The Constant Rabbit is set in a world which is similar to our own but slightly different. On 12th August 1965, a Spontaneous Anthropomorphising Event turned some of the rabbit population into humanoids, along with some guinea pigs, foxes and weasels. These human-like rabbits have their own culture, religion and traditions, with many living in their own warrens. Some get passes to live outside of these colonies and move into human towns and villages throughout the UK. While some humans are happy to welcome rabbits into their neighbourhood, some aren't — including the Prime Minister, Nigel Smethwick, who plans to relocate all rabbits to the MegaWarren by force. The story follows Peter Knox from the village of Much Hemlock in Herefordshire. He is a Spotter for the Rabbit Compliance Taskforce (sort of like the police, but for rabbits), identifying whether the rabbit arrested matches the rabbit who committed the crime. Apparently humans really struggle to identify individual rabbits so he is invaluable in making sure that the correct rabbit is convicted. The world that Jasper has created in this book is incredible. There are so many details (as you can probably gather from just my short synopsis and intro), with small facts at the start of each chapter as well as footnotes giving additional details. Because of this it took me a little while to 'get into it' and understand the world I was in, and it's certainly one I will be re-reading as I'm certain there is a lot that I've missed. As with all of Jasper's books, The Constant Rabbit compares and contrasts his alternative history with our present. It is full of witty one-liners as well as longer speeches. The footnotes (as with Terry Pratchett's books) are must-reads. There is a lot of social commentary and satire on our present day — for example, budget cuts mean that the local library is only open for six minutes, which is timed and enforced with fines. However, it's not all jokes and it has a darker side to it too. There is an underlying theme around racism, privilege and tolerance of those who are different to ourselves. It also talks a lot about how silence is acquiescence — while the public is generally not 'leporiphobic', they have allowed many inhumane laws to pass and have allowed an anti-rabbit leader to become Prime Minister. One of my favourite lines in the book is from Peter Knox: Although I'd never consciously discriminated against rabbits, read a single issue of The Actual Truth or considered myself leporiphobic in the least — I was. As a young man I'd laughed at and told anti-rabbit jokes and I never once challenged leporiphobic view when I heard them. And although I'd disapproved of encroaching anti-rabbit legislation I'd done nothing as their rights were slowly eroded. My words and thoughts had never progressed to positive actions. No rallies, no angry letters, no funds to RabSAg, nothing. ...My most pressing emotion right now was not a sense of righteous indignation, frustration at the unfairness of my situation or even a courageous sense of a justice that a fight needed to be fought and won. No, what I truly felt was a sense of deep and inexcusable shame. It really made me think about my own past actions, as well as reflecting on recent movements such as Black Lives Matter. The rabbits are generally law-abiding and compliant, despite all of the oppression around them (and their rights continue to be taken away). It is a well-written commentary on our world as well as being a 'call to action' for people to take a stand against fascism, injustice and intolerance, wherever we see it. The story itself is compelling, with lots of twists and turns that kept me intrigued. I really liked the characters of Peter and his new rabbit neighbours, Connie and Doc. The rabbits are really interesting and I enjoyed learning more about their traditions, such as duelling with pistols. At times I was terrified for the characters and their fate. The incredible ending was also totally unexpected and had me in tears. The Constant Rabbit is a fantastic read. It's incredibly original and clever, with the perfect blend of humour and darker themes, that really made me think about my own actions. It's one that I will be re-reading. As always with Jasper Fforde's works, I think fans of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams will particularly enjoy this.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I first read the descripion for this book, but as it was something completely different to what i normally read i decided to give it a shot.Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder for allowing me an eARC of this book. Summary: Peter Knox lives in a village that is very much quiet and it's only goal is to win a coveted village garden of the year award. Unfortunately those plans are out of the window as soon as Doc and Constance rabbit move in next door. This causes so many upturns in Peter's life, including upsetting the locals (many are members of the United Kingdom Against Rabbit Population party) and making his job as a rabbit spotter considerably harder. He is forced to take a stand and become a supporter for rights for the population on anthropomorphised rabbits all over the country. Review: Firstly this story is very much topical in the world at the moment, and is something I found an absolute delight to read. The references to current British affairs and politics, making them both humorous and making you, as a reader, think about how commonly some of these phrases are said in slightly different contexts was jarring and enlightening, It's a story that left me thinking well after i finished the final page and will definitely stay with me for a while to come. The pacing of this story was really good, fast and kept the reader engaged and thinking. The characters were wonderfully written, with Peter, Constance and Doc being the centre three. I loved watching the development of Peter in particular as he went from being very quiet to actively rallying for rights which is wonderful to see. I will say that as a world-building experience goes this is by far one of the most imaginative and clever ways I have read., absolutely dazzling Overall: If you are wanting to read a story that makes you think, and I mean really think, and compare the UK to everything going on in the world right now, read this book. It is a humorous take on something that is a serious topic and is definitely worth the investment.

I’m a huge Jasper Fforde fan. I don’t think he could write a book I didn’t enjoy. This one is a classic mash-up of thriller, comedy, and the gloriously weird, mixed in with some close-to-the-bone political allegory and lots of compassion. Oh, and Wales, of course. There is some gloriously subtle disability representation in it, too.

Jasper Fforde has given us another entertaining and satirical look at the human condition, this time with the help of rabbits. Rabbits are now human-sized following an anthropomorphising Event 55 years ago. Rabbits are part of our communities, a cheap workforce, tolerated yet not classified as Human. Most are encouraged to live in colonies and those that live off-colony are licensed and looked upon with suspicion. Yet matters are coming to a head as the government, run by the UKARP, has Mega Warren coming online and intends to move all rabbits into it. When a new rabbit family moves into the country hamlet of Much Hemlock, a place that revolves around the traditional village life of summer fetes, gossip and Best Kept Village award, it is soon decided by the locals that the rabbits must be encouraged to leave. A story told with much humour and touching rabbit moments, yet there is a steely undercurrent. The humans, in general, do not come out well in this tale, but our human protagonist Peter Knox finds redemption although along the way he is used by both the human authorities and the rabbit underground. A highly enjoyable story, uncomfortable reading in places, with the flair and pace you expect from Jasper Fforde.

Just didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this book. I wasn’t disappointed, that’s for sure! Watership Down on speed, with love, politics, intrigue, violence, ‘racism’......it’s got it all. I’ll never be able to look at a rabbit again without wondering.............