Watership Down

How can a seemingly sweet story about rabbits garner so much attention, make such an impact, and change people’s lives? That’s what we’re here to find out.

Why Watership Down by Richard Adams is considered a classic

The first thing that makes Watership Down, much like The Plague Dogs, a classic is how fast people forget it’s a story about animals. The parallels with the real world, ideologies, societies, and cultures are uncanny, helping children and adults alike learn through the story. This Disney-like story has impeccable storytelling by a United Kingdom author, Richard Adams.

This story, set in the British countryside, received various awards and adaptations. TV shows and animated films made by BBC and others are even available on Netflix and Amazon Prime today, with voice acting from actors like James Mcavoy, Nicholas Hoult, and John Boyega.

As far as awards go, Watership Down has received a Carnegie Medal and Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, among many others. There’s even a song recorded with this book in mind titled “Bright Eyes” by Art Garfunkel.

An overview of Watership Down

It all began with Fiver’s vision of Sandleford warren’s destruction. He tries to warn the Chief Rabbit at the time of what’s to come. Unfortunately, he’s quickly dismissed.

Convincing other rabbits to join the escape didn’t go that well either, and Holly, captain of the Sandleford Owsla, tried to stop them, but the group managed to escape.

The group now travels and is composed of Bigwig, Silver, Blackberry, Dandelion, Pipkin, and others.

Along the way, they meet Cowslip, who invites them to join his warren of hutch rabbits, but this was a bad idea. After escaping, the group finally reaches Watership Down hill – their new home.

Once there, old warren mates come to inform them that Fiver’s vision has come true. And even though their new warren is a peaceful home, there are no does.

A seagull named Kehaar is a friend of the group, and he helps them find an overcrowded warren – Efrafa. This is the perfect opportunity for Hazel to send an embassy, and request does.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t go to plan because they soon discover that Efrafa is a police state run by a vicious general Woundwort. Several does, however, do escape, but the group suffers losses on their way back.

Finally, the Efrafan general launches an attack on Watership Down’s warren, but that attack is repelled. When the dust settles, Hazel establishes another warren and ensures everyone is well taken care of.

Themes in Watership Down

Rabbits have their own Lapine language and even folk stories, like the one about El-ahrairah – the prince of a thousand enemies. The folklore includes Frith, the sun, and the black rabbit of Inle.

Even though the Sandleford rabbits go through many hardships along the way, they stick together, shining light on the importance of friendship.

The topic of leadership is also significant, especially since Hazel wasn’t that important back in Sandleford warren. This also goes hand in hand with the thin line between freedom and oppression.

Main characters of Watership Down

Watership Down features many unique characters. However, there are three main rabbits we want to talk more about – Hazel, Fiver, and Bigwig.

Hazel – the leader of rabbits

Hazel wasn’t anyone important back in Sandleford warren. However, as soon as his friend, Fiver, had a vision – Hazel wanted to support him. He even went so far to leave his home because of how deeply he believed his friend’s visions.

After the group of rabbits left, they recognized how smart Hazel was and appointed him the leader. Later on, this proves to be a great decision because Hazel ensured Watership Down and Caesar’s Belt were both healthy warrens, thriving in their own ways.

Fiver – the visionary

Even though he’s a runt, Fiver wasn’t useless in the runaway group.

His visions helped Watership Down warren come to life, and it has saved them all from certain death. He might’ve been small, but Fiver is intelligent and has strong instincts. He wasn’t the official leader of the group, but others listened to him all the same.

Bigwig – the fighter

Bigwig is the guardian of the group. He is a large rabbit, the strongest of the group. In the beginning, he was often cynical. But as time goes on, he learns how to be compassionate and less impulsive.

Bigwig is cunning in his own ways, and that’s shown in his rescues and victory against the Efrafa general, who was larger than him. At the very end, he becomes the leader of Hazel’s Owsla.

Listen to more audiobooks like the Watership Down with Speechify audiobooks

If the story of Watership Down sounds interesting to you, we’re happy to inform you that Speechify has an excellent audiobook version of Watership Down and thousands more audiobooks with stories just like it.

The Speechify audiobook library features over 70,000+ titles of all genres, making it the perfect choice for people of all ages who love listening to their books. Try it today and discover what makes Speechify audiobooks so fantastic. Plus, get your first premium audiobook for free when you sign up for Speechify Audiobooks.

FAQ

Is Watership Down disturbing?

Not by default, but some readers may find it so.

What is the true meaning of Watership Down?

Watership Down is an allegory about the constant struggle between freedom and oppression, reason and emotion, and individuals and the corporate world.

Is Watership Down a sad story?

There are some elements to the story that can make readers sad. It is a story of struggle with a happy ending.

Is Watership Down kid friendly?

Absolutely! Watership Down came to life through stories Richard Adams told his daughters.

What is the difference between Watership Down (1978) and Watership Down (2018)?

While the story remains the same, the first Watership Down movie (dir. by Martin Rosen) was drawn and animated in 2D, while the movie from 2018 uses CGI to bring Sandleford rabbits to life. The first movie features the voices of John Hurt, Richard Briers, Harry Andrews, Samuel Joel Zero Mostel, and others.

Is Watership Down lighthearted?

Since this book deals with some more serious life topics, we wouldn’t exactly say it’s lighthearted.

What would you recommend Watership Down to people who enjoy it?

If you’re into fantasy fiction and fairy tales that deal with real-life struggles and topics, Watership Down is the book for you.