Redwall

Redwall by Brian Jacques
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this whole series at one point in my life, though it's been over 20 years since I last read them. To be honest, I had a hard time getting through this time - maybe it's because the violence of woodland creatures isn't my favorite anymore? Though I didn't remember this being particularly violent, it definitely has a lot of death and blood and detailed descriptions of animals being squashed by carts and having their heads cut off and so on.

The other part I found annoying was how easily everyone accepted Matthias as the main character of the story. Even though he was one of the youngest mice with no authority, anything he said was listened to and considered as law. That seemed to go to his head as well - he stopped consulting others and would sneak off on his own, convo fed only he knew what was right. And his friends, instead of being mad at him, would shrug and say, "he must be doing it for a reason." He also seemed to assume all the other characters were there to further his own quest - he got mad at the shrews when they initially refused to cross the river to the quarry with him, even though that was entirely within their right do so. And when they did accompany him, turns out they were right to be cautious! Their leader ended up murdered by the snake.

Another thing I didn't have any issues with as a kid that bothers me now is the role Cornflower fills. There are lots of strong women in this story - Constance the Badger and Jess the Squirrel come to mind - but Cornflower in particular is constantly referred to in reference to her beauty, and how much she likes to cook and serve other people. I get that can be another version of a strong woman - someone supportive and kind who is there to take care of everyone. If only they didn't constantly reference how pretty and small she is. Also, I know that Cornflower likes Matthias, but in the end, it sounds as if the Abbot is giving Cornflower to Matthias as a reward for all his bravery and such. And that's just really sketchy. I wish he had asked Cornflower explicitly for her consent before offering her as a wife to Matthias.

Overall, I'd still recommend this to young readers. There are a wide variety of good characters, lots of adventure, and plenty of delicious-sounding food. There are some good lessons as well, about forgiving your friends (I'm looking at you, owl and cat), not giving up when times are rough, and always going on a quest if questing is an option. I might read the next two books in the trilogy again, especially Mattimeo, since that was my favorite and I'm curious how it has held up, but I doubt I'll read this once again.

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