Comment

Jul 31, 2017cknightkc rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
First of all, I’m not a fan of fantasy so this review of WATERSHIP DOWN was probably doomed from the start. It’s not the kind of literature I would choose to read on my own, but it was selected by my book group so I gave it a shot. I admit the story is creative in that it’s an old-fashioned adventure tale told through the eyes of personified rabbits (the smart one, the seer, the fighter, the villain, etc.), but I didn’t especially find the characters memorable. Although probably not intentional, I thought the tale was terribly sexist in its portrayal/treatment of the does and didn't translate well to today’s world. I enjoyed the English countryside setting, however the endless descriptions of the native flora and rabbits’ feeding habits became tedious and bogged the story down. Finally, author Richard Adams employed techniques characteristic of the fantasy genre which I find particularly infuriating: moments when bunny folklore, legend, or poetry are shared, and the use of invented vocabulary, dialect that is challenging to understand, and names that are unpronounceable. I floundered for the first 20+ pages before I discovered the “Lapine Glossary” at the back of the book, but even then I often had to interrupt my reading to consult it throughout the rest of the story. From all the high ratings this so-called “modern classic” has received, I realize my reaction isn’t typical, but where fans found it enchanting, I found it boring. For me, WATERSHIP DOWN was way, way too long and too easy to put down - bottom line, I just didn’t get it. Now, I’ll disappear down the rabbit hole.