I couldn't understand what the big deal is about this book, right up until I read it, that is. People who love it, really love it. Now I'm one of them.
Yes, the characters are rabbits, and that might lead you to believe it's a children's book. Assume that, and you miss out on some really amazing fiction.
By making the characters rabbits, Adams has the option of giving them their own history and mythology. It also makes it somewhat magical, in that it forces us to think about what other layers of existence are occurring alongside our own. However, having rabbits as heroes and villains doesn't limit the story in any way.
The rabbits are real characters from the very beginning. There are leaders and followers, bullies and friends, prophets and warriors. Some rabbits are as ingenious as others are stupid. Throughout the book (which comes in at a healthy 476 pages), you really start to identify with the characters. I think Bigwig ended up being my favorite. He was brave and true and loyal, but smart enough to understand the big picture when he needed to.
I thought the rabbit mythology was incredibly interesting. The fact that there were stories within the story really drove home important stories are. Reading it again, that's an odd sentence, but let me explain. When the rabbits were afraid or needed guidance, when they were meeting other warrens, or even just when they were passing time, they'd tell stories of their history, of their gods and their ancestors. The stories themselves were helpful, but the act of storytelling itself was incredibly important. It was a communal activity. The stories were oral and shared. Oddly enough, it made me sad while I was reading the book because of course, I was enjoying it alone. We've lost a lot of communal storytelling, where a lot of people hear a story at once and then they can talk about it.
My nephew is coming to stay in a few weeks, and I'm going to hold on to this book to read it to him before bed. Even if we only get part of the way through, I think my sister would finish it with him when he got home. It's probably a little too hard for him to read by himself, but that's okay. Interestingly, in the prologue, Richard Adams talks about how people were a little distressed by the "adult themes" present in the book. Some parts really are quite dark. He brushes it off, and says that kids know what the world looks like. I agree.
This counts toward the 100+ Challenge, Chunkster Challenge, and Page to Screen Challenge*.
I was trying to watch the movie before I wrote about this. I got halfway through and fell asleep one night. I decided to go ahead and write it up, and then revise the post once I've finished the movie.
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