I will preface that I’ve never read the original novel or watched the animated movie. But I have heard how much the movie traumatized many children who watched it (lol). So this was a new story for me that I knew nothing about going into. I thought reading the graphic novel version would be more interesting, especially since I’m a visual person.

Unfortunately, I did not like this story. I DNF’d it around 60%. I didn’t finish it because I became bored and lost interest in it. The story became complicated and tedious. All of the rabbits began to blend together and I couldn’t remember each one. There were also a lot of characters to keep track of and it just got confusing. Also, the words they used for different things and other animals were hard to pronounce and remember what these strange words meant. There is also a lot of violence, which I didn't expect. These are definitely not cute, cuddly rabbits that most people probably think about. They are vicious and savage, which was a surprise.

As for the illustrations, I liked them and thought they were pretty, but the colors were dull and muted. I prefer brighter, bolder colors. Nothing popped for me. It’s also a very long graphic novel, too long in my opinion. The story kept going on and on, and it just lost my interest. I didn't find myself caring about any of the characters. Also, there are a lot of text bubbles and reading for a graphic novel. I prefer a lot less words and more beautiful graphics. I don’t think this translated well into a graphic novel. I think it was too big of a story, so it should just stick to the chapter book format.

If someone likes this story and is familiar with it, they may enjoy this graphic novel. But as someone new to this story, it just wasn’t for me.

This beautiful graphic novel is a fine example of a great adaptation. The original book award winning book written over fifty years ago captured the hearts and minds of America’s young. The story follows a group of wild rabbits as they leave an endangered warren and journey to establish a new home. Any time a book is adapted into a video or graphic novel it is a challenge to stay true to the spirit and mood of the original work. James Sturn has done a fine job of winnowing the elements to include in this adaptation. The story is told in a gentle manner and includes the basic story as well as many charming tales told by Dandelion the storyteller. The original author’s pastoral setting set in memorable prose has been captured by the enchanting muted earthtone illustrations by Joe Sutphin. He also varies his style so that Fiver’s nightmarish visions and Dandelion's brightly colored stories each appear in unique manners. Whereas the original novel was recommended for ages 12 and up, I think that this graphic adaptation can also be enjoyed by children a few years younger. I would encourage anyone in middle grade or older to spend a few hours reading this book. I think that it may lead readers to seek out the original to read more of Dandelion’s stories and Bluebell’s jokes. Anyone who remembers the original fondly will also appreciate this book.

I would like to thank Ten Speed Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this unbiased review are entirely my own.

I have to say I loved this graphic novel form of Watership Down. I read this regular edition a while back and loved it. I even watched the movie and loved it as well. I highly recommend to everyone

Beautiful art that highlights how intense and gorgeous this story is. Definitely helped heal the trauma of being made to watch the movie of this at way too young of an age :).

4 out of 5 stars

The art is absolutely stunning and looks amazing. I have not read the original book but I saw the film as a child so I’m not familiar enough to say how faithful this graphic novel is to the book but I still enjoyed it. However there was a few times where it felt like they cut out scenes for the sake of keeping the page count down. And a few panels had dialogue that was laid out in a confusing manner and left me confused as to the order the dialogue is suppose to be read in.

The illustrations were amazing, but I don't know if graphic novel is the right medium for Watership Down. It was one of my favorite books when I was in high school and while the pictures are great, they gloss over a lot of the depth and nuance of the book. A lot of symbolism is missing.. it reads more like a storyboard than a complete novel. I didn't love it, however I'm giving it three stars because people who didn't read the original work might still like it.

This is a lovely and beautifully-condensed graphic treatment of Richard Adams's beloved novel. There was beauty on every page--the art was just perfect in approach and texture and color for the stories being told. There is tragedy and sacrifice and all of the pathos and suspense and politicking of the novel, but perfect for younger readers or people who just didn't get into the novel, and for anyone who was traumatized by that 80s movie adaptation, because it is a balm for your soul.

As a longtime fan of Adams’s Watership Down, I was leery about a graphic novel adaptation. I have never been happier to admit that I was wrong.

The source material is admittedly hard to adapt. There’s a ton of world-specific vocabulary, the storyline is very much “hurry up and wait” action alternating with pastoral scenes, and it’s confronts the violence of a wild rabbit’s life head-on.

Sturm and Sutphin handle these all beautifully. The pacing is excellent, avoiding the choppiness that would be so easy to fall into. The rabbit-speak is scattered throughout judiciously so that we still get the flavor of their world without being overwhelmed.

I especially love how Sturm handles the differences between the overall story, Fiver’s visions, and the legends of El-ahrairah’s exploits. Each segment has its own unique style that’s easy to recognize and they all share enough common ground to flow seamlessly.

I opened this book full of excitement and the knowledge that I would probably be disappointed. Instead I was riveted to the story just as I was the first time I picked up Adams’s masterpiece.

incredibly beautiful drawings, I was delighted to get to know this classic story through each pages, would really recommend to discover (or rediscover) this classic!

Having heard a lot about this series from both the show and original book I thought this would be a fun one to review. I was not let down for being a newbie to the story. It was simply spectacular! The artwork was great and I felt like it was clear who each of the characters were, which seemed important as the animals are anthropomorphic.

<i>Watership Down</i> remains one of my favorite stories even after first experiencing the story through the first animated film as a child. No, I was most likely unprepared for such a story at that age, but I will say that it stuck with me. 4 years later, I sought the film again and found out that it was based on a novel, which I had to read. I just didn't realize I would love it so much that I'd read the book 4 times that year. All of this is to say that this graphic novel is certainly true to the source material. James Sturm did a splendid job of adapting the novel into a condensed form that allows the story to shine. And the art from Joe Sutphin really captured the style of the animated film along with the illustrations from the sequel collection <i>Tales from Watership Down</i>. This adaptation will likely please readers who loved the novel while also hopefully attracting new readers and inspiring them to look at the source material.

Highly recommended.

How do you feel about Graphic Novels?

This is my 3rd and I really enjoy them! Brings me back to my comic book days.

If you have read and loved Watership Down, definitely check this new #graphicnovel .

The adaptation kept enough of the original text to keep everyone happy.

This one is out in October. Thank you to @netgalley and #tenspeedgraphic for my #arc copy.

#comics #classics

Watership Down is my most favorite book of all time. This graphic novel was a beautiful intrerpretation of that book. I greatly enjoyed reading it and remembering my love for the story and the Rabbits of the Down. Thank you for choosing me to read this ARC.

Watership Down was assigned to me as a high school summer read many years ago. I remember it being daunting and I had struggled to finish it. So, I was pleasantly surprised to come across James Sturm's adaptation of the classic, in graphic novel format. This time, the read was quick and I easily remembered the characters from before. Even the story line came back from the nooks and crannies of my brain!
Sturm has done a wonderful job retelling the original story. His illustrator, Joe Surphin, brings the characters alive, and both did an excellent job of sharing the characters' individual traits and contributions to the story.
You are in for a treat if you decide to pick up this delightful graphic novel. And if you have the time, read the original as well--it's worth the read afterall.

Thank you for NetGalley, Ten Speed Graphic, James Sturm, and Joe Surphin for my egalley!

I had never read the original story before and thought that maybe the graphic novel would make it easier to understand. Though I didn't particularly enjoy this story I will admit this graphic novel is well done. The story isn't bad necessarily, I just didn't find it engaging.

4.25ish stars.

I honestly liked this a lot more than the novel. It's streamlined and leaves out all the fluff. The illustrator does a great job of distinguishing each of the rabbits from each other, not an easy feat.

Watership Down has been one of my favorite books since childhood. This graphic novel is a faithful condensed version and I greatly enjoyed reading it!

An absolutely beautifully illustrated graphic novel from James Sturm that follows Richard Adams’s classic novel. I love that this wasn’t abridged, and that the illustrations so gorgeously captured the themes of heroism, freedom, family, and so many more.

Absolutely five stars, and worth the read for anyone that loves the original novel and any graphic novel lover.

Many thanks to Netflix and Ten Speed for the opportunity to review this beauty of a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

Beautifully illustrated GN will open this classic up to many new readers and reignite the love of many re-readers.

arc provided

This is a perfectly solid rendition of an odd, but beautiful book. The artwork is clear and beautiful, while helping to clearly and wonderfully tell the story. The storyline stays engaging and smooth without the clunk that some graphic re-tellings ultimately have. I think this is a exceptionally accessible way to get through this book.