How interesting! I just listened to that same audiobook a few weeks ago myself. I never read the book as a kid when it was new because it sounded really stupid to my 12 year old self. I picked it up in support of an editing client who was writing a story with animal protagonists, and I wanted to find out whether it might be a good comparable for her to study.

It wasn't, alas, and I agree about the lack of lady-rabbits, which makes it weirdly problematic. But I did think it was gorgeous overall in the English landscape tradition, beautifully written, and full of positive themes. I liked its long, leisurely pace. It was one of those one-off books that became a "classic" because of some mysterious and unrepeatable confluence of mood and moment.

I liked it a lot.