The Unbroken Web: Stories and Fables

by Richard Adams

This rare and vintage book is a perfect addition to any bibliophile's collection

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Mythology, Fiction, Fairy Tales

182 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published June 12, 1982

About the author

Adams was born in Newbury, Berkshire. From 1933 until 1938 he was educated at Bradfield College. In 1938 he went up to Worcester College, Oxford to read Modern History. On 3 September 1939 Neville Chamberlain announced that the United Kingdom was at war with Germany. In 1940 Adams joined the British Army, in which he served until 1946. He received a class B discharge enabling him to return to Worcester to continue his studies for a further two years (1946-48). He took the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1948 and of Master of Arts in 1953.

He was a senior civil servant who worked as an Assistant Secretary for the Department of Agriculture, later part of the Department of the Environment, from 1948 to 1974. Since 1974, following publication of his second novel, Shardik, he has been a full-time author.

He originally began telling the story of Watership Down to his two daughters, Juliet and Rosamund, and they insisted he publish it as a book. It took two years to write and was rejected by thirteen publishers. When Watership Down was finally published, it sold over a million copies in record time in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Watership Down has become a modern classic and won both the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize in 1972. To date, Adams' best-known work has sold over 50 million copies world-wide, earning him more than all his other books put together.

As of 1982, he was President of the RSPCA.

He also contested the 1983 general election, standing as an Independent Conservative in the Spelthorne constituency on a platform of opposition to fox hunting.

Reviews

[Jack · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is Richard Adams at his weakest, which is a darn shame considering how utterly gorgeous the story art is. This could have well been one of my favorite short story collections had he been putting out his usual caliber of writing quality.

One talent that I've always admired Adams for is how he can painstakingly recreate regional dialects in his characters' dialogue. In "The Unbroken Web", his portrayal of accents comes off as very.... racist? Silly? Either way, uncomfortable.

There's also an utterly shameless "Watership Down" plug that's about as out of place as when he plugged it in "The Plague Dogs".

If you're someone like me who loves Richard Adams, then I'd only read this for the sake of completion knowing that it's one of his weaker works. For everyone else, look up the artwork separately.

[Frances Sawaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this because I was curious about Adams's notion that on this lonely planet we are surrounded by a web of stories that are the same yet different. It is possible to catch on to a section of the web and pull down a story from it, then release it back to the surroundings. So in retelling trad stories they are the same and yet he changes them. Sort of a similar concept to the versions of Bible stories that appear repeatedly, such as the Gilgamesh legend. I rather liked his spin on the tales as they are like many in the American culture. Might try Pullman's retelling of the Grimm tales next. Might be the same idea.

[The_J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps it is unfair to compare every creation to a Master's greatest work, but this is no Watership Down, even if it has some amusement and entertainment. For want in the face of great expectations, I present an average evaluation.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, but it wasn't quite up to the quality of his more popular works.

[Justin Greer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible collection of stories and art. One of my absolute favorites for folklore.

[Kate N. Ewing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful! Magical and witty. The narration is absolutely inspired! Some sexual content. Grade 9 - adult.

[WadeofEarth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this collection and I look forward to reading these stories and fables from around the world to my children. They are each rather short and are; thus, easily digestible in a sitting. There is good variety in the settings, though I admit I didn't pay careful attention to the countries of origin, rather simply let myself get pulled along with the stories. There is a diverse mixture of themes and styles; there are heartwarming stories and cautionary tales; stories of clever hijinks and moral lessons; while I didn't love all of the stories, there were several that were, truly, exceptional and all of them seemed to fit well together for this collection. I appreciate Adam's endeavor to collect and rejuvenate these stories and fables from around the world and expect that my copy of this book will be well worn.

[Sarah Eagle · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I thought the tales were fun, the interjections of the storyteller giving the reader indication of why the storyteller is telling the story were distracting. They were so distracting in some cases that two of the tales didn't properly finish. Adams says in the introduction that putting these back helped regain some of the folk tales' authenticity--he thinks they're "sanitized" when removed from the human aspect and told as they are. I say differently.
Loved Watership Down, was underwhelmed with these.

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lush color plates illustrate these fables that attempt to explain why things in the world are the way they are. Adam's conversational style is like listening to a tale spinner in front of a fire. The stories range from the Cat in the Sea, to the Chinese story of the Blind Boy and His Dog, to the Crimson Parrot of Nairobi and the Irish tale of the Mooddey Dhoo...these folktales span all the world.

[Austen to Zafón · Rating 1 out of 5]

Watership Down was just a hard act to follow, no doubt about it. I have tried several of Adams's other work and I didn't like any of it. Sad. I'm sure these collected folk tales and fables were nice in their original form, but Adams makes them twee and pretentious and after the joy of WD, that's disappointing.

[Norman Howe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new take on old folk-tales and fables. By placing the narrator in the story"," Adams makes these his own. I haven't heard of most of these before"," but several are vaguely similar to fairy tales I do recall.

[Bea Alden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skilful retelling of old folk tales from various countries.

[Kezia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike others I didn't like the vehicle of the various narrators, but there were some stories that will stick to me for a long time -- which is why they persist and are still told after centuries.