Redwall Series

[Nurvingiel]

Nice bump Rakkety.

I really like the Redwall series, and it is a very detailed world, which is cool. I especially enjoy the books about badgers, and the earlier history. My favourite part in Mattimeo is when they find the ruins of Loamhenge (IIRC).

I also enjoy the Badgers and the hilarious Rabbits quite a bit. Brian Jaques also writes dialect very well; dialect normally annoys me but I find his adds flavour to the characters.
I also love the feasts. I really want a meadowcream tart with strawberries. Mmm...

I have few complaints with the series. Minor: the excessively cute dibbuns and their excessively cute antics, being indulged by matronly nurses. (Fortunately it doesn't happen very much, and isn't central to the plot).
Also, the heroes solve complex puzzles and riddles just a little to easily IMO. (Though I really like the puzzles and riddles he writes. They are interesting plot devices, even though he uses this multiple times.)

Major: The abuse of anthropomorphism. I don't mind that all the animals talk, build stone abbeys, etc. but dividing animals into good and evil based on their species annoys me to no end. That and the fact that each book has more or less the same plot, are the only things that keep me from ravenously reading the entire series multiple times.
These are extremely well-written books, but why is it that rats, stoats, weasles and foxes are evil, while squirrels, mice, voles, shrews, rabbits, and badgers are good? (It's also slightly odd that they're all about the same size - at least to the degree that badgers and mice are happy living in the same building together. But I'm happy to overlook that.)

I mean really, what did a stoat or a rat ever do to you Mr. Jaques? It just seems unfair and arbitrary, and the stereotyping of each species (including the "good" ones, like shrews) is dull and irritating IMO.
I am not fond of the idea that just because someone was born a rat, they are inclined to being lazy, evil, and dishonest, and just because someone was born a squirrel, they are inclined to being athletic, kind, honest, and brave. The worst example of this was the young otter lad who was raised by pirates or something and turned out to be a decent, honest, and fairly well-adjusted chap. Um... how? (I think it was "The Pearls of Lutra", which was an exceedingly cool book aside from my one gripe.)

Well, enough of my rantage. They are great books, despite the boring stereotypes, and are very fun to read.

[tolkienfan]

There was at least one good rat in the series. Didn't he make boats or something at the end? Sorry, haven't read them for a while.

[Rakkety_tamm]

Snowfur's Redwall Encyclapediea,
GRUBBAGE. Oversized, overweight male wharf rat. Bosun of the Seascab under Captain Plugg Firetail. His ears were cut off long ago, and although he wore a turban to hide the stumps he was nearly deaf. He was a jolly and likable creature with some healing knowledge. He was taken captive by Redwallers but treated kindly, and he helped Triss navigate back to Riftgard.

Is this the rat you were talking about?

[tolkienfan]

I think so. It is kind of weird though how some species are good and some evil. I know lots of people who really like having rats as pets.

[Rakkety_tamm]

I'm writing a Redwall Fan Fiction, and my gf's editing for it. I've also gotten a Redwall Messege Board up, but Narinya and myself are the only two members.

[Earniel]

So far the only Redwall-book I've read is Marlfox that I picked up at a cheap book fair. I liked it, it's pleasant to read without appearing childish. And it has some very distinct, well-established characters that keep you interested. It gave the idea that the world is much larger than the bits that are covered in the book, which is something that definitely adds to the story. Of course, at that point I had no idea there were so many books.

Originally Posted by Nurvingiel

I mean really, what did a stoat or a rat ever do to you Mr. Jaques?

That reminded me of a story that Tolkien's negative portayal of spiders stems from once being bitten by one as a child.

[Telcontar_Dunedain]

I've read all of them apart from the last two. My favourite is probably Taggerung, I mean how cool are the otters

[Rakkety_tamm]

Not as cool as squirrels, J/K, but, serisouly, I love squirrels.

[Curubethion]

Originally Posted by Rakkety_tamm

Not as cool as squirrels, J/K, but, serisouly, I love squirrels.

Squirrels may be cool, but otters rock!

[august6]

[EDITED] No advertising is allowed outside the advertising thread.

[nasuada]

I like Mossflower,Mariel of redwall, The Pearls of Lutra..oh I like them all! I haven't read them all though. I read Doomwyte the most recent. I actually sent a letter and a picture, I drew, to brian Jacques and I got a letter back, with a lot of other cool things.