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★★★★★★★★★★ (6/10)
I actually finished this novel almost a week ago, but have been putting off writing about it because I was trying to find something positive to talk about. I had seen this in bookstores for a few years, but never got around to purchasing it. The back cover description usually made me want to read it, but I nearly always found this novel at the end of my bookstore trip, after I already have an armful of books, and can't bring myself to add one more to the pile. I'm wondering now if it was my subconscious warning me that this book wouldn't be what I hoped it would be. There were definitely parts that made it worth reading, but I'm still not certain it was worth purchasing. What makes me more uncertain is that there are two more novels in this series, and I can't decide whether I should read them after my disappointment with A Great and Terrible Beauty.
To sum up the novel, Gemma Doyle is a 16-year-old girl from Britain who lives in India with her parents. After the murder of her mother, she is sent to a finishing school in England because her family is now incapable of taking care of her as she should be. While at this school, Gemma discovers that she has a secret power: she has visions of the future, and can traverse different realms of magic. The problem is that there are multiple parties that want her to either close her mind to these realms, or open them to the evil that has been trapped there, depending on which party you ask. During the novel, she has to deal with cruel classmates and mysterious Gypsies, being academically behind almost every other student, a headmistress who cares only for the reputation of the school, the emotional void left by the loss of her mother, and the fact that she has basically been abandoned by her family.
What makes it utterly silly is the bizarre friendship that forms between Gemma, Ann, Pippa, and Felicity. It is not very plausible that Felicity and Pippa (two very wealthy girls whose family expectations are very high) would easily form a bond with Gemma (a girl who has no idea what London Society is really like) and Ann (a girl who is destined to be a governess or some other form of hired help). It's a nice gesture on Gemma's part to force Ann's inclusion in their club, but I can't reconcile the idea of an arrogant, cruel girl like Felicity being nice to a poor orphan like Ann. I can believe that they all want a chance to rebel and just be young girls for a while, but given the strictness of the school, I wonder why it is so easy for them to sneak out in the middle of the night.
There are some amusing parts, so I did have some enjoyable moments. When Ann and Gemma show up in French class with hangovers, I couldn't stop laughing. Their teacher questioned Gemma about the smell of alcohol on her breath, and Gemma convinced her that she had just had too much marmalade. Gemma's dreams about Kartik are a bit funny, too. Bray seems to understand that girls' sexuality was very suppressed at that time in history, so Gemma's feelings for Kartik are almost completely beyond her scope of understanding. I was also amused at Gemma pushing Felicity into the lake to save her reputation (because Felicity has been secretly meeting with a Gypsy boy named Ithal, and their relations have been far from proper).
I'm not going to explain why, but I felt the most sympathy for Pippa. Her part in the story is both tragic and somewhat typical for a girl her age. Her part in the end of the novel is bittersweet, but I can imagine that it made her happy.
The other ridiculous part of this novel is the Order, the magic ability of certain women to change things in the world. Gemma's powers make her part of this order, but the entire thing seems to be not fleshed out enough. Basically, when Gemma (and later her friends, when she takes them) finds the "garden", they spend their time doing whatever they feel like, simply because it's the only place where they can make their own decisions. They can make it rain rose petals if they want, just by wanting it to happen. Felicity creates a huntress to teach her how to shoot a bow; Pippa creates a knight who swears his life to her; Ann makes herself pretty with a beautiful singing voice; and Gemma creates nothing because her mother is already there. When they take the magic back into the school (which they weren't supposed to do), they do very silly things with it. They change a Cupid statue into a scantily clad can-can dancer figurine, change their breakfasts, make it so that they speak perfect French, etc. They use it to amuse themselves, instead of doing something useful with it. They never find other members of the Order, which the novel led me to expect that they would, and the whole subject is treated as a lovely myth come true.
Gemma's issues with her mother are another matter entirely. Like all mother-daughter relationships, theirs was complicated. Gemma and her mother got along well, until Gemma decided it was time for her to finally go to London for a Season, but her mother and father both refused, without a reason. After that, Gemma's relationship with her mother was strained, and it was only after her mother's death that she realized how much her mother meant to her - a typical and not very interesting circumstance. Gemma spends a good deal of the rest of the novel trying to forgive herself because she thinks her mother's death was her fault, and her mother, in the "garden", tries to get Gemma to forgive her for keeping secrets. It's very much a "if I had only known, it would have been different" scenario, and I wasn't very happy with it.
So, I am moving on to my next book, and leaving A Great and Terrible Beauty where it belongs -- on the shelf with the other disappointments. I have to say that it's possible I didn't like it because I'm getting to old for that type of novel, but part of me thinks that it just wasn't appealing, like there wasn't enough character development or plot depth. Maybe it was just too shallow. I'll leave it for other readers to decide, since I already have my own opinion.
★★★★★★★★★★ (8/10)
That was a really quick read. Not that that's a bad thing, but I didn't expect to got through it so fast. I'm not quite sure where the title comes from either; I'm assuming that it means knights are extinct, and Sir Michael gave himself the title after deciding to become a knight errant. Anyway, The Last Knight was fun, filled with interesting situations, and a couple of men who couldn't be more opposite.
The Last Knight is partially fun because it's told from both main characters perspectives. Bell goes back and forth between who's telling the story; as the chapters alternate, so do the voices, starting with Fisk. Michael has become a knight errant because he wants some adventure in his life, instead of being forced to do what his family intends. Fisk is an ex-con bound to Michael as a squire until Michael decides to release him. From the beginning, it's easy to tell that their personalities will clash, and clash often. Michael is very honest, trusting, and naive about how the world works. Fisk has been hardened by city life, and his career as a con artist. Hearing them each describe their adventure in The Last Knight (thankfully without any overlapping or rehashing of events one of them has just said), does something both unique and helpful. It allows me to get to know these two men from their own views of themselves, and the way they see each other. It a classic problem: Fisk and Michael act a certain way in their narratives, but when they talk about each other, their personalities and actions feel completely different. Towards the end, these descriptions start to coincide, and I liked seeing that happen.
The funny part in the plot is that in Sir Michael's effort to do good in the world, he unwittingly rescues an alleged murderer, Lady Ceciel, from prison. In order to correct his error, he is charged with bringing her back to justice, with Fisk along for help. While they try to do this, they keep coming up against obstacles that just make their plight hilarious: they are attacked by a magic boar, kidnapped by beggars, press-ganged to be sailors on a merchant ship, escape in a tapestry box and a barrel, get beaten up, and find out that, though they have nothing in common, they've grown to be friends. Sometimes, the plot is a little bit ridiculous, but when I think about the novel as a whole, it all fits together to be a fantastic adventure.
The only part of the book I'm disappointed in is that i would have liked there to be more explanation about the significance of the two moons, the Savants, and how society works there. There were fragments, but nothing to give me a complete idea of what kind of world Michael and Fisk live in. The two moons were really confusing; I think I understand what the Creature moon is, but I still don't know why there are two, and how they interact. It's also strange that there's a quote about how since the people aren't looked after by a god, they need to look after each other, but then they talk about the Furred God. I'm not clear on why those two aren't contradictory. However, I think that the next book, Rogue's Home, will expand on these a bit more.
I very much liked The Last Knight. It hooked me immediately, and I was a little sorry to get to the end, but a good novel should leave me feeling that way. (Only really bad novels make me glad they're over.) I think Hilari Bell is quite a good author, and hope to read more of her books in the future.
★★★★★★★★★★ (9/10)
Did you know that there is a possibility that Shakespeare had two wives? I had no idea. I'd known about his marriage to Anne Hathaway, and that it wasn't a happy one, but the idea of another marriage took me by surprise. It seems that in the same wedding registry, William Shakespeare had a license to wed two women: Anne Whately and Anne Hathaway. His marriage to Hathaway happened only a day after his approved license to wed Whately. So, was Shakespeare married twice in two days, or did something else happen? That is what Mistress Shakespeare is about.
Mistress Shakespeare is Anne Whately's narrative of the events of her life, and her relationship with William Shakespeare. She provides a peek into her life with him, and his work in London on his way to becoming the most famous playwright in English history. Now this is all fictional, but it's interesting to note that given the registry, and the fact that Shakespeare spent most of his time in London (and Hathaway never moved there with him), it's very likely that Anne Whately could have been his "London wife."
I liked Mistress Shakespeare for a number of reasons. The first, and possibly most important considering what happened with Sons of Fortune, is the writing style. Harper combines a bit of Shakespeare's English with modern spelling, while still keeping the prose interesting and well written. The whole novel flowed easily, and I enjoyed reading it. I don't think there was a single sentence that I could fault, and it was GREAT that there was no skipping about in the plot; each scene followed the one that had come before, and they all made sense.
I also liked the depth of the character development in Anne Whately. Anne, in the novel, is a very strong woman. She is born to be different from her neighbors, because her mother was Italian, and her father, English. This immediately sets her apart, but her strength shows in her reaction to events early in her life. As a teenager, her dear friend Kat commits suicide, and Anne stands up for her in court, to see that Kat is buried in the churchyard, instead of at the crossroads. She is able to convince a court that Kat's death was an accident. I could see her determination, intelligence, and how deeply she cared in this scene. Another difficulty in Anne's life was the loss of her parents. She loses her mother when she is 3 or 4 years old, and her father dies when she is about 18. Unlike what many women of the age would do in her situation, Anne doesn't marry to ensure that she doesn't end up in poverty. Rather, she takes a partnership in her father's business and moves to London. As the business prospers, Anne becomes rather wealthy in her own right, and her money is really her own. It was almost a fiscal blessing that her marriage to Shakespeare wasn't officially recognized. Anne even tries to protect the reputation of Will's family, when she has no obligation to. She's as unique a woman as Queen Elizabeth, both of whose lives were slightly unfair.
Her relationship with Shakespeare was interesting as well. Technically, she and Will were formally married, and their priest was a witness, but they kept it secret. The day after, it was discovered that Anne Hathaway was pregnant by Will, and they were forced to marry to save Hathaway's reputation. Instead of ruining Shakespeare's character and family reputation, Anne doesn't expose his double marriage, but accepts it on behalf of their unborn daughter. Anne goes through various stages of loving and hating Shakespeare. She hates him for dallying with another woman, when his heart belonged to Anne alone, but she loves him for being willing to support their own marriage, if Hathaway hadn't become pregnant. She tries to forget him when he goes to London, but she can't stop promoting his dreams of becoming an actor and playwright. There were some occasions where Anne was determined to move on with her life, but somehow, she can't seem to forget about Shakespeare, and she starts the whole cycle of "I love him, and loathe him, but I still want to be with him" all over again".
As the two of them get older, Will spends more time in London, having made a deal with his wife that they can have separate lives, as long as Will sends her money. After this deal, Will can be with Anne as much as he wants, and they almost get to live the life they would have had. They still have to be careful not to tarnish Will's vulnerable reputation; no one can know that he has a legal wife other than Hathaway. Yet, as the years go by, their love grows, and they become closer than ever. The only part of the novel that bothered me was Will's extreme jealousy. He will hear that Anne has spoken to a man, and he believes that she's slept with him, no matter how Anne tries to convince him otherwise. In fact, her devotion to Will, in that she never marries and never has an affair, are hard to believe. She even stands by him when her own life could be in danger. I can't imagine that happening in today's world. Theirs is a relationship that is hard to fathom, but lovely to think about.
All in all, Mistress Shakespeare was a wonderful novel. I learned something new about Shakespeare's life (even if it can't be proved for certain), and I got to read a charming love story, peppered with history. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good story of love conquering (nearly) all. This novel was sweet, but filled with danger, and many of the lessons Anne learns in life, still hold true today. I will definitely read this again.
★★★★★★★★★★ (5/10)
Have you ever read a book, and when you summarize the plot, it made for a captivating, or at least interesting, story. BUT, when you think back about your experiences while reading said book, you can't help but cringe at the thought of putting yourself through such torture again? That's how I feel about Sons of Fortune. I felt the same way after finishing every Charles Dickens's novel I've read, as well as some of Tolkien's novels, among other equally verbose authors. They all seem to have one thing in common: they are great at creating memorable plots, characters, and events, but they are terrible at keeping one's interest and give details in all of the wrong places. Malcolm Macdonald has joined a very select group of authors, most of whose books I will never read again.
Sons of Fortune is the third novel in Macdonald's Stevenson saga, about a family who start in poverty, and through sheer will, cunning, and business sense, create one of the largest, and most profitable, enterprises in England's history. (I will say right now that I have no idea if the Stevensons are a real family, or if everything is completely fictional, and I have no desire to delve into it.) In this segment, Macdonald focuses on the growing pains the family faces. Now that the Stevensons are rich, they are being admitted into the restrictive world of London Society, and Mr. John Stevenson (later Baron, then Earl), is determined that all of his children, and his wife if he can bring it about, will all follow Society's rules, to the letter, regardless of their own wishes and hopes. The problem is that the money the family has made, and the unique upbringing the Stevenson children have had, makes the father's dream almost impossible.
The three oldest children, Boy (real name John), Winifred, and Caspar, all have very different ideas of what they'd like to do in life, compared to what their father wants them to do. John Stevenson has decided that his oldest son, Boy, will take over the firm; his oldest daughter, Winifred, will marry respectably and behave as a proper Society lady; and Caspar, being a younger son, will go into the military, wherever his father can purchase a commission. Boy, who has grown into unrealistic ideals, sees all of these plans as right and proper, because he believes it is their duty to obey their father, and he is fairly happy about following in John's footsteps. Caspar, on the other hand, believes that he'd be a better choice to head the company, and will do anything to follow his dream to go into trade. Winifred just has a love for education. She wants to teach, and further the education interests of women in England. Her dream is to open her own school, that would eventually become co-ed.
The novel kind of skips around depending on where you are in the plot. It starts off with John, and his worries about his children's futures. Then moves to Boy and Caspar, and their experiences at the boarding school Fiennes. Later, it speaks from their mother., Nora's, point of view. Winifred never has her view seen, the other children (there are 9 in total by the end) are barely heard from, and other minor characters dart in and out, or disappear without notice. If there were a rhyme or reason to explain why the perspective shifts, I'd have been happier. I'd even have been content if the novel had been told entirely from Caspar's view (he was mostly what kept me reading, since I could empathize with him the most).
I will say that the historical accuracy is very good. Details about London Society of the mid 1800s is very correct, as well as matching the Stevensons' time period up with events going on abroad. Either Macdonald did his research, or he already knew a lot about mid-19th century history. However, historical accuracy cannot make up for the tedium this book brought on. When I finished, I felt as though a heavy, depressing, uncomfortable burden had been lifted from my brain, and I breathed fresh mental air for the first time in nearly two weeks. That time, two weeks, was indication enough that I was not happy with Sons of Fortune; I haven't taken that long to read a 500 page novel since Oliver Twist (and, yes, I know OT is slightly more than 500 pages, but my point still stands).
I can't say that I'll ever read another Macdonald novel, and he has over thirty. He's certainly prolific, I'll give him that (although he's published novels under three different names, which strikes me as suspicious). I would not recommend Sons of Fortune to the casual reader. If you enjoy highly dense, overly detailed novels that you prefer to spend weeks, rather than days reading, then this may be a good choice for you. This is not my type of novel, but kudos to those who do enjoy this one and its like. I'll be very happy to go back to something light and fluffy after this to give my head a relaxing reprieve from the trial I've put it through reading Sons of Fortune.
★★★★★★★★★★ (9/10)
This is another one of Amanda Grange's "diaries" about the men of Jane Austen's world. Colonel Brandon's Diary uncovers the back story of Colonel Brandon, from Sense and Sensibility. In Austen's novel, there are only hints, and bits and pieces, of what Brandon's past contained. I could never be certain who Miss Williams was, nor what possible connection she had with Brandon, regardless of Mrs. Jennings insinuations. Here, Grange imagines what the past held for Colonel Brandon that led to his grave manner, and his deep attachment to Marianne Dashwood.
On reading Sense and Sensibility, I immediately empathized with Brandon, not only because of his affection for Marianne, but for the dark shadow that seemed to plague his past. I had to guess at what took him away from the group trip to Whitwell, and each time I read the novel, I came up with a different scenario, because nothing really seemed to fit quite well. It all basically comes out by the end of the novel, but Colonel Brandon's Diary gave me a more clear and probable explanation, and I loved having all of the little details.
For starters, Brandon was not allowed to marry the woman he was in love with, Eliza. To make matters worse, Eliza, was forced to marry Brandon's older, drunkard brother. It's a sad situation, but it spurs Brandon into joining the army, sending him to India, thus the Colonel status by the time we meet him in S&S. For me, what marks him out as an extraordinary person is his devotion to the people he cares about. Brandon never gave up on Eliza, even when he found her dying of consumption in a debtor's prison. He owed nothing to Eliza's daughter (also named Eliza), but he took care of her and provided for her as if she were his own. Even when Eliza (the daughter) runs off and disappears, he goes to her aid when she finally asks him. With Marianne, he is determined to do anything in his power to see her happy, though it might mean letting her marry someone else. After Marianne's emotional crisis, Brandon still wants only her happiness, and does as she asks, instead of following his own agenda (i.e. trying to woo her when she's still reeling from her own disaster).
Through Grange's novel, I found that Colonel Brandon is a much deeper character than I had previously thought. Certain actions or behaviors I remember from S&S have underlying reasons from his past. For instance, he's a very grave and sad figure, but it's because of the string of tragedies he's had to face. Brandon is also much more generous, both with funds and leniency towards others. He spared no expense when helping his friends, even going so far as to pay for repairs of the Delaford parsonage out of his own pocket (this may have been expected of him, but I thought it was nice). Aside from their age difference, his marriage to Marianne was a perfect match: he gave maturity and affection, while she gave youth and admiration.
Overall, this was a great interpretation of Colonel Brandon's life before and during his appearance in S&S. Like Mr. Darcy's Diary, I saw a great deal that Grange picked up from Austen's novels which I missed, and after I finish reading all of her Austen diary novels, I hope that the next time I read Austen's originals, I'll be able to read them from a new perspective.
★★★★★★★★★★ (7-8/10)
And we're back to Arthur. This time around, my book centers around Gwenhwyfar (try saying that three times fast), instead of a Lady of the Lake. Lackey puts an interesting spin on the legend, and I have to say that, having read this novel, I feel like I need to go back and find different versions of that tale other than the one I know. I never really realized that there was more than one version of the legend of Arthur and Guenevere (alternative spelling), nor that there could be other reasons for the "treason" committed by Guenevere and Lancelot. I got a swift kick to my academic mind with this novel, and I almost feel like I need to go back to school for a longer lesson on Arthurian romance.
The spin that Lackey puts to this tale is that Arthur is married, not once, but three separate times, and each time, it's to a woman named Gwenhwyfar. The story I know has him married only once, and he dies without an air, if you don't count Mordred (Medraut in Lackey's novel). This story is much more interesting because his first wife bears him twin sons. The second leaves him for some random tribal king, and the third is the one that the novel is most concerned with, and she is the one I sympathize with.
Gwenhwyfar's life is not easy. She is the third of four sisters, and her youngest sister is a complete brat who makes her life a living hell on a daily basis. Everything Gwen has, her sister, Little Gwen, wants, even if she'll have no use for it. The only thing that Gwen really wants for herself is to be a warrior, like her idol, the famed horsewoman Braith, but she thinks that her father will never allow it. Luck is on her side, and she gets her wish, but her journey to become the warrior she knows she can be is where you see what kind of person Gwen really is. Out of Little Gwen's reach, she blossoms: she has a discipline that a girl of 12 years would not normally show, and she excels at most of the new skills she learns. Unfortunately, she has to contend with the fact that her father is a king, and she is a princess, which puts a rank barrier between her and her fellow squires. She changes her entire personality to gain their respect, and as her life goes on, she become an invaluable resource to her father and her lands.
I like that Gwen is not the typical Guenevere that the most common tales of Arthur talk about. Yes, Gwen is pretty, but she has spunk, and a warrior spirit, and actual intelligence, rather than being an accommodating, fickle female. Gwen knows how to put her owns wants and needs aside to do what is best for her people, but ultimately, this is what leads to her breaking point. She is selected to be Arthur's third wife, the unwanted part of a desirous horse trade. She knows that by doing this, she will have to give up everything she has worked hard to achieve: the respect of her people, the loyalty of the men she led, and her life on the warrior path. Gwen will have to become a woman, in all senses of the word, which is a role she was never meant to play.
The 7-8 star rating is due to a couple of things. The first is that getting through parts 1 and 2 took forever. They were very important to set up the events that happen in part 3, but I wasn't completely hooked. I felt like there was some element of excitement that was missing, or maybe it just wasn't necessary, but I wanted it to be there; I hoped for something more. The second reason for my indecisiveness is the strange rearrangement of some of the elements of the traditional Arthur tale. Merlin sounds like a common old man, and no one is sure what kind of magic he's ever done. Morgana, who is usually Mordred's mother, is now his aunt, and his real mother is Ygraine's (Arthur's mother) daughter, Anna Morgause. Most of the Knights aren't named, and somehow, Mordred is one of them. These aren't real reasons to not like a book, but the inconsistencies in my head just kept lurking and bothering me.
However, the battle Gwen fights with herself over Lancelin (Lancelot) is what truly drew my attention. She clearly is attracted to him, but believes that he'll never see her as a woman-warrior, just one or the other, and he'd only be attracted to the woman part of her. This is something she couldn't do; she couldn't be one or the other. Gwen had to be both, and though this breaks her heart, she sticks to the path she's chosen. Their affair is short, and their love for each equally so, but Gwen's inner battle with how to live her life, according to her own will or the will of the people, was possibly the best part of Gwenhwyfar for me.
So, I've learned something out of all this: I need to find out what other stories I "know" that have alternative tellings. Just because a legend is common (i.e. Guenevere cheating on Arthur with Lancelot, and being banished or what not), does not mean that it is the only possibility of what happened. Maybe Arthur never loved his Guenevere, or maybe Lancelot's loyalty for Arthur squashed his feelings for Gwen, or maybe Arthur and Lancelot were lovers, and just used Gwen as an scapegoat. Who knows? With a tale like this, there is never going to be an answer. I just have to decide what version I believe.
★★★★★★★★★★ (9/10)
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/ . :)
