On the one hand, Watership Down is definitely dark and very enjoyable for adults, but on the other hand: didn't he originally come up with the story for his own children? I remember reading it in 7th grade, I'm not entirely sure why you're characterizing it as not a children's book.
That said it's definitely a great book, and I really regret making my 7th grade English teacher's life so hellish for trying in vain to get us to shut up and stop talking and just read the book. We deeply resented being made to read a book about talking rabbits, because we felt we were too old for that sort of thing 😂 it's one of the few books from school where I actually changed my mind after reading it.
I never understood why everyone loves Watership Down. I read it I think in high school, and it was just boring. And yet how Evan describes it makes it sound interesting. I don't know why it seemed so bereft of meaning when I read it.
I really liked Animal Farm. Of course it is the political message that is interesting.
I also like the Berenstein Bears stories. I didn't read these as a kid, but I read them to my kids.
Nice, thanks. I liked "Watership Down" when I first read it and have reread it a few times. So many talking creature books went through my mind. "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" first. And then the Oz books where some animals talk and others don't. Then on to Winne the Pooh, well stuffed animals, except for maybe some of rabbit's friends. "Wind in the Willows" is nice and a quick read. And I'll stop with the Frog and Toad books, which really (like Dr. Suess) have to be read with kids. Frog and Toad are great.
I liked the idea that animals can sometimes be a fusion of child and adult. There's almost always some escapism for me when reading animal books.
On the one hand, Watership Down is definitely dark and very enjoyable for adults, but on the other hand: didn't he originally come up with the story for his own children? I remember reading it in 7th grade, I'm not entirely sure why you're characterizing it as not a children's book.
That said it's definitely a great book, and I really regret making my 7th grade English teacher's life so hellish for trying in vain to get us to shut up and stop talking and just read the book. We deeply resented being made to read a book about talking rabbits, because we felt we were too old for that sort of thing 😂 it's one of the few books from school where I actually changed my mind after reading it.
Dickens still sucks :p
I never understood why everyone loves Watership Down. I read it I think in high school, and it was just boring. And yet how Evan describes it makes it sound interesting. I don't know why it seemed so bereft of meaning when I read it.
I really liked Animal Farm. Of course it is the political message that is interesting.
I also like the Berenstein Bears stories. I didn't read these as a kid, but I read them to my kids.
Nice, thanks. I liked "Watership Down" when I first read it and have reread it a few times. So many talking creature books went through my mind. "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" first. And then the Oz books where some animals talk and others don't. Then on to Winne the Pooh, well stuffed animals, except for maybe some of rabbit's friends. "Wind in the Willows" is nice and a quick read. And I'll stop with the Frog and Toad books, which really (like Dr. Suess) have to be read with kids. Frog and Toad are great.
I liked the idea that animals can sometimes be a fusion of child and adult. There's almost always some escapism for me when reading animal books.