OF MICE AND RABBITS

I haven't mentioned books in a while. It’s time to do so again. I came across two the other day that I did not mention in my earlier posts. I should have.

Both books are about talking animals and in that sense, both books are technically fantasy. One has swords, heroes, and other trappings of your more traditional fantasy (no dragons, but it does have a dragon substitute). The other book has no swords, but it does have an exodus of epic proportions.

The two books are:
Redwall, by Brian Jacques
Watership Down, by Richard Adams

The two books have many similarities and yet produce remarkably different stories.

REDWALL

Redwall is the tale of an abbey of peaceful woodland creatures (mice, squirrels, moles, and even a badger) who must defend themselves from an army of rats, stoats, and weasels.

That’s the traditional fantasy tale – young hero must fulfill the prophecy to save his loved ones. If you have issues with traditional fantasy or talking animals, you should probably skip this one. If you have no firm objections to such things, you should definitely read Redwall. This was the first full sized novel I read when I was young (300 pages!) and I loved it. The heroes are noble, the villains are dastardly, and the story is engaging. Like other books I have mentioned this one may be more enjoyable at age 7 than age 27, but I still love reading it.

If you enjoy it, you’ll be pleased to hear it’s the beginning of a long series of books set in the same world. Each book is a complete story unto itself (but do read them in order). Eventually they begin to suffer from the same defects the plague any world which lasts too long under the exclusive control of a single author (one of those things I should probably devote an entire entry to someday), but the early books are excellent.

WATERSHIP DOWN

The other book I’m discussing today has a very different tone. Watership Down is the first book I ever purchased. I bought it at a yard sale on someone else’s recommendation and then did not read it. When I finally got around to it, I kicked myself for waiting.

It is the tale of a group of rabbits fleeing the destruction of their home, seeking a new place to live. The English countryside is not a safe place for rabbits and they have a long ways to travel.

It is complex and well-told with a good deal more depth than one might expect from a tale about talking rabbits. It’s the kind of story in which the reader finds something new every time they read it. It has not lost anything, and indeed has gained much, as I have aged to appreciate its depth. I recommend this book for all ages (okay, so the five year olds might not be interested… so not ALL ages, but most of them).

Seek out these books – Watership Down for a rainy day when you want to sink your teeth into a solid story and Redwall for the warm summer evenings when you want something that feels like a warm summer evening.

And feel free to let me know what you think after you’ve had a chance to read them. The more feedback you give me, the easier it will be for me to make appropriate recommendations.