dizzojay | December Meme - 26th December (Reply)

wings128 said, tell us about a book that has stayed with, one that you go to for rereads, one whose characters kept you thinking about them, long after your first read.

Yes, I do have such a book, and it's Watership Down.

I've always been fond of rabbits and I had several pet ones through my childhood and into my early adulthood, and the fact that Watership Down was a book where the central characters were rabbits was what initally attracted me to it.

But the first time I read it, I was completely enchanted. It is so beautifully written, painting gorgeous pictures of the English countryside, and the characters are perfectly written, each in their own way strong and resourceful but overwhelmingly vulnerable, just as rabbits are.

It tells a story that perfectly fits the rigid society in which rabbits exist, with a beautiful folklore threaded all the way through it, giving the rabbits a faith and a belief system which gives their story even more depth and colour.

Of course, mankind plays a part, and it's not a good part, but it's just one of the many battles that the heroes have to face before they can find their peace.

It's a wonderful book and I've never been without a copy of it ever since that first reading. I'd recommend it to anyone!

Thanks for playing x