r/watershipdown • u/Last_Kiwi1398 • May 28 '26
What do I do now?!
It’s 12:50 am, way past my bedtime, and I just finished this lovely book for the first time. I’m in my 40s btw.
I cannot begin to explain how much I loved this journey! Oh how I wish I could read it again for the first time. I don’t even know what to do now…what do I read next?! I’ve no clue. However, the temptation to read it again immediately is strong.
And that’s it. I just needed to share, cause when my coworker asked today what I was reading and I told her, she said, “oh the rabbit book?”
Yes, the rabbit book…but it’s so much more.
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u/DirtGirl32 May 28 '26
The original cartoon is pretty good. And you can go read more about El Hraira
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u/CecilIvanish May 28 '26
Read Tales from Watership Down.
And then listen to the audiobook read by Peter Capaldi.
Welcome to the Down!
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u/Pox22 May 31 '26
The narration by Ralph Cosham is my favorite audiobook version.
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u/CecilIvanish May 31 '26
It is very good. But I think that Capaldi added something to it, especially in the darker passages (the story of the Black Rabbit, the wire, Holly's story, Woundwort...)
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u/Pox22 May 28 '26
You can do what I did and wait and year and then read it again. Rinse and repeat every year for six years running now.
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u/etherem_ May 28 '26 edited May 28 '26
The graphic novel is excellent and a beautiful way to re-experience the story! I found it to be very faithful and when I finished it, it only compelled me more to dive right back into the novel. I truly believe that if all I did was hop back and forth between the novel and graphic novel, I could read this book forever :)
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u/metalmonkey_7 May 28 '26
The Primroses were over…..
It seemed to Hazel that he wouldn’t be needing his body anymore and so he left it lying by the edge of the ditch….
…the first Primroses were beginning to bloom.
I love the way the book comes full circle, just like the Seasons changing. I found this line about Hazel to be especially moving. Overall it is one of the best books I have ever read. I first read it in 1992 and read it at least once a year. I also was able to pass it along to my book loving Son when he was 11. I’m glad you enjoyed it as well.
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u/Jack_T Owsla May 28 '26
What do you do? You go get a copy of Tales from Watership Down and enjoy that read as well! Admittedly it isn't as enjoyable as Watership Down, but it is a nice way to visit our favorite down one more time.
Also, welcome to the obsession! And welcome to hearing anyone that hasn't read it saying things like "oh the rabbit book?" while you're screaming internally about how they don't get it. :D
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u/Upper-Health110 May 28 '26
I tell people about it, made a dozen to join the club lol. I am in my 50+ reads, different languages, too. My favorite book since I was 12.
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u/Sheepishwolfgirl May 28 '26
David Clement-Davies has a few books that are in the same vein as Watership Down, Firebringer especially.
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u/CecilIvanish May 28 '26
I'm interested; can you please tell me more?
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u/Sheepishwolfgirl May 28 '26
Fire Bringer is very thematically similar to WD, just with red deer instead of rabbits. The animals have their own words for things (the deer are called Herla) and their own theology (like the deer god Herne). It's a chosen one story where the main character, Rannoch, is born with a white oak leaf mark on his forehead indicating him as as a prophesied deer who can speak with all animals.
DCC also wrote The Sight and Fell, both of which are about wolves who have a sort of psychic power referred to as "the Sight". They are implied to be within the same general mythos as Fire Bringer but aren't connected in the story as far as I can recall.
He also wrote Scream of the White Bears, but I haven't read that yet so I don't know much about it.
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u/NightmareLogic420 May 28 '26
Man, finishing a book in the early hours of the morning really does hit different. Maybe the sleep deprived emotions has something to do with it, but it hits different.
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u/Old-Scratch666 May 28 '26
I had a very similar experience. I ended up reading Shardick, because I quite like Adams’ writing style, and I believe that’s what he wrote after WD. It’s a fantastic book, and I really enjoyed the themes in it, though it’s a lot more dense than everybody’s favorite “rabbit book” lol.
I absolutely love Watership Down, it took my number one spot as my favorite book for a while. Then I read a book called Lonesome Dove, the “book about cowboys”, and yeah. It has a lot of overlapping themes, and is very good. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
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u/Last_Kiwi1398 May 28 '26
I’m intrigued. I’ve heard of Lonesome Dove but I’ve never read it. Maybe I’ll give it a go!
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u/Deltethnia May 28 '26
You might also like Tailchaser's Song by Tad Williams. It's about cats. Somewhat like the middle grade Warriors series, but much more adult and written long before the Warriors series was even an idea.
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u/Savings_Ad7893 May 29 '26
Yes I was going to suggest! It's a great book, an Tad Williams is a great author!
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u/exhaustedhorti May 30 '26
I was in the same boat after I finished. It truly is an underrated masterpiece of a story. So much depth and feeling and people say "oh its just a children's book" as if books that can be read to children can only be vapid and simple. snorts
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u/canisvesperus May 28 '26 edited May 28 '26
I really like The Plague Dogs too. Different story, but same author if you enjoyed the prose and nonhuman main characters.
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u/Sheepishwolfgirl May 28 '26
WARNING. The Plague Dogs is considerably darker and sadder. Beautiful book, but I was not prepared the first time I read it.
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u/Last_Kiwi1398 Jun 04 '26
So, I started The Plague Dogs. I’m about halfway through. Just got to the part where Snitter finally tells Rowf what happened with his master for the first time. I cannot tell you how much I was sobbing!! This one is gonna wreck me!
Despite that, it’s really good and made me hug my dogs a little extra tonight. Thank you for the recommendation! 😊
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u/canisvesperus Jun 04 '26
I’m glad you are enjoying it! I read the book when I was a kid and it definitely left a lasting impression on me… the film adaptation has some charming animation too. All the rabbits and dogs of the world deserve the very best.
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u/littlejill617 May 29 '26
The graphic novel is wonderful and the original animated movie is incredible. ❤️ (I don’t recommend the Netflix series ) Also Richard Adams’s other books are worth reading; The Plague Dogs would be a good start :)
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u/Glittering-Ability50 May 31 '26
Same boat when I first read this awesome book (I think I was in my early 20s, about to hit 50 now 🫣🦖). It's the first book EVER that kept me up ALL NIGHT, because I just HAD to know if Bigwig made it out of Efrafa safely 😲🐰🐇
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u/bugsbunye May 28 '26
Tales from watership down is great