Watership Down or R is for Rocket?

Question

I have to choose a book for an assignment over the summer (dag-gummed honors english) and Watership Down by Richard Adams or R is for Rocket by Ray Bradbury are two that stood out to me. Watership Down stood out to me because I remember really liking the Plague Dogs (the movie adaption as well as the book), but I also liked Fahrenheit 451, and those kind of classic 'sci-fi' books tend to appeal to me. I know I could just read both and I wouldn't have a problem with that, but I have to read two other mandatory books as well so I want a clear option in case I run out of extra time.

-Which book, if you have read both, is better?
-Which is easier to get through? (both understanding and pace of the plot)
-Which is shorter?

Thanks

Answer 1

Well, R is for Rocket is a collection of short stories, some connected and some stand-alones. All are excellent, and since they're short stories it's a fairly easy read, although it's a wild ride. Watership is a longer book since it's all one plot, but it's one of my all-time favorite novels and I've re-read it many times, even though my favorite genre is sci-fi. Both have stayed with me all my life, but I feel like everyone should read Watership Down at one time or another. Since you already like sci-fi, choose Watership for the assignment and read R in your down time later-- again, short stories so you can put it down and pick it back up easily.

Answer 2

I don't think you can say that Lewis wrote the books in the "wrong" order -- as the author, he has the prerogative to choose whatever order he wants (would anybody argue that "Memento" tells the story in the wrong order?). But he DID write them out of chronological sequence. The movies are being released in publication order 1) The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe; 2) Prince Caspian; 3) The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; 4) The Silver Chair; 5) The Horse and His Boy; 6) The Magician's Nephew; 7) The Last Battle. This is the order in which Lewis wrote the books. However, the internal chronology of the narratives would place them in a different order: 1) The Magician's Nephew; 2) The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe; 3) The Horse and His Boy {the action of this book actually takes place within the time frame of LWW}; 4) Prince Caspian; 5) The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; 6) The Silver Chair; 7) The Last Battle. In one of his letters, C.S. Lewis wrote "I think I agree with your order [i.e. chronological] for reading the books more than with your mother's. The series was not planned beforehand as she thinks. When I wrote The Lion I did not know I was going to write any more. Then I wrote P. Caspian as a sequel and still didn't think there would be any more, and when I had done The Voyage I felt quite sure it would be the last, but I found I was wrong. So perhaps it does not matter very much in which order anyone read them. I’m not even sure that all the others were written in the same order in which they were published."

Answer 3

Watership Down is a good book, but I haven't read R is for Rocket. So I say go with Watership Down!

Answer 4

wow. i just read Watership down for school. and whilee the first part os pretty boring it gets so much better! ive never ead the other book.

watership is about 500 pages and super small print, very detailed... but its overall okay. not a book i would choose for pleasure reading. but it is def not sci fi at all! if you like sci fi read the hunger games=)!