Tales from Watership Down

Amazon.com
The original Watership Down is one of those wonderful works that appeals to readers both young and old. The story of a group of rabbits on an adventure into unfamiliar yards, farms, and fields made for an imaginative, captivating journey. This latest work follows the aftermath of the original's climactic ending and includes the rabbits' retelling of various myths associated with their rabbit-hood, plus some new twists and developments. This is a captivating introduction to Adams's warren for first-time visitors, and those who loved the original Watership Down won't be disappointed.


From Publishers Weekly
As readers of Watership Down (1974) will recall, Adams reached classic heights of inspired storytelling in that fable of the animal kingdom, performing a finely calibrated juggling act between the real and the imagined. These 19 interrelated tales continue the adventures of the rabbits met in the earlier book, after their defeat of General Woundwart and the Efrafans. The deeds of the hero El-ahrairah are celebrated in the seven stories of Part One (of three). El-ahrairah's stalwart companion Rabscuttle joins him for four tales in Part Two, while the remaining stories, which are devoted to Hazel and his rabbits, have the continuity of a novel. Mystical, occasionally allegorical, full of whimsy, rich in vivid descriptions of the rabbits' society and of the natural world, the tales are often suspenseful, frequently amusing and invariably clever. The rabbits exhibit a wide range of behavior, showing themselves to be manipulative, defiant, ignorant and self-satisfied, along with noble, loving and brave. There is a brief summation of what happened in the initial passages of the first tale, but from there on, the book stands on its own. El-ahrairah's heroic exploits include his perilous journey to obtain a sense of smell for all rabbits and his search for eternal youth, while his adventures with Rabscuttle find them both leading another group of rabbits across a dangerous marsh as they attempt to evade an army of rapacious, savage rats. Eventually, a new warren is founded and various other ones reconfigure and recombine. The collection comes to a satisfying close by ending, as it began, with an account of the bold deeds of another heroic rabbit, formerly an enemy, now a valued member of the new warren. Illustrations not seen by PW. 200,000 first printing. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
A collection of stories set in the fantastical warren of the bestselling Watership Down (1974). These uplifting and affirming fables say as much about human experience as they do about the rabbit world. Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
This is Adams's long-anticipated encore to Watership Down (LJ 4/15/74), the enormously popular novel of rabbit life and adventure. With the small collection of self-contained short stories, plus a minisequel, fans and newcomers alike will marvel at Adams's singularly crafted world. Most of the stories follow the mythical adventures of El-ahrairah, a legendary rabbit hero whose quests of a bygone era served to furnish his species with, among other things, the common tools of survival, such as the sense of smell. Other, less fantastical tales, update the lives of the rabbits following General Woundwort's defeat at the end of Watership Down. As with the original novel, Adams avoids mere anthropomorphism, equipping the rabbits with their own unique characteristics. Sure to appeal to readers of every type, this is highly recommended for all fiction collections.-?John Noel, Tennessee Tech Univ. Lib., LebanonCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.


The New York Times Book Review, J. D. Biersdorfer
... works well as a lighthearted companion piece to the original novel ...


From AudioFile
Nigel Havers's skill and versatility complement six stories selected from the book that continue the saga of WATERSHIP DOWN (1974). Even those who only dimly recall the original story will be drawn into these allegorical tales of adventure, treachery, friendship and courage. Havers makes his credible vocal characterizations of rabbits seem easy. In turn gruff, stern, aged and youthful, he finds the perfect intonation for each character and story. Although it would have been helpful if the summary of earlier events (which appears in the book) had been included here, this richly textured production still draws the listener into the world of the rabbits and leaves one wishing for more. M.A.M. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
Since its publication in 1974, Watership Down has been beloved by readers of all ages. Now more than 20 years later, Adams offers a sequel of sorts in this collection of lyrically written tales, many of which concern the exploits of the rabbit folk hero El-ahrairah (The Prince with a Thousand Enemies). The tales are presented in three sections: the first consisting of five traditional stories about El-ahrairah, together with two nonsense tales; the second containing four stories about El-ahrairah and his companion Rabscuttle's arduous journey home from their fearful encounter with the Black Rabbit of Inle; and the third offering eight pieces about Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig, and the other rabbits in Hazel's warren. Adams continues his theme of wildlife preservation, with humankind remaining the preeminent enemy, and expands on the elaborate mythology that played so large a role in Watership Down. His memorable animal personalities are still very talky and carry their anthropomorphism with the same grace. This will be a sure hit with all those who have loved the first book. Sally Estes


Book Description

Return Again to the Warren for
the All-New Adventures of Fiver,
Hazel, BigWig, Dandelion, and
The Legendary El-Ahrairah.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

At last: twenty-four years after the publication of Watership Down - one of the century's best-loved works of imaginative literature - the superb storyteller Richard Adams reenters that unique and special world to tell us about the lives of the rabbits after their defeat of General Woundwort. Tales from Watership Down begins with some of the great folk stories well known to all rabbits. Then we listen in as Dandelion, the rabbits' master storyteller, relates the thrilling adventures experienced by El-ahrairah, the mythical rabbit hero, and his stalwart, Rabscuttle, during the long journey home after their terrible encounter with the Black Rabbit of Inle (as narrated in Watership Down). Finally, in the principal part of the book, we are told eight enchanting stories about the rabbits of the Down - Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig, and their companions - including the impact on the warren of the obsessive doe Flyairth, and the appointment of Hyzenthlay as a female Chief Rabbit and partner to Hazel.

FROM THE CRITICS

Sally Eckhoff

To those with an aversion to fairy stories, fake mythological lingo, and anything that anthropomorphizes animals, here's a book to make you swallow your doubts. Tales from Watership Down is a marvel. It consists of 19 stories, ostensibly about rabbits but actually concerning aspects of life - some mystical, some practical - that are traditionally hard to pin down. Hard, that is, Adams seems to argue, unless you're as sensitive as only a rabbit can be.

Adams is best known for two earlier books, Watership Down and The Plague Dogs, and for the films made from them. (He is also the author of Traveler, a moving and perceptive biography of Robert E. Lee's legendary war horse.) None of these quite convey the striking and often scary atmosphere he brings to this new collection, a full 20 years after we last heard from him.

Aside from the rabbits' vocabulary, which can be distracting, there's nothing prissy or inconsequential here. Adams clearly understands a great deal about rabbits, surely among God's poor because, as the old saw goes, He made so many of them. Rabbits are not only prey to what Adams calls "the thousand enemies," but to the cruel whims of the seasons. But few people can conjure up weather like Adams can, and hardly anybody has ever made an overgrown field in England sound so gorgeous and full of promise.

Rabbits' lives don't really have a point to them, not in any way people understand. Adams concerns himself instead with aspects of destiny that have to do with mysticism and nature - stuff we think we understand but really don't. The pure, unfamiliar feelings evoked in "The Story of the Three Cows" and in the gory "The Hole in the Sky" - just two of the stories here - persist for quite a while after you've finished reading them. How often do you get to step inside a wounded rabbit's delirium, or taste "the blessing of the years," a small animal's dreams of youth? And a laugh-out-loud nonsense yarn by a rabbit named Speedwell, with its crocus boats and sky-blue horses, may be the best carrot of all. -- Salon

Publishers Weekly

As readers of Watership Down (1974) will recall, Adams reached classic heights of inspired storytelling in that fable of the animal kingdom, performing a finely calibrated juggling act between the real and the imagined. These 19 interrelated tales continue the adventures of the rabbits met in the earlier book, after their defeat of General Woundwart and the Efrafans. The deeds of the hero El-ahrairah are celebrated in the seven stories of Part One (of three). El-ahrairah's stalwart companion Rabscuttle joins him for four tales in Part Two, while the remaining stories, which are devoted to Hazel and his rabbits, have the continuity of a novel. Mystical, occasionally allegorical, full of whimsy, rich in vivid descriptions of the rabbits' society and of the natural world, the tales are often suspenseful, frequently amusing and invariably clever. The rabbits exhibit a wide range of behavior, showing themselves to be manipulative, defiant, ignorant and self-satisfied, along with noble, loving and brave. There is a brief summation of what happened in the initial passages of the first tale, but from there on, the book stands on its own. El-ahrairah's heroic exploits include his perilous journey to obtain a sense of smell for all rabbits and his search for eternal youth, while his adventures with Rabscuttle find them both leading another group of rabbits across a dangerous marsh as they attempt to evade an army of rapacious, savage rats. Eventually, a new warren is founded and various other ones reconfigure and recombine. The collection comes to a satisfying close by ending, as it began, with an account of the bold deeds of another heroic rabbit, formerly an enemy, now a valued member of the new warren. Illustrations not seen by PW.

Library Journal

This is Adams's long-anticipated encore to Watership Down (LJ 4/15/74), the enormously popular novel of rabbit life and adventure. With the small collection of self-contained short stories, plus a minisequel, fans and newcomers alike will marvel at Adams's singularly crafted world. Most of the stories follow the mythical adventures of El-ahrairah, a legendary rabbit hero whose quests of a bygone era served to furnish his species with, among other things, the common tools of survival, such as the sense of smell. Other, less fantastical tales, update the lives of the rabbits following General Woundwort's defeat at the end of Watership Down. As with the original novel, Adams avoids mere anthropomorphism, equipping the rabbits with their own unique characteristics. Sure to appeal to readers of every type, this is highly recommended for all fiction collections. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 7/96.] John Noel, Tennessee Tech Univ. Lib., Lebanon

School Library Journal