Linda Zuckerman

This was a fun book. It has something of a noir feel. The writing is direct with minimal description. The setting and story were interesting. One of the unique things about this book is that the animals are fluidly anthropomorphic. In one moment, they discuss government and business. In the next, they dig up mice with their bare paws and eat them whole. It made for enjoyably surreal reading.

I wish that had remained consistent. If this had been a story where the characters are really wild but depicted anthropomorphically, the lack of fuller explanation would have worked. The reader would realize that the animals are not really intelligent but only being portrayed that way in order to tell their story in human terms. But because the story eventually makes clear that the animals are really anthropomorphic (their sentience becomes a matter of explicit discussion among them), I was left wanting an explanation for the world.

That is one aspect in which I feel that the book didn't live up to its true potential. How do these two civilizations live within apparent easy walking distance of each other and yet remain essentially ignorant of each other? How did these particular species develop intelligence? What is the bigger picture of their political situation? Even in the opening pages, I felt it would have been better to indicate to the reader clearly what level of technology is present in the world.

I think the lack of world building occasionally dulled the emotional impact of the story as well. Because it's not sufficiently clear how the characters fit into the bigger picture, there are times when the stakes don't feel high as high as it's clear that they're meant to feel. The understated style doesn't help in these situations.

The setting and story are good enough that a sequel could remedy some of these problems. If a subsequent book explained how the events of this book fit into a larger drama, it could be very satisfying.… (lisätietoja)

3.5 stars

A Taste for Rabbit is great introductory reading for the classic Watership Down, and since that book can be a hard sell to middle- and high-schoolers, this book is a much easier sell.

I found some errors when I was reading through it, but nothing too egregious, and the characters (while not extremely dynamic) are round and developed, undergoing believable change throughout the story. Quentin's reluctance to go back home after his journey is a perspective rarely seen in kid's literature, and a welcome one, and Harry's loner character and gruffness contrasts nicely with his unwavering principles. The friendship he develops with Elton is very nice and a touching spot in the plot.

And it's a great plot! Political intrigue, a little bit of mystery, some character journeys... all packed into a fairly quick read. Even if it ends with some loose ends untied, I don't mind. Life isn't full of closure and you don't always get all the answers, and I like the books I read to reflect that.… (lisätietoja)

"A Taste for Rabbit" is a book whose premise is more tantalizing than the actual storyline itself. Rabbits who fight moral and political corruption by going against the system somehow tied into the sibling rivalry between two foxes in an entirely different neck of the woods is interesting yet is portrayed in an average, strictly-sticking-to-facts manner. We don't get much of a glimpse into the world of our anthropomorphic cast asides from the "Look, they're just like humans except everything is replaced with the names of venison and plants!" trope that exists in most media dealing with humanized animals. This is not to imply that there is some fault with the story itself; rather, it is average as far a fantasy novel goes. Everything seems to exist solely for advancing the plot - Harry (our main fox protagonist) comes across something that changes his course, a certain character appears solely to add to the "mystery" and convinces Harry to do X. Oh, and make no mistake, the book does try to perpetrate some sort of mystery involving the disappearance of rabbits, where it really should have just stuck to world exploration - Zuckerman seems to have a flair for describing fantasy environments, whenever the plot will allow her to do so, and I personally think that it would have made for a more interesting novel that way. While I will say that I didn't know the nature of the mystery until it was presented to me - it's not the type of book that will drop hints and allow for you to solve the mystery yourself - it's presented in such an anticlimatic manner that you aren't allowed to see the information as some sort of huge revelation. So some characters aren't exactly what they seem. Big shock.

Another fault is found in the characters themselves, most specifically Harry. I don't find much of a problem in Quentin the rabbit, the typical shy character turned hero. He succeeds in achieving his goals, and by the end of the book, has a new set of goals that are agreeable enough. Harry is initially introduced as our protagonist and the story follows his journey to find a rabbit colony on his brother's insistence. He keeps thinking back on his days as a child, when his parents were alive and his brother young, sometimes regretting his decisions and sometimes wondering what could be done differently. He has dialogues that he fabricates while searching for the colony that completely shatter the mood of whatever moment he finds himself in. They are ridiculous and go somewhat along the lines of "Hey, if I were young, I'd take care of my brother more. HIS MOTHER) Harry, you are so kindhearted. Such a young, shining example of a boy! HARRY) Oh, it's no trouble, mother. I love my brother and support him through this hard time!" They come off as completely corny and unnecessary. Then, mysteriously, after this build-up of his character, Harry's significance dissipates as the book focuses on Quentin more heavily. It's very dissatisfying to see a character built up, to have the reader think that he might have a chance against toppling the evil reign of his politician brother, and then not only forget about him, but have him the center of an anticlimactic battle in which his brother beats him up with a cane, tells him everything that the story thinks that you might have forgotten, and runs off into the woods. All in with about three pages. You get a few chapters between Quentin's heroics where we see Harry walking and thinking and occasionally meeting other characters, but it's all very plot-oriented and not anything interesting. Quentin's bashing the brains out of his childhood bully who sold the bodies of his best friend's family as food for a quick buck. Harry's leg is swollen. It's a complete letdown. Not to mention that, in an effort to tie up loose ends, Harry almost gets killed again in a case of mistaken identity. It makes me kind of wonder if Zuckerman just got tired with Harry after a while, because it's certainly what it feels like.

Another minor thing I feel the need to point out is the dialogue. It feels stifling. A good example is the fact that the premise is built around foxes not knowing that rabbits have become sentient, and vice versa - yet the foxes and wolves who talk to one another have conversations that boil down to "You don't smell like a rabbit. This is strange to me, it is as if my world outlook has changed. Anyway, can you direct me to the next plot point?" And when this isn't happening, there's an antagonist spilling their guts on everything the reader must know about behind the scenes happenings - even if you just finished reading about it a few chapters ago. Or a character talking to themselves so they, god forbid, don't have to have an interesting conversation with the other character overhearing them.

I know it sounds like I'm ragging on this book, but in truth, I still think it's worth a read. I am aware that reading a book based on what it could have been is ludicrous, but it genuinely well written when Zuckerman gives thought to building up the scenery and not solely advancing the story. The world, though it could have benefited from fleshing out, does have the potential for the emergence of interesting cultures. The book definitely ends as if it anticipates a equal, and if it turns out that there is one, I'd read it. I just hope some of these aforementioned problems are fixed.… (lisätietoja)