I was surprised at the level of sexual frankness in the story, considering that it was written in 1935. The novel has a very modern "feel" to it; aside from the speakeasies and a few other details one could imagine it taking place today. It could be justifiably called a character study and falls into the trend of realism prevalent in the day, like An American Tragedy. The writing style is sparse and straightforward, which adds to the modern, gritty feel. There is something inherentl... (show more)

I was surprised at the level of sexual frankness in the story, considering that it was written in 1935. The novel has a very modern "feel" to it; aside from the speakeasies and a few other details one could imagine it taking place today. It could be justifiably called a character study and falls into the trend of realism prevalent in the day, like An American Tragedy. The writing style is sparse and straightforward, which adds to the modern, gritty feel. There is something inherently hypnotic about the story and the ending is wide open for interpretation. Overall, it's an excellent examination of personality, class, and the "grass on the other side of the fence".I loved the Farleys because they showed how true the old saying about appearances being deceiving is. Others are jealous of their "stable" relationship but in reality they don't even like each other. In the end, people are people, and everyone has problems. (show less)

The story of a group of rabbits trekking across the English countryside in search of a new home, Watership Down is reminiscent of classical epics like The Odyssey. It's a solid, cozy story, and a must-read for animal lovers. It seems very much like a parable of sorts, although the author has stated that he intended nothing of the sort, and that he came up with the story as a way of entertaining his daughter. As opposed to a human epic, there is no single character that towers above the rest. ... (show more)

The story of a group of rabbits trekking across the English countryside in search of a new home, Watership Down is reminiscent of classical epics like The Odyssey. It's a solid, cozy story, and a must-read for animal lovers. It seems very much like a parable of sorts, although the author has stated that he intended nothing of the sort, and that he came up with the story as a way of entertaining his daughter. As opposed to a human epic, there is no single character that towers above the rest. There is certainly a main character or two, but the reader feels that the most of the other rabbits are quite important to the story as well; there is a large sense of community that mimics the nature of rabbit society. This is a good book for most ages, and honestly after reading it I felt I had had always known the story. Adams captured the familiar feel of childhood tales and like any good "fairy tale", Watership Down deals with fundamental questions like the place of the individual and the value of freedom. Your collection of well-known stories will be missing something without this one. (show less)