Redwall by Brian Jacques

Redwall is an abbey, and it is populated by animals. There are badgers, hedgehogs, moles, mice, squirrels, otters, shrews, hares, and various birds who are all basically the good guys. Their young ones are called "Dibbuns" and are usually mischievous, but also often save the day.

Badger, Fox, Owl, and Mouse
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The vermin (mostly rats, but also ferrets, weasels, and sometimes foxes) are the villains. There are also miscellaneous creatures, often reptiles, like snakes and toads, and giant fish (well giant compared to mice, rats, and shrews!) that are dangerous to both sides.

Matthias enters the story on page 1, introduced as a "comical little figure" who trips and lands at the feet of the abbey's leader, Abbot Mortimer. Hence, the stumbling explanation of his plight posted above. From such an introduction Matthias seems an unlikely hero.

Oh and yes, Matthias is a mouse!


Mouse
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But this is the world of talking animals and we soon come to love Matthias and his friends, especially when they encounter the craziest creatures on their quest to save their home from the evil rats that threaten to take it over.

Why do I love this book?

• Well, I just love the way all the different animals have their own dialects. The moles go "Hurr, Burr" and love "deeper'n'ever turnip'n'tater'n'beetroot pie." The shrews are led by "Log-a-Log" who gets called "Log-a-Thing" by the hares, who generally speak like British country gentlemen, all "wot, wot," and "good old chap" and make fun of every "bally" thing, even the direst dangers. There are also the Sparras (sparrows) who shout stuff like "killee, killee, chop up all mouses, killee dead quickfast!" And in a later book there's some birds from the North Country who have Scottish accents - McTalon is one of my favorites! And all these funny creatures get along so well (at least the good ones do, the evildoers tend to fight among themselves a lot).



• I love the descriptions of the amazing delicious food they serve at their feasts, and even at the homes of friendly creatures the brave ones meet on their quests. It's incredible how many types of drinks, pies, cakes, salads, and generally delicious foods they manage to make from the berries, fruits, herbs, plants, and nuts that would grow in an English countryside. Just reading the book makes your mouth water!



• Even though the story is in some sense predictable - good triumphs over evil - there are so many twists and turns, riddles and unexpected friends appearing, that it's just a joy to read. The characters develop too. Some go from being a young "Dibbuns" to reaching adulthood, while the adults also age, usually quite gracefully.



• The message of the story is undeniably good. Good is better than evil. Friendship and trustworthiness are valued. Care and compassion make for a better life. But when evil threatens those you love, your family, your home, you'd better fight to protect them, even at the cost of your life! And, yes there are deaths and not just the bad guys - true to life really.



• And finally, I guess I really love this story because its setting is so British! In many ways the characters and the countryside just seem so familiar, so real, so comfortable.

The author of Redwall is Brian Jacques - his name is pronounced "Jakes" because although his father's lineage has French origin he was born in Liverpool, England into a family of Irish ancestry. He realized at an early age he had a talent for writing, when his teacher refused to believe he wrote the story he wrote about animals himself!

Leaving school at 15, Brian became a merchant seaman. After traveling the world, he got tired of the lonely life and returned to his hometown of Liverpool. There he had a variety of jobs, one of which involved delivering milk to a school for the blind. Redwall was written for the blind children at that school.

The ideas for the characters and their stories come from Brian's life experiences, and the stories of the people he has met. The good creatures are based on people who live in different parts of Britain, complete with their different accents. Living through World War II, and the Battle of Britain in which bombs fell on Liverpool daily, Brian Jacques was inspired by the bravery, even recklessness, of the air force pilots who saved the day. The theme of defending your home when attacked by evil comes from his war experiences.

Image of Brian Jacques from Wikimedia Commons.

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