I learned more about rabbits reading Watership Down than I have by raising them. I have read it several times, and each time I fall in love all over again.
My first reading was as a young teen. I didn’t really grasp the political implications and the social commentary until I read it again in my twenties. I can’t say I enjoyed the story more because of understanding it better, but I did find the reading a deeper experience.
My boys fell in love with Richard Adams’ classic book many years ago. And I learned to read it as a child again. Because, in Adam’s own words,“I’ve always said that Watership Down is not a book for children. I say: it’s a book, and anyone who wants to read it can read it.” For him, it’s just a story, not meant to be a parable or an allegory or any of the things we crazy scholars accuse it of being.
It’s best enjoyed as just that–a wonderful, action-packed, astounding story.
In this house, we go tharn when we are shocked, scared, or speechless. Our rabbits go to silflay when we let them out of their cages. And we’re always on the lookout for Owsla.
