Some things come to you later in life than was intended, but the timing is perfect. Such was the discovery of the Redwall novels by Brian Jacques for me, for I devoured them with a childish repacity when nearly a grandmother. Since The Long Patrol assaulted my senses , and tempted my palette with Eulalia, hares and deeper than ever beetroot and turnip and potato pie,I have devoured all the books as soon as they were published. My last purchase, The Sable Queen, was read and enjoyed just before Christmas.
There is a recipe for all the novels.
- The Goodies-mice; hares, moles, shrews, otters, squirrels, and badgers , with appearances from occasional large birds,
- and the Baddies; foxes, stoats, ferrets, weasels, wildcats, rats, snakes and toads.
- Then there is the food, nutcream and bramble pasties, mushroom soup,salads, and the deeper than ever pies beloved of the moles.
- Then the cruelty of the enemies, the dungeons, the slavery
- Then the love and ultimate success of the heroes after trudging for days through swamps, forests, and mountains
- A feast
- Then the appearance in each novel of the GUOSIN Shrews with their 'Log a log ' leader
- Then the antics of the baby animals in the idyllic community of Redwall Abbey
- A map
- Lots of poems
- A battle or two, with war cries and death of a hero or two
- A supernatural intervention from Martin the Warrior
- A lot of hilarious antics from hares who eat all the time
I wait for each ingredient in each book. Sometimes I am surprised by a twist, but never , never disappointed. I read one and keep on going. Usually after about four , I have had enough until my next taste.
So Brian Jacques REST IN PEACE You have given me some of the best reading I have ever done. I haven't read Doomwyte , but it is the only one .I will try tomorrow to order it.
Well said.
ReplyDelete