Tag: children’s literature

Book Review – Watership Down by Richard Adams

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Watership Down

Watership Down is a 1972 children’s novel by Richard Adams. The story follows two rabbit brothers, Hazel and Fiver, who live a seemingly peaceful life in Sandleford Warren, the only home they’ve ever known. One day, Fiver receives visions of death and destruction, convincing him that a great, unknown evil is coming to destroy their home. Although their chief rabbit does not listen, Hazel and Fiver, along with a handful of other rabbits who heed their warning, decide to venture off into the world beyond the boundaries of their warren. Fraught with dangers—both from predators and the elements, as well as the customs of strange rabbits in other warrens—Hazel and company endeavour to find a safe place to found a new warren of their own.Read More »

Book Review – Reflections: On the Magic of Writing by Diana Wynne Jones

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Summary

This collection of more than twenty-five critical essays, speeches, and biographical pieces chosen by Diana Wynne Jones before her death in 2011 is essential reading for the author’s many fans and for students and teachers of the fantasy genre and creative writing in general. The volume includes insightful literary criticism alongside autobiographical anecdotes, revelations about the origins of the author’s books, and reflections about the life of an author and the value of writing for young people.

ReflectionsOnTheMagicOfWritingCover

I find it regrettable that I hadn’t read more of Diana Wynne Jones’ novels before reading Reflections: On the Magic of Writing. I’m a fan of hers, but perhaps not that good at being one. I’ve read Howl’s Moving Castle twice — which I find superior to the Studio Ghibli film — and about half of the sequel Castle in the Air, which I did not finish for reasons separate from the book itself. I’m also familiar with her book The Tough Guide to Fantasy Land, which I love for its jabs against the clichés and overused tropes found in the Fantasy genre. It’s a small amount of her work, but her writing always drew me in and I got a good sense of her style. This is what inspired me to pick up this collection, which I came across in a Dollar Tree of all places.Read More »