ISBN: 0441000312
Description.
Brian Jacques' Redwall series is a wonderful epic spanning generations of woodland creatures. On the side of Good are mice, squirrels, hedgehogs, otters, shrews, hares, badgers, and moles (have I left anybody out?) who built Redwall Abbey, a sanctuary for peace-loving woodlanders. Sparrows, Eagles and other birds are occasional allies against the forces of evil-- sea-rats, weasels, ferrets, stoats, foxes and cats. Unlike other animal/fantasy stories, humans do not exist in the Redwall universe.
Each book is a different swashbuckler tale, often weaving variations on a coming-of-age theme for the Redwall heroes and heroines. The righteous Redwall warriors are slow to anger, but do not fear conflicts when there is no other acceptable choice. They revel in the comaradery of fighting together, freeing the slaves of evil war-lords and other heroic acts.
There is no particular religious slant to the Redwall series, but it combines elements of intergenerational wisdom passed on in an unbroken chain of ancestors and abbey scribes, prophetic songs and poetry hidden within the Abbey architecture itself, and messages from ancestors who have passed on to the gates of a woodland hereafter in the form or dreams or voices heard in the heat of battle or other barely perceptible glimmerings of good woodland souls. The faith of Redwall Abbey is mainly self-referential-- they believe in their community, their past, their future and the cycles of the seasons that move us all through our lives.
The Redwallers live comunally in the Abbey and share in cooking, orcharding, brewing childcare and other work necessary to maintain the community through the seasons. They occasionally take in wounded sea-rats or an abandoned child of the bad guys. Their attempts to reform enemies have mixed success, but show their compassion and undying willingness to reach out to others. The frequent feasts have long mouth-watering descriptions of the Redwallers' innovative vegetarian (and occasional fish) woodland cuisine. I hope someone will write a Redwall cookbook someday.
If you want to tell your children stories that reinforce the importance of community, spirituality, courage and other noble traits, these books may provide many evenings of enjoyment.
