Shardik was Adams's 1974 follow-up to his phenomenally popular debut, Watership Down. The title character is a gigantic bear who is the god of the primitive Ortelgan people. The hunter Kelderek becomes Shardik's greatest disciple and, eventually, ruler when the bear finally does make its return. On the surface, the book works as a fantasy adventure; on a deeper level, it explores our relationship with the divine. No matter what you want to see in it, Shardik is a good read. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Some might say a life that included serious study, service during World War II, a stellar career, and a loving family is more than most people hope for. Richard Adams, who passed away on Christmas Eve at 96, had all of that in 1970, when he was 50 years old. Then, he tried something new: he began […]