Richard Adams is an English writer. The author was glorified by the novel "The Inhabitants of the Hills". The writer wrote the books "Shardik", "Maya", "Plague Dogs". On the works "Inhabitants of the hills" and "Plague dogs" full-length cartoons were shot.
The heroes of the books of Richard George Adams were not animals, but people. Everything was right in his life, from a serene childhood and a rich youth, to a happy family, a beloved business and success, the opportunity to share his experience over the years. All books talk about how to gain and not lose your home.
Way to destination
The biography of the future writer began in 1920. The child was born in the suburbs of the town of Newbury, Wash Commune, May 9 in the family of a doctor. Evelyn Adams raised three children. Richard was the youngest. The boy was distinguished by isolation and modesty. He preferred to spend his time alone.
At six, the baby learned to read. He liked the work of Lofting "Doctor Dolittle", he adored "Winnie the Pooh" by Alan Milne. However, the Beatrice Potter character Peter Rabbit became the boy’s favorite hero.
If Richard did not need to study or read, he willingly traveled through the surrounding hills. Sometimes the son was accompanied by his father, an amateur naturalist. He told the child about all the animals and birds they encountered.
Adams did not think of a career as a writer. He decided to receive education at Oxford Worcester College. In 1938, the young man chose his specialty in modern history. However, with the outbreak of World War II, Richard joined the army. For six years he served in the airborne troops, participated in military operations.
Adams returned home in 1946. He completed his studies, received a bachelor's degree, and a master's degree. The graduate chose the career of a civil servant. He began work in the Department of Environmental Protection. Richard's attitude to nature required action. The young man read a lot, he gave preference to European classics, in particular English, he knew many poems by heart. However, he never dreamed of abandoning the role of the reader and making his contribution to the development of the literature of his native country.
Family and literature
Adams arranged his personal life in 1949. With his wife Elizabeth, he settled in Oxford. Two children were born in the family, daughters Rosamund and Juliet. Thanks to the children, their father's writing career began. Every day, Richard accompanied his daughters to school and home. On the way, he told the girls stories he had invented. Since the beloved hero did not change over time, Adams also told tales about rabbits.
All the stories were based on scientific facts, because Richard always remained an enthusiastic naturalist. He based his findings on the work of the zoologist Loxley, "The Rabbit's Private Life." All the heroes of his stories lived in the familiar from an early age Adams Wash-Commune and its environs.
The girls liked the stories so much that they begged their parents to write them down. The persistence of the baby showed amazing. In the end, Richard still sat at his desk. Since he did not plan to leave the service, he had to work in the evenings. The creation of the work took a year and a half. It turned out that the letter is absolutely not what the writer dreamed about. He was glad that he was able to finish what he had begun.
In 1968, the story of the rabbits was completed, becoming final. Adams considered publishing a work. He sent the manuscript to various publishers. Failures came from everywhere. The reason has always been one: unformat. None of the agents could understand who the book was addressed to. It seemed too realistic if it was intended for children, filled with crude details, and the story of talking rabbits could not attract adults.
In response, Adams was perplexed, saying that anyone who wishes could read his essay. It does not depend on his age.
Confession
The first to see the potential of the work was Rex Collins. His small publishing house specialized in books about animals. He instantly realized that in his hands was a real treasure. He accepted the novel into work, informing the deputy that he doubted his decision, but was sure that he had found a strikingly original thing.
The author was glad that the book was finally published, and Rex took care of the unobtrusive advertising for a small first run. Some of the books were sent to the most influential critics, colleagues in the publishing business. They called the book on the name of the hill where the action "Watership Down" takes place. The author himself entitled the work by the names of the main characters "Walnut and Pyatik".
In the future, among the names of the novel there were options such as The Great Journey of the Rabbits, The Amazing Adventures of Rabbits, and Ship Hill. The most successful was the heading "Inhabitants of the hills."
The print run sold out instantly. The rights to the new publication were bought by one of the largest agencies. The book is on the New York Times bestseller list. Within a few years, more than a million copies were sold. Start-up books have become a bibliographic rarity. Adams was awarded two prestigious prizes. For the work for children and youth he was awarded the Carnegie Medal and the prize of the Guardian newspaper.
After the success of the essay, Adams left the civil service. He decided to continue the work of a writer. However, he immediately warned readers that he did not intend to present them with more than the story of rabbits. His new work was the work "Shardik".
