Well, thanks to Bigwig and the gang at Silflay Hraka, I got interested in Richard Adams' Watership Down. I am surprised I had not previously picked up this delightful novel, but it seems to have to initially arrived on the scene at a point in my lifetime when I was likely preoccupied with pursuits other than keepin' up what was on the New York Times Bestseller list. It has been a very long time since I last found a book in which I became so thoroughly enthralled that I couldn't put it down. On the cover of my paperback copy is this review from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Astonishing . . . Everyone who can read English should read it.I wholeheartedly agree. Thank you Richard Adams for a most unique glimpse into the lives of the residents of the warren at Watership Down.
[UPDATE: From Amazon.com, there was this beginnin' line of a review:
Watership Down has been a staple of high-school English classes for years.Regrettably, it seems this book was penned at the same time as I was gettin' out of high-school, so that may be one of the reasons I had not previously encountered the tale. Hopefully it replaced that dreadful staple of our high-school English classes: William Gerald Golding's Lord of the Flies.] Posted by notGeorge at April 4, 2004 09:31 AM | TrackBack
I read Watership Down when I was still in single digits. It was one of my favorite books, and even waaaay back then I saw the meaning behind the story. Someday I'm going to introduce Zane to it.
Did you know there was an animated movie as well...? It's old and as un-PC as the book, IIRC...
--TwoDragons
Posted by: Denita TwoDragons at April 5, 2004 09:45 AMI read it in the 9th grade. And I've been thinking about dusting off my old copy when I'm done with the latest Harry Potter book.
Posted by: jen at April 5, 2004 11:07 AMI remember that book. Back in the day...Seventh grade, I think? I still have nicknames for people from that book...
Posted by: G-Fry at April 7, 2004 08:26 PM