Posted in: Books, Comics | Tagged: books, entertainment, Richard Adams, The girl in the Swing, The plague dogs, Watership Down

Richard Adams, Author Of Watership Down, Passes Away At Age 96

We've gotten word that author Richard Adams has passed away at the age of 96.

Adams is best known for his 1972 children's book Watership Down. It was originally a story he told his daughters on a long car ride that he would eventually turn into a best seller that would go on to win the Carnegie Medal for Children's Fiction that year. Tens of millions of copies have been sold of the story about a family of rabbits trying to find a new home after their warren is destroyed. It took Adams two years to write the story after the car ride and then 14 rejection letters before finding a publisher, Rex Collins, who offered to do a 2,500 copy print run.

The former civil servant also wrote Shardik, The Plague Dogs and The Girl in a Swing. He was a veteran of World War II and an animal rights advocate.

The book was originally adapted in 1978, though some scenes were though to be too frightening for small children. A 4-part CGI animated adaptation is in the works at Netflix for release in 2017. Ben Kingsley, Olivia Coleman and Jon Boyega will lend their voices to the production.

The website Watership-Down.com posted the following statement along with a passage from the book.

Richard's much-loved family announce with sadness that their dear father, grandfather, and great-grandfather passed away peacefully at 10pm on Christmas Eve.

From Watership Down:

It seemed to Hazel that he would not be needing his body any more, so he left it lying on the edge of the ditch, but stopped for a moment to watch his rabbits and to try to get used to the extraordinary feeling that strength and speed were flowing inexhaustibly out of him into their sleek young bodies and healthy senses.

"You needn't worry about them," said his companion. "They'll be alright – and thousands like them."

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