Hi all,
I deeply apologize for all the waiting I've made you all do. I had a lot going on what with work and my sister's wedding, among other things, and on top of that, I appear to have misplaced my book. This had my notes on all the chapter divisions and the like, so I'd be flying blind, and since it's been so long since I've posted, I've decided to make this discussion go through the end of the book. Because I'm anticipating that not all of you have read through to the end, I'm not going to post any commentary until later (so that no one gets spoiled). Feel free to discuss what you wish in the comments, and I will come back later and add my own thoughts.
Thank you everyone for your patience.
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Ah, I understand busy. It's been a little crazy over here, too. I'm sorry you lost your copy, though.
I haven't read since our last discussion, so I'll try finishing up the book this weekend. I've had half a dozen books come in at the library, though, so it's going to be crazy reading for me. :)
I'm finished, I read in bed this morning and blazed through. I loved it! Let me know when we're ready to discuss.
I also finished reading it a couple nights ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to read it!
I think I'll be ready to lead the reading of Seven Daughters and Seven Sons in about two weeks. How would everyone feel about starting to read it as early as November 6? If anyone is still behind by then or needs a longer break, just let me know.
I'm game for that, Ruth. Philip says he doesn't mind being last in this round, since he's been so busy at school. I can't wait to get some discussion in on Watership Down before we close this up though. I really enjoyed it.
I am so sorry I haven't commented for a while. I haven't had a chance to finish WD yet - a lot of books I had placed holds on came in from the library all at once and I've been trying to get through them (I'll have to return a couple as it is as I just haven't been able to read them in time and I can't renew them).
ANYWAY, that sounds good, Ruth. I haven't been able to get the book yet, but I'll try to this week.
Okay, so I believe I am going to just post my thoughts now, seeing as it looks as though folks are waiting for me to do so.
One of the most powerful points in the book, I think, was the story of the Black Rabbit of Inle. It's definitely Elahrairah's moment of desperation, and to see that in an epic hero is heartwrenching. It's easy to imagine him as a Christ-like figure, making the sacrifices that he does. And then there are the younger rabbits that don't appreciate the sacrifice. It's very sad, but very poignant.
One of the larger themes in this book is men. Men are both a constructive and a destructive force, and it seems that most other animals have to learn to live around them. I found it interesting, then, when other rabbits said that general Woundwort had become too much like a man. He had thought himself as a force, and that everyone else had to bend to his will. Ultimately, it ended up being his downfall; he was unwilling to bend, so instead he had to break.
I can talk about other points as they come up, but those are my thoughts for now. I also want to know what everyone thought of the book in general...did it live up to your expectations? I'm interested to see what everyone has to say.
Coming into this book on the recommendation of friends like Ellen and Philip who knew I loved Redwall and were surprised I hadn't read it yet, I had very high expectations, and while they weren't met the way I expected, I certainly wasn't disappointed. I will admit I found the rabbit stories a bit tedious, and was much more interested in furthering the plot of their day-to-day lives, maybe because I crave order and certainty in my own life. The stories were interesting, and a great view into their culture and the beliefs that have shaped them into the creatures they are. It makes sense that Woundwort is very much like the driving force of Man in the story, trying so hard to force order and safety and rigidity on his people that he ends up making their predicament much worse. Sooner or later his whole orderly organized society would have fallen apart, but Hazel and his ingenuity and innovation were exactly the catalyst to make the change despite the resistance. At first I was disappointed that they claimed that Woundwort hadn't died, but it kind of made sense as I thought about it later. The legend was necessary for their culture and their history, to learn from and to stand in awe of.
That's all I've got for now, I'll have to go back and review the chapters, since it's been a while since I finished, but I really did enjoy this book.
I honestly had no idea what to expect from this book, but I wasn't disappointed in the least. I loved it and will definitly recommend it to my kids when they get old enough to read it.
The disrespect that El-ahlairah finds when returns from visiting the Black Rabbit of Inle reminds me of my grandfather in a way. He fought during WW II, and even though I really don't know a lot about that part of American history, it seemed to be a time of great patriotism. Everyone pitched in doing everything they could to help the war effort. One generation later, we had draft dodgers and anti-war demonstrations and though I'm not sure of it, probably a lot of disrespect for veterans of previous wars. My grandfather talked about the war a lot of the time. Yeah, it was kind of beyond my comprehensions, but I have a great respect for him and veterans in general. FOr one of the younger rabbits so say that the war had nothing to do with them is absolute rubbish. It has everything to do with them. Like with us, our forefathers and those fighting right now do it to protect our freedoms and those of the future generations.
The Black Rabbit of Inle story is probably my favorite. I like what Ellen said about the symbolism behind it, and I also like what Ruth had to say in comparing our society's view on war through recent generations. In addition to providing some depth to the rabbits' society, these stories can also tell us a little about human nature. I suppose the book itself could be a parable for ourselves, and what we want in our own society and community and what things are important in our lives.
Now, I really need to finish this book up. :D It's been years since I've read it, and I was really anticipating reading Bigwig's infiltration into Efrafa...
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