For those of you who have never read a book from Brian Jacques's Redwall series, you are seriously missing out. I've read these books since I discovered them, sometime around middle school, at my local library, and I've eagerly awaited each new addition, up through Mr. Jacques death earlier this year. They are quaint, yet meaningful; hilarious, yet have lessons to teach; sad, but there's always a feast to bring your spirits back up.
Eulalia! is the 19th book in this charming series of books about woodland creatures, vermin, warriors, heroes, and the joys of a simple life. This time we are introduced first to a badger, Gorath, who is taken prisoner by the fox captain of a ship of raiding vermin (which in this series include rats, ferrets, stoats, and other unseemly creatures). From this point on, Gorath's only real purpose in life is to take revenge on the fox for killing his family and keeping him held captive. Next we meet a young hare maiden, Maudie, whose problem is that she can't seem to get along well with others; she solves her problem by fighting, and this gets her into a good amount of trouble. She is sent on a mission to find "a badger with a flame who travels with the banished one." While she doesn't really know how to do this, she decides her best bet is to go to Redwall, because it is a source of information and shelter. Also important is a young hedgehog named Orkwil, who has a magpie-like obsession with stealing things. After one too many thefts, Orkwil is expelled from Redwall, and is forbidden to return for a whole season. Naturally, these three meet up by interesting means, and, with the help of other friends both new and old, go into battle with both the fox's crew and another horde of evil Brownrats to save Redwall and all of the woodland-dwelling creatures. Happy endings abound, all loose ends are tied up, and everyone ends up wiser, happier, and more sure of who they are and what they should do with their lives.
Now, it's interesting to note that almost every Redwall book follows the same basic format: Redwall is threatened by vermin, and unlikely hero comes forth, and after gathering allies, Redwall and its hero triumph over evil, and life goes back to normal. Ordinarily, I wouldn't like the predictability of this type of series, but the fact is that these books are not predictable at all. I'm never sure what type of villain Jacques is going to come up with, nor the type of hero he'll pull in. Jacques constantly introduces new territories (the Northern Isles, Loamhedge, Salamandastron, etc.) so that the scenery of each novel is completely different. While Redwall Abbey itself does play a significant role is nearly every novel, the surrounding area, and the far off places from which refugees, heroes, and new friends come from are as important and unique as the characters who live in Redwall.
I also love the descriptive quality of Eulalia!. Jacques started telling these tales originally for a school for blind children, so it was necessary to be detailed and creative in his descriptions, and he was very good at what he did. These books always leave me hungry, from the descriptions of all of the different types of food, and they make me feel like talking a walk in the woods just to see the trees, shrubs, grasses, flowers, and scattered shafts of sunlight that are described in the books. The Redwall series is a treat for the imagination; I can see everything clearly, I can hear the accents of the characters, I can taste the delicious foods, and I can smell the clean air in this peaceful community.
Eulalia! may be a "children's" novel, but I think that it's really a book for children of all ages. Jacques novels are all over 350 pages, and the adventures within are enough to try the emotions of the strongest individuals. Yet, the fortitude and courage of the good citizens of Redwall and Mossflower make me feel that there are good people in the world, and if I try hard enough, I can be one of them. Read these books; they'll make you happy.
I hate to sound like a bad advertisement, but: for more information about Redwall, Brian Jacques, and the wonderful characters you have yet to meet, please go to http://www.redwall.org/ . :)
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