.
The characters, their adventures, the journey through the English countryside. Everything about this book had me in love with it. It also made me homesick, but in a nice way, I'm not often homesick like that.

As I write I am sad, sad in the way that finishing a wonderful tale can make you sad. Sad also for the two great looking books I have lined up next.

They have a hell of a lot of living up to do.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love Watership Down the movie!!!
It freaked me out little when i was younger.Maybe I'll find a copy for Jake

Anonymous said...

I can't believe you people would show that movie to children. Mean, violent bunnies are not to be taken lightly. Of course, Mondale is the man who read Animal Farm to his 3rd graders last year, so I guess making sure the students are animal lovers is not high on his list of priorities.

Mondale said...

I didn't read Animal Farm the whole way through, just the good bits!
Bri, there is a food chain and by chance and habit we seem to be at the top of it. I am a believer in that food chain, it's a good thing. When the bunnies of this world take over they will have every right to find me and eat me alive, until that day I will do everything in my power to utilise animals for my own benefit.

Anonymous said...

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