Watership Down ~ Richard Adams (54 of 2025)

 

The Book: If you love literature and world-building → Read the book. It’s a masterpiece that lingers in your mind for years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TpBTbZLNTw

The Movie...If you want an emotional visual experience → Watch the 1978 film. It’s one of the most haunting animated films ever made. Skip the 2018 version unless you’re very curious. The movie captured the book in a precise form and beautifully.  It follows the book’s main plot closely, condensing without losing the essence. The animation is hauntingly beautiful and melancholy — soft watercolor backgrounds paired with shocking violence.

Watership Down by Richard Adams is a classic adventure novel published in 1972.  The story follows a group of rabbits who flee their warren after one of them, Fiver, has a vision of impending destruction. The story begins in the English countryside. The Chief Rabbit dismisses the warning, so Hazel leads a group of rabbits to escape. Led by Hazel, they embark on a perilous journey across the English countryside to find a new home.

The group faces numerous challenges:

1. Cowslip’s Warren: They find a warren where rabbits live in comfort but under a sinister arrangement: humans feed them but occasionally kill them. Fiver senses the danger, and they leave.
2. Efrafa: Later, they discover Efrafa, a warren ruled by General Woundwort, a tyrant who enforces strict control. Hazel devises a daring plan to free does (female rabbits) from Efrafa so their own warren can thrive.
3. Predators and Terrain: They cross fields, rivers, and roads, constantly threatened by foxes, dogs, and humans.
4. Internal Struggles: Some rabbits doubt Hazel’s leadership, but Hazel proves resourceful and fair.

The group finally settles on Watership Down, a high hill offering safety and visibility. They build a new warren, but survival still depends on bringing in does to ensure the colony’s future. Hazel leads a bold raid on Efrafa. Through cunning and courage, they outwit Woundwort and his forces. The battle is intense, but Hazel’s leadership and Bigwig’s bravery secure victory. Peace returns. Hazel grows old, and in a poignant final scene, the rabbit god-like figure, El-ahrairah, invites Hazel to join the afterlife. Hazel dies peacefully, knowing his warren is safe and thriving.

Although it’s about rabbits, the book deals with serious themes like tyranny, resilience, and morality, making it appealing to both adults and younger readers.

The book is about:

• Survival and Leadership: Hazel emerges as a compassionate and strategic leader, contrasting with authoritarian figures they encounter.
• Community and Freedom: The rabbits seek a safe place where they can live freely, facing threats from predators, humans, and rival warrens.
• Mythology and Culture: Adams creates a rich rabbit folklore, complete with its own language (Lapine) and legends, adding depth to the world.