"Matthias cut a comical little figure as he wobbled his way along the cloisters, with his large sandals flip-flopping and his tail peeping from beneath the baggy folds of an oversized novice's habit."
Review: It's that time again! A little late, but probably one of the better collaborations Alaina, of That's What She Read, and I have done, mainly because we disagree about this book. I loved it and she didn't. It was bound to happen sooner or later.
We both got into this book differently as well. Whereas I was able to finish it in under a week, digesting the fantasy like an adolescent school child, Alaina was a bit harder to coax. I'd wager she gritted her teeth the whole way through the book, finishing it just so we could collaborate on it. And for that Alaina (who I'm sure will be reading this eventually) I thank you! I owe you one as well! Cross my heart. Next collaboration, no matter what the book, genre or length, the next one is all you! I figure it's the least I could do after putting you through the torture of this book!
@NYCBookWorm84 #TheCollaborators I'm going to start with: I didn't hate the book, but I didn't love it, either. I felt I was too old for it.
— Alaina Patterson (@WillBeFunOrElse) February 18, 2014
The story, if you can manage to wrap your brain around a fantasy of this caliber, is about a mouse kingdom called "Redwall Abbey" where a mouse by the name of Matthias turns from insecure to hero practically over night. With the help of Methuselah, the Abbott, Constance the badger, Cornflower, Jess the Squirrel, Warbeak, and a character that was both of our favorites, Basil Stag Hare!
I found the language to be far above expectations, especially since it was written in 1986, a time when I thought, children's or young adults books were not so mature just yet? I guess I was mistaken because this book had death, brutal murder, villainous villains, and just really bad-ass bad creatures. There are no humans in this at all. It's all mice, rats, moles, birds, and everything in-between. But aside from all the evil characters, there are a few purely good ones. This is the quintessential good versus evil story where, of course, evil never wins, but will surely die trying.
Cluny the Scourge, a rat inside and out, is the evilest of them all, seeking to take over Redwall, but he has to get inside first. It's a virtually impenetrable fortress, but Cluny will not let up, and Matthias, our unsung hero, knows it. In order to get his confidence up to where he needs it, he feels he must seek out the sword that once belonged to one of Redwalls greatest Warriors, Martin. This search takes Matthias on an adventure where he makes friends with various creatures, including a hare, an owl, a cat, and an entire sparrow kingdom!
It really is quite a roller coaster ride that the reader is taken on, but you have to be willing to forgo your minds idea to rationalize how it's possible for a mouse to hold a sword and fight, let alone participate in a war with rats and moles and squirrels and sparrows involved as well! It is far fetched and impossible, but isn't that the whole point of fantasy? At least, that's what I always took fantasy to mean and because of that my mind was open enough to allow the impossible to be possible within the pages of this book.
Unlike my collaborator (and life long friend) Alaina, I will be continuing with the series. Look for my review of Mossflower (a prequel to Redwall) to come some time this Summer!
Summary: When Redwall was published in 1987 it catapulted author Brian Jacques to international stardom. And small wonder! This enthralling tale is jam-packed with the things we long for in a great adventure: danger, laughter, harebrained escapes, tragedy, mystery, a touch of wonder, a truly despicable villain, and a hero we can take to heart.
That hero is Matthias, a young mouse who must rise above his fears and failures to save his friends at Redwall Abbey. The villain is Cluny the Scourage, one of the most deliciously despicable rats of all time. The unforgettable cast of supporting characters includes the stalwart badger Constance, an irrepressible hare named Basil Stag Hare, and the elderly wisemouse Brother Methuselah.
But most of all there is Matthias, seeking his true destiny in a journey that will lead through danger and despair to true wisdom.
@NYCBookWorm84 #TheCollaborators I will say that Basil the Hare was my favorite character; I'm not sure I can say I loved him.
— Alaina Patterson (@WillBeFunOrElse) February 18, 2014
Aside from our mutual interest in Basil, I'm afraid that's where our feelings on the book parted ways. So in a change of tradition, I'm going to link you to Alaina's review of Redwall, and write mine as plainly as I can.I found the language to be far above expectations, especially since it was written in 1986, a time when I thought, children's or young adults books were not so mature just yet? I guess I was mistaken because this book had death, brutal murder, villainous villains, and just really bad-ass bad creatures. There are no humans in this at all. It's all mice, rats, moles, birds, and everything in-between. But aside from all the evil characters, there are a few purely good ones. This is the quintessential good versus evil story where, of course, evil never wins, but will surely die trying.
Cluny the Scourge, a rat inside and out, is the evilest of them all, seeking to take over Redwall, but he has to get inside first. It's a virtually impenetrable fortress, but Cluny will not let up, and Matthias, our unsung hero, knows it. In order to get his confidence up to where he needs it, he feels he must seek out the sword that once belonged to one of Redwalls greatest Warriors, Martin. This search takes Matthias on an adventure where he makes friends with various creatures, including a hare, an owl, a cat, and an entire sparrow kingdom!
It really is quite a roller coaster ride that the reader is taken on, but you have to be willing to forgo your minds idea to rationalize how it's possible for a mouse to hold a sword and fight, let alone participate in a war with rats and moles and squirrels and sparrows involved as well! It is far fetched and impossible, but isn't that the whole point of fantasy? At least, that's what I always took fantasy to mean and because of that my mind was open enough to allow the impossible to be possible within the pages of this book.
Unlike my collaborator (and life long friend) Alaina, I will be continuing with the series. Look for my review of Mossflower (a prequel to Redwall) to come some time this Summer!
To learn more about Brian Jacques and his Redwall series, go to the main site here.
Summary: When Redwall was published in 1987 it catapulted author Brian Jacques to international stardom. And small wonder! This enthralling tale is jam-packed with the things we long for in a great adventure: danger, laughter, harebrained escapes, tragedy, mystery, a touch of wonder, a truly despicable villain, and a hero we can take to heart.
That hero is Matthias, a young mouse who must rise above his fears and failures to save his friends at Redwall Abbey. The villain is Cluny the Scourage, one of the most deliciously despicable rats of all time. The unforgettable cast of supporting characters includes the stalwart badger Constance, an irrepressible hare named Basil Stag Hare, and the elderly wisemouse Brother Methuselah.
But most of all there is Matthias, seeking his true destiny in a journey that will lead through danger and despair to true wisdom.
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