Rating:  Summary: A good, but not great, follow-up work Review: For those who loved Watership Down for all its well-plotted adventures of Hazel and his friends who leave their home warren and journey out into the world, this book will probably pale in comparison. Tales from Watership Down is more a book of short stories, some loosely connected together, some not even related to one another. All the stories in this book are as fun to read as the short stories of El-ahrairha in the original book, but while those stories served mostly to further the plot and personify the rabbits by showing their mythology, these stories are just entertaining. I could understand how some readers would be dissapointed if they thought this book was a true sequel, but it does work nicely as a companion piece to the original. I didn't quite find the stories at the end that continued the life of Hazel and the rabbits at Watership Down quite on par with what I remembered from the original. One of the great things about the original was how he characterized the different rabbits personalities, but they didn't seem quite as lifelike in this book. Still, if you loved Watership Down, how could you not want to read this book?
Rating:  Summary: I was sadly dissapointed by "Tales..." Review: I loved Watership Down, I still love Watership Down, I will probably always love Watership Down. For years I wanted more and back in 1981 I got more - The Rabbits Ghost Story, published in a collection of Richard Adams' Favourite Animal Stories. I was surprised and elated to find that had been incorporated into this new book. However, when compared to the incomparable Watership Down this book left me cold. It had its moments but a female chief rabbit was not one of them. Nor was finding out that Bigwig was probably not the father of Hyzenthlay's kittens. I felt the format of eleven El-ahrairah stories on the trot was a mistake as was the overt attempts at political correctness. Well, at least nothing can dim the spirit of the original book. Watership Down was a product of its time (it was written in the late sixties) and it seems that in our time the rabbits of Watership Down have changed...
Rating:  Summary: WHAT!? Review: Watership Down is THE BEST BOOK IN THE WORLD! I would highly recomend it. The warmth, excitement, wittiness, and character developement were phenomenal. That's why this "Sequel" was a complete disapointment. In the original, the stories of El-ahrairah were smart, funny and entertaining. The rabbit folk hero was honestly about the cleverest protagonist I've ever encountered in a book. Two thirds of the second book are El-ahrairah stories. When I first realized this, I was excited. Then I read the first one of these. It was 35 pages long, and by the end, I was thinking I must have missed something. El-ahrairah hadn't done anything. There was no trick, no realism. In Watership Down, the stories had seemed like the kind of fables rabits might actually live by and relate to. But these stories were in poorly-defined, lame, sometimes downright depressing fantasy worlds. And El-ahrairah seemed, in some cases, just dumb. But I kept reading, thinking that maybe the next story would be better. Then I came to the section containing stories about the regular Watership Down rabbits. What happened to the charming, wonderful characters in the original??? Like EL-ahrairah, they're shadows of what they used to be. Tons of new characters are introduced, and they are flat and two dimensional. And they have the stupidest, most unrealistic "Adventures". There is a rabbit Ghost Story, and an Underground river-both good ideas. If only they hadn't both been badly abused. This is not great literature like Watership Down. Don't read it, especially if you've read the first one, and expect it to be the same sort of thing. It seems Mr. Adams wrote it as a moneymaker. The only thing it's successful as, really.
Rating:  Summary: Where are the rabbits tales? Review: I personally loved Watership Down so that is naturally why I picked up this book. However, it was disappointingly less new storyline than I expected. In fact the first half of the book was just the rabbits telling more adventures of El Ahrairah. Now this was not boring, yet I expected another great adventure or at least a series of adventures about Fiver, Hazel, and the others. I still recommend it to those who truly liked the first book, but do not expect the same rush that you got from the first book.
Rating:  Summary: Not as good as the original. Review: I truly commend Mr. Adams. After our many years of waiting, he has given us a sequel to a classic that most other authors would never be able to achieve. However, what really brings this book down is the fact that the chapters in here are barely about the actual WD rabbits. In fact, there is a whole Part dedicated to El-ahrairah, the rabbit prince. Another thing that I realized is that this book takes place in between the final battle with Woundwort and the very end of Watership Down, meaning Hazel is still with us. If you're a huge, unconditional fan of Watership Down, then this would be a great book for you, and I'll bet that these little flukes won't even phase you. If not, don't get too disappointed.
Rating:  Summary: Good... Review: Well by all accounts Tales from Watership Down is a charming book. I am not going bore with stick to the original, I am a big fan of Mr Adams I have read seven of his works, with Tales he brings a different approach. The characters and pretty much the same. The book is broken into three parts. All which on way or another deal with the Watership warren as well as two other warrens. I enjoyed the stories very much, if you are an open minded person I think you will enjoy it. Just give it a chance.
Rating:  Summary: A Coda not a sequel Review: Tales From Watership Down is a collection of stories, that comprise not really a sequel, but more of a coda to the events of Watership Down. The book is divided into three parts, but really Parts I and II go together. They mostly contain stories concerning the adventures of El-ahrairah. The best of which is 'The Story of the Terrible Hay Making', as well as two other stories, one of which: 'The Rabbits Ghost Story' is very good. The third part concerns some of the events following 'Watership Down'. The most intriguing storyline is that of Flyairth which, unfortunately ends without resolution. Only those that really enjoyed 'Watership Down' should read this, as it is a decidedly mixed bag. Unfortunately there is a PC tone through some of the stories (humans are evil etc.). But at least Adams portrays nature in all its potential savagery- red in tooth and claw.
Rating:  Summary: Stick with the original Review: This sequel to Richard Adams's masterpiece "Watership Down" is a very different book than the original and suffers by comparison. It is divided into three sections; tales of the rabbit folk-hero El Ahrairah, other rabbit folktales, and the story of what happened to Hazel and crew after the first novel. The folktales have a certain charm, but the part I was really looking forward to, the continuing adventures of the Watership rabbits, was distinctly underwhelming. It is prosaic and disjointed, full of small comings and goings that don't really amount to much. The mysticism in these stories is far more pronounced but to no clear purpose. If Adams is going to return to this wonderful world he created so many years after the original was published, he really should have more of a story to tell.
Rating:  Summary: A note about the hardcover BINDING, not content Review: I purchased this book as a gift, but would be embarassed to present it. The hardcover "library binding" of this edition of Tales from Watership Down (ISBN 0-613-37671-4) is of the worst quality. It is a paperback book poorly disguised as hardbound by the addition of cardboard reinforcements to the cover. The text seems to be printed on public washroom paper towels pasted together. The newspaper critcal reviews occupy a page in the front and the outside back cover. There is not just a mention of, but full page advertising for Watership Down inside the back of the book. There is no dust jacket, but then what here is worthy of protection? The pleasure of holding a hardbound volume cannot be found in this edition.
Rating:  Summary: BAD Review: THIS IS ABSOLUTLY AUFUL! NOTHING MAKES SENSE IN THIS BOOK! I DON'T SEE WHY THIS BOOK WAS EVEN ALLOWED TO BE PRINTED! IT IS THE WORST BOOK I'VE EVER READ! AND I'VE READ LOTS OF BOOKS! THIS ONE IS REALLY AWFUL! HORRIBLE! WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T BUY THIS BOOK! IT IS TORTURE ALL THE WAY THROUGH!
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