A Review of Children’s Fiction - Watership Down

(Puffin Modern Classics)

Watership Down is excellent children’s fiction, written by Richard Adams and published by Puffin Books. The book is an excellent children’s book which I thoroughly enjoyed reading for the second time. A classic to be found at any children’s books online store. Now that I have just finished the book I am not at all surprised that this book was ranked the 42nd greatest book in a survey of the British Public by the Big Read in 2003.

The book starts with a premonition by one of the rabbits that their warren will be destroyed and so the five rabbits decide to abandon their home. This is the beginning of their epic travels across the country and their close scrapes in the search for a new home. 

There has been quite rightly criticism for the role that female rabbits play in the book. The females do not have anywhere near an equal role to the male rabbits. The only role that the females bring is to allow for reproduction to take place. If there is reproduction then the longevity of the Watership down warren is then assured.

The book certainly has green credentials, through the rabbit world that the reader is taken into. I do not think there is any doubt in this. The only question is how green is the book? Is the book all green or almost green? Finally, I come down on the side of almost green despite the destruction of the rabbits their environment and warrens.