Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as the first one
Review: The first part of the book--the stories about El-ahrairah--was pretty good, but in the part about Hazel and the other rabbits on Watership Down it seemed like the commentary was a little too obvious, less subtle than in Watership Down. So, it was worth reading, but I doubt I will reread it as many times.
Rating: 
Summary: what a disappointment!
Review: ok maby I am just a little confused? but didn't hazel die at the end of water ship down? there is no note saying that this book took place befor he died am I to think that rabbits cnn be reincarnated? this book is so differnt from the first maby there are to many rabbits or maby the few who whom we've grown to love arn't in the book as much maby there no big advencher like in the first book.I think that ritchard should of left well enough ALONE the whole felling I got from the first book is gone I don't believe I paid good money for this book my advice to all who want to read this book wait until it comes out in paper back and get from your library
Rating: 
Summary: I'm a little surprised!!
Review: I've just read through all the glowing reviews of the original "Watership Down," and Adams' recent sequel. I'm very surprised that every reviewer seems to have missed the original premise of the first book, namely that it was designed as a "Cold War" parable with human political commentary as it's central theme.
Every reviewer seemed to have a similar story: "Gee, I read the book when I was ten years old, and I loved the story about rabbits, and their fight for survival."
I find this reaction amazing! Volumes and volumes of work has been written comparing "Animal Farm" and "Watership Down." Thesis upon thesis has been written about the deeper meanings hidden in Adam's simple story about rabbits. Think. . "Woundwort" is Brezhnev, Efrafa is the communist Eastern Bloc society. Hazel is Kennedy. Just about every plot aspect of the original can be traced back to an east vs. west cold war analogy. If you don't believe me, read the book again. Think of colonists escaping a doomed/decaying society (British Empire) to found a new, enlightened society (United States) after suffering much hardship, etc.
I guess there isn't any harm in readers enjoying "Watership Down" for the transparent fantasy of "intelligent rabbits." But that's like someone reading "Animal Farm" and saying "Oooh! Talking farm animals who have a war! How cute!" If readers were only more familiar with Adams' other animal based works, like "Plage Dogs" and such, the underlying message of Watership down wouldn't be so hard to find
Rating: 
Summary: Satisfying continuation of the original.
Review: I read Watership Down and Tales back-to-back respectively, and enjoyed them both very much. If one is expecting another whirlwind, engaging, single-themed story in Tales that is similar to the first, then he might be disappointed. But the book does not claim to be this. Neither, in my opinion, should it be. It is a wonderful filling in of the gaps of the everyday (less climactic but equally as engaging) lives of the characters that endeared themselves to us in the original story, and the addition of more amusing stories of El-ahrairah and his faithful sidekick Rabscuttle. Tales lets us in on the more subtle elements of rabbit life -- like living near man,(non-violent) reactions to strange rabbits, and a little of the mysticism first introduced by Fiver. This is a delightful little book, and a very fast read (it's like reading a bunch of little short stories that relate to one another). Reading the original Watership Down first is highly recommended as this book refers to it almost entirely. I wouldn't say that either book, despite the "animal" theme, is for children.
Rating:
Summary: One of the most disappointing books I have ever read.
Review: I recently read my five year old daughter Watership Down, one of my favorite books from my childhood. She loved it, particularly the extraordinarily clever stories about El-ahrairah, the mythical father of rabbits. Imagine my delight then to see that a sequel to Watership Down had been published, particularly a book made up primarily of more of these stories. I immediately shelled out $23 and read the book on a plane flight.
What a disappointment! It is hard to believe that the same author wrote both books. The El-ahrairah stories are completely different in tone - very dark, macabre and absolutely inappropriate for my daughter. These stories lack entirely the wit and charm of the original tales. The chapters about Hazel and the other rabbits from the novel are almost all pointless and vapid.
It would appear that Mr. Adams and his publisher decided to make a quick buck (no rabbit pun indented) by publishing this sequel. It is of course rare for a sequel to approach an original, but this was not even close
Rating:
Summary: parables from the "religion" of Hazel and his followers
Review: This intriguing book showed the stories of the "religion" of the characters of Watership Down. I would sugjest you read Watership Down first, but this book immediately captures your attention
Rating:
Summary: The magic has hopped away
Review: After reading Watership Down at the age of nine I was captivated. I felt I knew these characters; that they had become part of my life. So when I heard that Adams was planning a sequel to his novel I was pleased by the idea of becoming reaquainted with old friends.
I'm sorry to say; but after reading this book I wish that Adams had let our old friends hop away into the sunset. These tales have a very thrown together feel; as if Adams publishing company had pressed him for another Watership book and he put this together on his days off.
The book consists of two parts. The first part is made up of stories of El-ahairah(the rabbit folk hero introduced in the first book in stories told by the rabbits); but these new stories lack the clever twists of the old ones. Adams throws some nonesensical fantasy creatures in for good measure to no good end. They just make the stories seem that much more out of sync with the originals.
The second part of the book lets us in on what happened to Hazel and co. since the end of the first novel. It seems the rabbits have gotten a good dose of P.C. since we last left them. There are now female chief rabbits and a lot less adventure going on. Even the formerly rough and ready Bigwig has quieted down considerably. These are not the rabbits we fell in love with in the first novel.
If you have never read "Watership Down" before, do yourself a favor and read that first. Because a walk through this flat and colorless world will not leave you wanting more
Rating:
Summary: Rabbit tails that take you to another world
Review: Twenty-five years ago, Richard Adams left the brave band of Watership Down rabbits safe and secure in their peaceful hilltop warren. The long-awaited sequel picks up the story with a collection of delightful rabbit legends, nonsense tales and adventures of the lovable Watership characters.
The original novel chronicles the grueling journey from the doomed Sandleford Warren, escape from the deadly Warren of Shining Wires, the daring raid on the farm to release some female rabbits from the hutch, and the triumph over the tyrannical Efrafans. Finally, the brave but peace-loving Watership group prospered and, of course, multiplied. In Tales from Watership Down, we learn how Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig, Blueberry, Dandelion and the others lived in their new, democratic warren, dealt with some unusual newcomers, and finally came to terms with the remaining rabbits of Efrafa. We also learn more about the great rabbit folk hero, El-ahrairah - the Prince with a Thousand Enemies.
After a 25-year gap, readers may need to refresh their memories of the Watership world. Fortunately, the sequel contains a helpful glossary defining common lapine terms and some of the important figures of lapine folklore and religion. You may be puzzled that all the same lovable survivors of the original novel are still alive and kicking, since the story of Watership Down ended when Hazel "stopped running," after a long, fruitful life. Tales is not exactly a sequel; it simply fills in some of the years between the defeat of the fierce General Woundwort and Hazel's death. During that time, some things happened that had never occurred before in rabbit history. Hyzenthalay, Hazel's life partner, became the first female Chief Rabbit, and the story of how she won the respect of the skeptical Bigwig is very moving. Defying rabbit law and risking his own leadership, Hazel gave shelter to Stonecrop - a rabbit who "smelled of men" and, by tradition, should have been destroyed. How Stonecrop earned a place of honor among the rabbits is surprising and funny. No doubt many future generations of rabbits will be gathering around their warrens on cold winter nights, telling the tales of the legendary rabbits of Watership Down. For story-loving humans, the Watership chronicles are equally enjoyable, when you're in the mood to snuggle up with a good book that will take you to another world.
Rating:
Summary: A little disappointing
Review: Let's face it, it would have been hard for Richard Adams to surmount what he had accomplished with Watership Down, but this book falls somewhere on the side of simplistic. I had an initial problem with trying to locate this book in time to the original story -- finally deciding that it fit somewhere between the last chapter and the epilogue -- and that bugged me just enough to make me wonder if there had been a horrible mistake made in writing this sequel.
That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the book at some level. I did enjoy, for example, the, more-or-less, story-within-the-story approach that the rabbits took to telling their myths, and it was nice to see Hazel again (my favourite character from the original story -- for those of you that haven't read Watership Down I won't go much further than that) but I still can't help but feel that this book takes something away from the original. The ending of Watership Down was so powerful, doesn't going back and telling little, "cutesy", non-important, tales -- that didn't make the cut the first time through -- sort of destroy some of the mystique of that stand-alone masterpiece? I think so.
Thumbs up...but maybe a 6.5, instead.
Rating:
Summary: Adams recaptures the magic of Watership Down
Review: For those who didn't just read Richard Adams "Watership Down",
but lived every moment of the spellbinding tale, this book will
pleasantly stir those feelings again. "Tales from Watership Down"
brings forth more of the lapine folklore about the rabbit prince,
El-ahrairah, and his daring deeds. Even more satisfying is a brief continuation of what happened
to the rabbits of Efrafa and Watership Down following the great battle with General Woundwort. You will read the tales about, of all things, a female chief rabbit, and about a rabbit that had the smell of man. How will Hazel, Fiver, and Bigwig deal with these new problems?
Only Frith knows, but you can too after you read this book!
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