Why am I writing about Mr Adams on a MLP blog? Quite simply because I wouldn't be writing it at all but for Watership Down. That book, among much else it did, brought me to internet fandom in general, then the WD fandom in particular. Thence I came to the furry fandom, and from there I discovered MLP.
I also wrote my first real fanfic story (Blackavar's Gift, which you can find on FFN to this day) for the WD fandom. So all my ponyfic is also inspired ultimately by Mr Adams' masterpiece. It really is hard to overstate just how influential that book has been on my life.
My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend stopped running today.
Sad to hear of his passing. With him and Carrie Fisher it's not been a good day for stars.
ReplyDeleteI regretfully admit I'm not particularly familiar with Watership Down, beyond involving rabbits. I'm tempted to grab a copy of the book to give it a read; particularly as I know you. Is it something that one could appreciate as an adult coming in new? Either in an MLP-style of unexpectantly appealing to all, or otherwise.
It really depends on whether you can get on with the prose style. If you can, then yes, absolutely. It takes a little while to hit its stride, but when it does it's wonderful. At least for me.
DeleteWatership Down was ridiculously influential in my life. I'd grown up with old British kid-lit, so the style was perfectly comfortable for for me as a non-typical American guy. I've read it a dozen times, at the very least. Addams got an unbelievable amount of wisdom about life, loyalty, and struggle into a "simple" children's book.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'll never forget the sneaky way he taught me a foreign language over the course of the book. It's the only bit of kid's lit I know that could get away with a character saying, "Eat shit, motherfucker!"