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thebookcoop

thebookcoop

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The Tale of Genji
Murasaki Shikibu, Royall Tyler
She Rises
Kate Worsley
Watership Down - Richard Adams This is not a story about cute little bunnies. I think anyone who comes into this book expecting a cute animal story will be surprised, but they should not be disappointed.

This book gives power to rabbits, every rabbit I see nibbling grass at the roadside - or that wild rabbit who lives in the park in the middle of the city, is a rabbit from Watership Down.

If you do not know the story, then simply it is a story of how a group of male rabbits escape from one warren under threat from humans, to form a new warren elsewhere and then their search for does.

Adams tells the story in a matter-or-fact way - the rabbits are real and not some cartoon representation. They are not humanised so much to make them sympathetic to us. Rabbits live as rabbits, but instead of being mere animals they are civilised, thoughtful and imaginative creature. Anyone who has had a pet rabbit will probably know this isn't far from the truth.

The rabbits tell stories of the great El-hairahrah (not sure if I have spelt that right!) and although I found these interruptions to be slightly, okay rather annoying I came to terms with them by the end. I think, even though I did not like reading them, that they were necessary in developing the rabbit's society.

Richard Adam's style of writing is detailed and beautiful. He takes you deep into Hampshire countryside and brings you down to rabbit level so that you see everything from their point of view - not as a human looking down upon rabbits.

I loved this and don't know why I never read it earlier.