When Richard Adams's first novel was published in 1972, one critic wrote "I announce with trembling excitement the looks of an exceptional story." This was Watership Down, a masterfully crafted tale of adventure, courage, tyranny, and freedom.
The characters are rabbits.
This surprised readers, especially those who suspected that they were reading a children's novel. But there is war, death, and cruelty in Watership Down, a thoroughly adult story. It enthralled an entire generation and became a bestseller.
Watership Down became a movie in 1978 and an animated television series in 2001. Now Adams's famous story is returning to the big screen. Deadline reports that Neflix and the BBC plan to turn it into an animated miniseries. They've recruited the best actors for it, including John Boyega of Star Wars, James McAvoy of X-Men, and Ben Kingsley of Ghandi.
As a devoted fan of Richard Adams's work, I'm thrilled. Watership Down, though not deep, is a truly perfect novel. If you've enjoyed it, I suggest also reading Adams's greatest and most neglected novel, Shardik. You may also enjoy Adams's autobiography, which describes the real-life people that inspired Hazel and Bigwig.
-via The Mary Sue