Redwall
Redwall
The first book in the Redwall series has charmed readers since its first publication in 1986. The children’s series has been a huge success, with many adults enjoying the tales and a fairly successful cartoon adaptation of parts of the series have been made.
Redwall introduces readers to Redwall Abbey, a peaceful community of creatures who live on the outskirts of the woodlands of Mossflower. The novel Redwall is not the first chronologically and raises many questions about the Abbey’s past, however, Redwall follows the story of a young mouse, a Novice named Matthias and his strong will to protect the Abbey from the evil rat, Cluny the Scourge.
In order to do this, despite the Abbott’s anti-violence beliefs, Matthias is tested as he uncovers some mysteries about the legendary warrior, Martin, and is set on a quest to find his sword and restore peace to Redwall and Mossflower.
One thing that really contributes to the charm of Redwall is the characters. Not only are they quirky and refreshing, but they’re animals. All of them come with their own special attributes. The lovable yet eccentric Basil Stag Hare adds humour, whereas Asmodeus the snake adds an element of fear for younger readers. I can recall watching the cartoon as a child and my younger sister was terribly afraid of him. There’s the devious Cluny the Scourge, the heroic Matthias. A loving mousemaid named Cornflower and an adorable baby squirrel, Silent Sam.
Redwall is an amazing novel and a fantastic starting point for people who like stories with happy endings to approach the entire series. All in all, Jacques has written a masterpiece which everyone, particularly younger people, should read.
