Over the summer vacation Elizabeth read “Watership Down:” practically a rite of passage around here. I was just about her age the first time I picked it up, and it had a HUGE impact on me. Almost thirty years later it remains one of my all-time favorite works of literature; I still like to reread it every few years. If you’ve never read it I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Don’t let the subject matter scare you off. Yes, it’s about talking rabbits. No, it’s not a children’s book. There are deep truths here about what makes a true leader, the incalculable value of friendship, the distinctions between courage and thuggishness and recklessness, the simple beauty inherent in honesty, and appreciating the importance of diversity in fellowship.
Of course, if you’re Elizabeth, there’s always the meta humor to be found….
(Click on the image for a larger version.)
If you don’t get it, it wouldn’t be funny anymore by the time I finished explaining it. Also: go read Watership Down! Googling Sonic the Hedgehog and Friends is optional.
An Invincible Summer 