2025 Reading Challenge discussion

This is where we will discuss the book after we start reading it in April.

Please remember to mark spoilers by using spoiler tags: [spoiler]...[/spoiler], but replace [ by < and ] by >

Begun reading! I don’t remember a lot of except the basic premise of the book. It must be a while since I read it last. I finished chapter 4 today.

Winter wrote: "Begun reading! I don’t remember a lot of except the basic premise of the book. It must be a while since I read it last. I finished chapter 4 today."

I've begun as well – well, I'm listening to it.

I'm most interested in how the author is going to use third-person narrative (I think) to show us these rabbits' lives. A book with rabbits as the main characters ––– it's going to take some adjusting for me.

But that shows how human-centric our thinking can be!

Excited to continue on!

I've just started; I'll be using a combination of my original physical copy - yellow pages and all - and the audible version.

Sharing this photo of a beautiful bun that came out to watch me calmly in the spring sun while I was trimming back the black raspberries on my acreage. There's a burrow underneath where it's safe and they're welcome to stay... my veg garden is well fenced haha ❤️

What a lucky bunny to have found a wonderful safe space to burrow!
I just started as well (on chapter 5) and funny how even though it's been literally decades since I've seen the movie, I can still hear the original actors voices while I read.
I forgot how instantly I fell in love with Hazel as a child too. Loving him all over again now.

I’m reading the book on my kindle in the evenings and listening to the audiobook read by Peter Capaldi when I’m on the go. I’m at chapter 29, about half way.

This is my third time reading this novel (the second as an adult) and still enjoying the experience although I’m noticing a few things that I missed before, for example (view spoiler)[the author’s social and political views on the burrow organization and management, how female rabbits are portrayed and wondering how the gull could be able to identify the “mothers” i.e. females grazing in the fields from up above since it isn’t easy to spot the gender in rabbits (hide spoiler)].
I guess when you’re young reader you don’t notice details so much and are able to be absorbed in the action and accept the story more readily. Or maybe I’m more critical in my old age haha.

I haven’t watched any adaptation yet, I’ll probably wait till I finish the book to avoid spoilers.
PS: Lovely guest you have there Jenna

Ha! That’s a good point, @Overbooked. And I have to say, I totally glossed over that last one (rabbit gender).

But then I have zero trouble with suspension of disbelief, and am a life-long lover of Middle Grade books (many of which are from animals’ perspectives) and SF and Fantasy, which often give us non-human perspectives.

Your other point, @Overbooked, was not lost on me, but was not something that bothered me when I first read it as a pre-teen, but stuck out in my second reading (as an adult last year).

I've just started this book. I never read it before because I thought it was just a silly childish book, which I didn't like even when I was a child. But, Wow. This is great, I love it.

Jenna ✨is wearing her DNF Crown wrote: "I've just started; I'll be using a combination of my original physical copy - yellow pages and all - and the audible version.

Sharing this photo of a beautiful bun that came out to watch me calml..."

You have rabbits in the wild?! That’s amazing!!

Just finished chapter 8. Definitely enjoying it but having to try hard to remember names, who’s who in the group. I’m sure it become easier as we go. I already imagine all the bunnies in yard talking to each other and going on adventures. 😆 🐇

Winter wrote: "Jenna ✨is wearing her DNF Crown wrote: "I've just started; I'll be using a combination of my original physical copy - yellow pages and all - and the audible version.

Sharing this photo of a beaut..."

We do! We live on half an acre in a large-ish city and have turned it into a wildlife haven as best we can. Last summer I even had a wild turkey hen walk right up my driveway near my chicken yard and hang out in our wooded area for a couple days before she moved on.

Reading update: I'm on chapter 7, absolutely LOVING the audible version of this story!

Jenna ✨is wearing her DNF Crown wrote: "Winter wrote: "Jenna ✨is wearing her DNF Crown wrote: "I've just started; I'll be using a combination of my original physical copy - yellow pages and all - and the audible version.

Sharing this p..."

That’s great! Here we have deer and there’s elk too although I have only seen a couple in 8 years.

Read up to chapter 13 today. Read about two chapters a day.
(view spoiler)[The rabbits are about to head into the other colony they stumbled upon. Even though the rabbit who greeted them seemed friendly, and this group probably feels like they have travelled forever, to me it feels too soon for them to settle in a new place. I’m a bit nervous for what the new colony will actually turn out to be. (hide spoiler)]

Winter wrote: "Read up to chapter 13 today. Read about two chapters a day.
[spoilers removed]"

I'm at about the same place. Interested in what is going to happen next

Rachael wrote: "Winter wrote: "Read up to chapter 13 today. Read about two chapters a day.
[spoilers removed]"

I'm at about the same place. Interested in what is going to happen next"

(view spoiler)[Something feels very off with it. (hide spoiler)]

Winter wrote: "Rachael wrote: "Winter wrote: "Read up to chapter 13 today. Read about two chapters a day.
[spoilers removed]"

This is where I'm at too. (view spoiler)[There's suddenly a distinctly uncomfortable "McGregor" vibe! (hide spoiler)]

I absolutely LOVE the rabbit language and they way they describe things to each other. Their reference points for what something is or could be or whether it might harm them or not (eg., not-hawk) is adorable and makes so much sense! The level of anthropomorphization feels incredibly balanced and believable!

I've finished this book. It was pretty good (view spoiler)[It's darker than I expected for a tale that Richard Adams told his children. His introduction in my copy said it wasn't supposed to be an allegory but I think he subconsciously picked up on a few things in the real world to draw parallels to his rabbits. (hide spoiler)]

Rachael wrote: "I've finished this book. It was pretty good [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Oh my, I think Adams was just deflecting. I for sure think there are NUMEROUS allegories being made in this book. Published in the 1970s during the Cold War? A group of democratic rabbits running into various forms of authoritarian-style warrens? Those are only a few that I identified. What about you? (hide spoiler)]

Took me about 150 pages or so to really get immersed into the story this time around as an adult. I also realized quickly that I remembered almost nothing from my first read in the 90's haha

Hope everyone is enjoying this so far if you're reading along or have finished! :)

I got totally sidetracked by RL but jumping back in today

William wrote: "Rachael wrote: "I've finished this book. It was pretty good [spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I spotted one. The representation of the does for me was an allegory for the treatment of women in the 60s/70s i.e. stay at home to raise the kids (hide spoiler)]

I'm about a third of the way through and I find myself caring more about these bunnies than I thought I would. I'm surprised how readable Adams made this because I thought I'd be bored out of my mind reading this one.

Rachael wrote:

[spoilers removed]"

I rather think this that’s just a straight up parallel.

Bryan wrote: "I'm about a third of the way through and I find myself caring more about these bunnies than I thought I would. I'm surprised how readable Adams made this because I thought I'd be bored out of my mi..."

Agreed Bryan. Hope you're continuing to enjoy it!

I just finished this afternoon and what a wave of memories. It really picked up in the back half and I found myself eager to get home and read some more.
I loved these little rabbits and I'm so glad I read this again as an adult. Forever a favorite indeed.

Iam at chapter 11. Not going fast because I get distracted with other books.

I am late to the party, having just started this a couple of days ago. I'm listening to the Audie Award winning audio version. I thought it was a re-read, but it feels new to me. Or maybe I've just forgotten it over the years.

My daughter tells me that we started an animated version of it years ago when she and her sisters were little, but turned off the television when (view spoiler)[it got unexpectedly bloody. I don't what part she's remembering. (hide spoiler)]

We live on six wooded acres in the middle of nowhere and enjoy a wide variety of wildlife, as well as occasional escaped livestock. I may start imagining conversations and societal roles among the animal groups. 😊

I finished this yesterday and have to say that it was a very solid but unexpected 4 star for me. I feel like the book was predictable in the directions it went and you almost knew the story was going to ultimately have a happy ending but didn't suffer for it. I'll echo my previous comment saying that Adams wrote this in a way that is very readable and maybe that's just because it was a story meant for his kids. I also wholeheartedly agree with the comments that there is a lot of allegory to the time period in which it was written. Examining the story after the fact, I can definitely see the points that other posters have brought up.

Question for those who have seen them, I plan on watching an adaptation of this. Would people recommend the film from 1978, the Netflix series from 2018, or both?

1978 film for the win :)