BBBC - Watership Down

Okay, Holly, let me just say that I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. Bunnies? Really? I was thinking it would be Lord of the Flies with rabbits, and I really, really, (really, really, really) did not like LOF. So I procrastinated. And procrastinated. And finally checked the book out of the library on May 21. And I started the book on May 24. And I did not like the book. But I always give books two chapters to impress me (hey, sometimes getting to know me takes more than a few minutes). So I tried chapter 2 on May 25. Lets just say I was up until midnight last night trying to read as fast as my little eyes could process information. I love this book!!! I must also be honest and say I haven't completed the book as of yet, but I plan on it soon. I am starting the Efrafa section, but I did the old high school trick and read the last two chapters of the book (not that I *ever* did that in school).

That having been said:
I think Hazel (and it took me a few pages to figure that Hazel is a BOY rabbit) is who I want to be when I grow up. I'd like shorter ears, of course. Willing to befriend those different than myself. Willing to sacrifice for others. Willing to admit his faults (in public, if necessary). Willing to accept help of others. Willing to think "outside the box" for assigned tasks (hey, my husband is a MUCH better cook than I am). Willing to follow and trust when the "rabbit angel" (that's what I'm going to call it) called him home.

I liked Holly's quote she pulled out - I would have marked it in this book, if this book had been mine to mark in. Seems we humans are more beast-like than we'd like to believe, as least in part of this book, and through the eyes of rabbits. It also seems that we as humans lose a piece of ourselves when we detatch from nature. We have lost that connection with all God's creation, the daily rhythm, the seasonal changes, the yearly cycle, that tells us where we belong and Who we belong to. I think that "(H)e fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions,
so that people might seek God, even perhaps grope for him and find him, though indeed he is not far from any one of us." Acts 17 And perhaps in distancing ourselves from nature, we lose sight of the orderliness of creation. We can indeed be monsters, with the finest of intentions.

As I have said previously, I have not completed the book, even gotten to the big Efrafa section, but some things I did pick up on from the foreshadowing in the previous section. Safety, absolute safety, does come at a steep price. Individul freedoms are forefeited. Within danger lies growth, both as an individual and as a group. Within uncertainty lies growth. The rabbits from Efrafa were safe, of that they could be sure. The rabbits from the hutch were also safe. But that safety comes at a price. Their brains "turned off" and they became automatons, unquestionally obeying orders, even if the orders were ridiculous or oppressive. As we try to balance safety and danger in our personal lives and our society, we should remember that lesson. Absolute safety comes at a steep cost. And danger, while one would not hope to go looking for it, provides an opportunity to stretch oneself, prove that God is bigger than problems. Even dangerous problems.

One last comment: I did enjoy the sections on El-ahrairah, the clever rabbit. It broke up the story well and served as a window into Hazel's mind, as well as other rabbit leaders. This was who they looked up to. The most clever rabbit. And this rabbit was creative and clever, even though he used it poorly.

Can't wait to finish this. And I love, love, love the language in this novel. No one writes like this anymore. What a wonderful vocabulary (even without the made up words.)