Saturday, February 9, 2013

Watership Down

"I'm pretty sure all the bunnies die." This is what my husband said to me when he saw me reading this book. But I knew he never read this book and he was guessing.  I must admit thinking that you are going into a Lars Von Trier dismal abyss will make this book much more exciting to read.  And yes, some bunnies die, but not all of them.

Watership Down is an anthropomorphized adventure story about a small group of rabbits looking for a new warren.  They are not completely humanoid because they do not wear top hats.  For some reason, top hats are my benchmark for a sophisticated animal.  Even top hat-less the rabbits' conversations are awfully sophisticated.  I'm pretty sure if you could understand what rabbits talked about, it would be: "Now, is that poop or food?" Or, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT NOISE?" (*Stands perfectly still for 90 minutes*)

This was the first selection of my very tiny book club and my friend brought over chocolate covered peanuts.  She said, "This is hraka." That it lapine language for poop.  A fun game is to tell everyone what rabbit you are most like.  Then they tell you what rabbit they think you are are.  Trust me, you will pick the smarter more clever version of yourself and your friends will pick the less flattering kind-of-jerk bunny.  We all have to eat hraka sometime.

This book is very British and evokes the first signs of spring.  I recommend a Pimm's Cup. The bunny in you will enjoy the slice of cucumber.  The alcoholic in you will enjoy the gin.  

2 comments:

  1. Damn. Now I need to go and get a top hat.

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  2. I'm "pretty sure" Lars Von Trier optioned this book for his next film.

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