I was actually going to write about crime dramas next (because I love them so much), but then I heard the news that Brian Jacques died on February 5th, 2011 and I decided to change my topic. Brian Jacques was an English author who grew up in Liverpool and showed talent as an author from a very young age. He was the author of many novels, but I think of him mainly as the author of some of my favorite books, the Redwall Series.
I don't know if any of you read the Redwall Books; they were kind of awesome. I think they never really caught on as much as Harry Potter, and never reached the popularity of LOTR or Narnia, but at the same time they really are classics and in my school at least had quite a following. I read Redwall in fifth grade, and used my pig money that next summer to buy the complete series (up to Long Patrol) and loved them (yes, I had a 4-H pig. And yes, I used my money to buy books on occasion. Surprise).
The Redwall Books are similar to LOTR and other epic quest books, but have their own unique take; the least of this is the fact that they typically star mice, with an occasional badger, hedgehog or squirrel. Redwall takes mice, moles, otters, voles, hedgehogs and squirrels as the heroes who live in Redwall Abbey, along with the warrior Badger Lords of Salamandastron, a mountain on the coast and their patrols of Hares, the long Patrol. Villains include foxes, rats, stouts, weasels and ferrets. Also snakes and cats. This fits in with nature (though I believe that Taggerung plays with that a bit and there are good cats occasionally).
In order of publication, the series goes:
* Redwall (1986)
* Mossflower (1988)
* Mattimeo (1989)
* Mariel of Redwall (1991)
* Salamandastron (1992)
* Martin the Warrior (1993)
* The Bellmaker (1994)
* Outcast of Redwall (1995)
* The Pearls of Lutra (1996)
* The Long Patrol (1997)
* Marlfox (1998)
* The Legend of Luke (1999)
* Lord Brocktree (2000)
* The Taggerung (2001)
* Triss (2002)
* Loamhedge (2003)
* Rakkety Tam (2004)
* High Rhulain (2005)
* Eulalia! (2007)
* Doomwyte (2008)
* The Sable Quean (2010)
Chronically, it's another story. So really, Mr. Jacques was very prolific. Personally, I stopped reading after The Legend of Luke. Not because I wasn't interested in the books that followed, but because I really didn't like Legend of Luke and Lord Brocktree didn't look as interesting to me. However, the other later books (mainly Rakkety Tam, about a kilt-wearing squirrel mercenary. Yes, you read that correctly) really intrigued me. Then I had no money, so Redwall went back on the shelf, both my shelf and the Borders/Wal-Mart Shelf.
However don't get the idea that I am more mature than I am; my copies of Mattimeo (which had to get re-glued) and Redwall are both on my comfort shelf; the books that travel with me when I am replanted in a new place (if I can fit others, Mossflower and Marlfox come too).
So, obviously, Mattimeo is my favorite of the series, followed by Redwall, then Marlfox, Mossflower, The Outcast of Redwall, The Pearls of Lutra, The Bellmaker, Mariel of Redwall, The Long Patrol, Martin the Warrior, Salamandastron , The Legend of Luke. I was very disappointed in Salamandastron; but that's mainly because I was expecting and wanting to read the story I got in Outcast. Maybe I should reread Salamandastron.
Other than the heroic escapades of animals who try to live in their Abbey in peace but are often forced by circumstance to fight (and they kick major bad-guy-butt), the Redwall books don't fail into the trap of repeating the same story over and over again. Even if heroes share a struggle, they arrive at their struggle (and resolution) in different ways. This keeps it fresh. Also, the descriptions are beautiful.
This quote describes better than I could rewrite Mr. Jacques' inspiration for this series: "Brian wrote Redwall for the children at the Royal Wavertree School for the Blind in Liverpool, where as a truck driver, he delivered milk. Because of the nature of his first audience, he made his style of writing as descriptive as possible, painting pictures with words so that the schoolchildren could see them in their imaginations." Jacques' old English teacher showed Redwall to a publisher without telling him, this was followed by a contract for the first five Redwall Books, and the rest, as they say, is history.
This reminds me of Rick Riordan, who, years later published a little story that he had told his sons. You may have heard of it, a little thing called Percy Jackson and the Olympians (a five book series with a second series of five picking up where Last Olympian left off). End of tangent. But after you read the Redwall Books, check out Percy Jackson and the Olympians (all 5 released), Heroes of Olympus (first released, second due 10-11-11), and the three book Kane Chronicles (first out, second 5-2-11). Back to Brian Jacques.
Here is a Brian Jacques quote taken from his website: "A mouse is small and can go unnoticed: but there is no limit to what a brave heart and a fearless spirit can achieve." I don't know if he intended it this way, but to me this makes me think of the fact that we can all be timid and small; especially those of us who prefer the background; but that if we have a brave heart and a bold spirit our timid personality can still do great things. Like a warrior mouse.
In addition to the Redwall Series, Jacques wrote three plays; Brown Bitter, Wet Nellies, and Scouse; The Flying Dutchman (Castaways of the Flying Dutchman, The Angel's Command, Voyage of Slaves),Seven Strange and Ghostly Tales, The Ribbajack: And Other Curious Yarns, several Redwall picture books and , with illustrator Alex Natchev; The Tale of Urso Brunov: Little Father of All Bears, Urso Brunov and the White Emperor.
Again, these books are well worth the time it'll take you to read them. The characters are believable (if you can get over the fact that they are animals) and you can really get invested in their struggles, the plots are riveting and exciting and the villains are, for the most part, very hate-able. If you haven't yet, go to your local library and borrow Redwall. Or pick one that sounds good to you and enjoy a few hours of escape into an animal kingdom unlike any you've been in yet. That’s another great thing about these books; you don’t have to read them in order, although some characters and conflicts are referenced (I’d read Redwall before Mattimeo, for example).
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go reread Mattimeo.
Brian Jacques, thank you for letting me share in your imagination. Rest in Peace.
All information was taken from my own mind or from Brian Jacques' Official Website (check it out, it's a great site):
http://www.redwall.org/
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