Redwall, by Brian Jacques

[Rosa]

Has anyone here read this book or any other ones in the Redwall series? They are fantasy stories about animals such as otters, mice, moles, hares, squirrels, badgers, rats, ect. I think they're pretty fascinating stories and I like them, but it takes me a while to get through them because the books are thick. At my local library these books are placed under the category of Young Adult reading. You'd think they would be considered as children's stories, but there's a lot of violence and bloodshed involved. If any of you here love action, adventure, and an unusual story, then read Redwall or any of the other books in the series.

[Buttercup]

Wow, I thought that i was the only one who read his books still! As a matter of fact, i just read 'Loamhedge' for the first time about four days ago. I started reading his books over...oh my gosh, I just stopped to count and i have been reading is books from the Redwall series for almost 14 years!

I started reading them when I was in fourth grade and have read all of them as they come out ever since. I absolutely love the story lines that follow the woodland animals and the best aspect in my mind is taht the concept of anything remotely related to humans simply doesn't exist. The world of Redwall is completely devoid of human habitation, only animals reside there, and the books follow the age old battles of good versus evil, and predator versus prey.

If people don't feel embarrassed to be caught reading books that are classified as young adult or children, i highly recommend them to any members of the board here. I think they are right up our alley in the fact of predator versus prey plots and fantasy of talking animals who have everyday problems the same as us. Also, as Rosa pointed out, Brian Jacques isn't afraid to show the bad side of life. He very briefly describe wounds suffered in battle (no gore whatsoever) but doesn't try to gloss over death. As a matter of fact, he draws attention to it in his writings and makes it not only symbolic of the circle of life for these animals, but shows the fallen in such a way as to make the reader experience intense sympathy and compassion for the heroism and selflessness of the fallen. Courage, hope, defending those who are weaker, friendship, duty, and Love are all brought together in his series in such a way that any age that can read it can understand life around them a little better and realize that just because it looks bad up ahead in times to come, there is always hope.

Go ahead, read them!

[Christopher]

Oh! I love those books!

I've only read Redwall and Mossflower, though.

They're great books. Even people who don't like to read love to read them.

[Vorchia]

I've heard this series being mentioned and recommended before, by Americans mostly. Its not available in the Netherlands.

[Azonthus]

I LOVE Redwall! Those books are awesome=) Who can't love little furry critters dressing up in armor and protecting themselves? For a while, I had a Redwall persona. She was an otter named Misty SilverStream. I have a good number of the Redwall books. Maybe I should go through and read some of them again;) No, on second thought, I need to finish Moby Dick!

My favorite Redwall book is Martin the Warrior. I like the books that show true selflessness and heroism. And I agree that Brian Jacques does a good job of dealing with death. When Methuselah died in Redwall, I was almost crying. That doesn't happen very much for me in stories. Too many stories just make life out to be happy happy joy joy and all problems can be overcome with little or no effort. The Redwall books do a great job of showing the difficulty of the quests the characters must undertake and really making the reader feel the peril they're in. I like books with such a complete world full of mythology and history.

[Buttercup]

We need to see what we can do about getting the books to you Vorchia!

My favorite in th eseries would either be Mariel of Redwall or Mattimeo.

I must say that I am surprised at the amount of people who have read the series, I am impressed by everyone's good taste! ;D

[Azonthus]

Don't worry, I've got a LOT of extra copies so I can send her the first one with her B-day present;) I'm going to have to get a bigger box!

[Vorchia]

I know its famous in the US, its on the literature list... I never read Moby Dick.
I applied to a local bookstore for a weekendjob...

[Rosa]

I didn't realize that so many of you here had read the books and I'm really glad to hear what ya'll think of them. I don't think I could ever grow tired of the stories no matter how old I get. I have not read all of them yet, but so far my favorites are Redwall, The Long Patrol, and The Taggerung. Martin the Warrior is excellent, but the end just makes me too sad to call it my favorite.

One of my all around favorite characters that I can think of right now would probably be Gonff. What are ya'lls favorite characters? Oh yeah, and my favorite bad guy is Jeremiah Cuttlefish Clogg.

[Buttercup]

My favorite characters would probably be Mariel or Matthias and Warbeak. I find it amusing that you like Clogg the best because didn't he basically go insane? He was the last one left alive in the fortress because he hid under a wheelbarrow, right?

My favorite bad guy...I guess it would either be Cluny the Scourge or The Mask from Mattimeo.