Book Review: Fifteen Rabbits by Felix Salten

I’ve already tackled both Bambi books plus Perri by Felix Salten. This is the last book by this author I own, so let’s have a look! Spoilers ahead.

Fifteen Rabbits is actually a bit of an inaccurate title, as the book is actually about hares. I don’t know why this is, but in the copy I have (Dutch translation) they were consistently referred to as hares and (even in the title), so I think this is an English-only thing? Either way, we follow the two hares called Hops and Plana, two young mates-to-be, in their struggles in the forest and plains. Again, much like Bambi and Perri, there is not real plot other than just some moments out of the life of these animals growing up and surviving.

This is once more a quite dark story centering around these cute forest animals. Predator and He are still out to get them, and this book is no exception. While I don’t think this book is as strong as Bambi and it’s sequel, it’s still miles above Perri.

The characters weren’t too strong, but they were better developed and I preferred them rather than the latter one mentioned. I especially felt for young Epi in this book, who ends up perishing after being held captive by some humans. Hops and Plana were basic but functional leads for the story, though I don’t feel as much a connection between them than Bambi and Faline in the first Bambi book.

The conflict in this one once more felt real and it was well-written and incorporated real animal behaviors carefully into the story. If I could name one flaw of the book, though, it will be something that is apparent in the title itself: there are too many characters, all of them named. And they’re all trying to get some page time.

There is also once more a brief reference to the Bambi story, which I guess some readers can appreciate. I personally never saw the appeal of having all these books set in the same forest, which at least made sense for Perri since it’s a spinoff starring a pre-established character, but it doesn’t hinder the book, either.

Overall, Fifteen Rabbits (or Hares) is a pretty decent book, especially if you can handle realistic darker xenofiction. Think something in the direction of Watership Down, but with hares and no other lagomorphs posing the central conflict. Check this one out if you want to!

Rating: 3/5