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Redwall

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This article is about the book Redwall. For the place, see Redwall Abbey. For the series, see Redwall series. If you are visiting us for the first time, please go here. Template:Book2

Redwall is the first book in the epic Redwall series by Brian Jacques. The fantasy novel was originally published on October 23, 1986, in the UK by Hutchinson Children's Books after Jacques' friend Alan Durband covertly sent the manuscript to his publisher without informing Jacques. It became an overnight success. In 1987, Redwall crossed the Atlantic to the U.S., courtesy of Philomel Books, a division of Penguin, where Patricia Lee Gauch, the editor of 16 novels in the series, discovered the manuscript. Philomel publisher Michael Green also edited Redwall. Twenty-two Redwall novels were published through 2011.

What sets the novel Redwall apart from the rest of the series is its origin as a book never intended for publication. As a consequence, the storyline features unique elements that distinguish it from later works. Readers encounter mentions of a horse, a beaver, dogs, towns, real-world references, size discrepancies, and the distinctive actions of certain characters, making Redwall a one-of-a-kind adventure within the series. After Redwall's expansion from one book into additional novels, these narrative elements were retconned.

Book Divisions (English)

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  • Book 1: The Wall
  • Book 2: The Quest
  • Book 3: The Warrior

Summary

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After marauding brute Cluny the Scourge attacks the peaceful residents of Redwall Abbey with his horde of evildoers, a young mouse, Matthias, embarks on a quest to retrieve the legendary sword of Abbey founder, defender, and hero Martin the Warrior, which he believes will provide victory over the threatening vermin. Methuselah, the Abbey gatekeeper, finds a riddle hidden behind the tapestry of Martin, which leads the two mice to the warrior's secret underground tomb.

Meanwhile, Cluny schemes to take Redwall. He directs a horde member to steal Martin's tapestry from inside Great Hall in an effort to reduce Abbey morale.

Having discovered Martin's shield and sword belt within the tomb, another rhyme instructs Matthias to place the shield above the Gatehouse. At night, it reflects moonlight up onto the weathervane, indicating the sword's location. The mice enlist the help of Jess Squirrel to scale the Abbey and retrieve the sword, however, she is attacked by the Sparra, birds who reside on the Abbey roof. The young Warbeak is taken captive, and Methuselah tricks her into revealing that her leader, King Bull Sparra, may possess the great sword. Matthias and Warbeak visit the Sparra loft, but the dangerous king refuses to release Matthias when he learns the sword is now owned by an adder, Asmodeus Poisonteeth. Warbeak and her mother protect Matthias and the two young ones become friends. Dunwing develops a plan to allow Matthias to escape by distracting King Bull Sparra, but when Matthias retrieves the sword's scabbard and attempts to flee, he's spotted by King Bull Sparra, who attacks him. The pair plunges into the Redwall Abbey Pond, with the fall having fatal results for the menacing sparrow monarch.

Cluny attempts to climb a tall elm tree and use a plank to enter Redwall. The Abbey leaders uncover the plan, and Constance flings Cluny off of the plank, severely injuring him. Cluny employs local trickster foxes Sela and her son, Chickenhound, to help heal him. The pair intend to tell the Redwallers about Cluny's future plans, but Cluny, who learns of these efforts, gives Sela fakes instead. He soon orders their execution for treachery. Sela is killed, but Chickenhound survives and deceives his way into Redwall, which he pillages. When Methuselah bravely attempts to stop his thieving, Chickenhound hits him with a sack filled with valuables, unintentionally killing the frail old mouse, and flees into Mossflower Woods. The fox encounters Asmodeus in the wilderness and receives a nasty bite. Jess and Basil Stag Hare retrieve the tapestry and place it in its rightful location in Great Hall.

Matthias, now recovered from his fight with King Bull Sparra, sets out to defeat Asmodeus and reclaim the sword for Redwall Abbey. He receives assistance from the argumentative Guerilla Union of Shrews in Mossflower, Log-a-Log, and the president of the shrew union, Guosim. They direct him to the farm of wildcat Squire Julian Gingivere, who is feuding with owl Captain Snow. The young mouse meets with Snow, using a token from Basil as protection from a predatory attack, and strikes a deal: if he can successfully regain the sword, Snow will never eat another mouse or shrew, and he will reconcile with Julian. Matthias tracks Asmodeus to his lair in the Quarry, beheads the adder, and acquires the sword, although Guosim is killed by Asmodeus.

The warrior returns to Redwall, which has been captured by Cluny in his absence. With the help of the shrews and Warbeak's Sparra, he launches an attack and fights Cluny in the Bell Tower. Matthias slices the Joseph Bell from its rope after Friar Hugo is caught while hiding under the stairs, and it falls, killing Cluny. Abbot Mortimer dies shortly thereafter, as Cluny had lashed the Abbey's leader with his poisoned tail barb.

Before Abbot Mortimer passes, he tells Matthias that he must not become a brother of Redwall, but instead decrees Matthias as the Warrior of Redwall Abbey and protector of all its residents. The Abbot names Martin's sword Ratdeath, and instructs Matthias and Cornflower Fieldmouse to wed and dwell in the Abbey Gatehouse. Brother Mordalfus succeeds Mortimer as the new Abbot. After their marriage, Matthias and Cornflower have a son, Mattimeo.

Characters

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Please see Characters in Redwall.

Notable Awards

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Winner:

  • TIME Magazine's 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time (2020)
  • Lancashire Libraries Children's Book of the Year Award (1988)
  • Western Australian Young Readers' Award
  • Parents' Choice Honor Book for Literature (1987)
  • Booklist Editor's Choice Award (1987)
  • American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults (1987)
  • School Library Journal Best Book (1987)

Nominated:

  • Carnegie Medal (1988)

Redwall Collector's Editions and Reprints

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The first publisher of the Redwall series, Hutchinson, issued reprints of the original UK hardcover in 1990 and 1994. The 1990 edition had an increased price from £7.95 to £9.99. The 1994 edition featured updated dust jacket copy that referred to the series as a whole as well as a £12.99 price, and listed the published Redwall books up to The Bellmaker. The ISBN stayed the same for all three versions.

From 2006 to 2007 in the UK, Random House re-released all 14 Redwall books in their catalog as paperbacks with new cover artwork. Around 2010, Firebird released new paperback editions of the entire series.

There's also the following Redwall special editions. Click to learn more.

Adaptations

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Musical

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In 1998, Redwall was adapted into a two-act musical opera by Evelyn Swennson, Redwall: The Legend of Redwall Abbey.

TV

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Redwall was adapted into a three season TV series by Nelvana in 1999. Season one is based on Redwall.

Redwall Graphic Novel

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In 2007, Redwall was adapted into a graphic novel by Stuart Moore and Bret Blevins.

Film

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There have been several unsuccessful attempts to adapt Redwall to film over the decades. The most recent effort was by Netflix.

Literary Analyses

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Unique to Redwall

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The following consists of narrative elements that are unique to Redwall, and are never referenced again, nor appear in later books:

  • Real world countries, like Portugal (Cluny is described as "Portuguese")
  • Towns and villages as settlements
  • Horses, Beavers, Dogs, Cows, Pigs, and Lambs as characters and/or viable species
  • Years as an element of time (later changed to Seasons)
  • The shield of Martin the Warrior
  • Inconsistent character and location sizes
  • The name "Ratdeath" for the sword of Martin the Warrior
  • Religious references - e.g. "the devil", "Satan", "hell"; ecclesiastical aspects (church pulpit, choir loft, lady chapel, lectern, hymn books), etc.
  • References to calendar months and times ("June," "11 o'clock", etc.)

It is also worth noting that a significant part of Redwall's plot involves searching for Martin the Warrior's sword, which is supposed to be hidden on the Abbey's roof by Martin himself, however a book written after Redwall that occurs chronologically before its story has the sword actually in Martin's tomb first, seemingly a retcon of its initial placement, yet still explainable.

Mortimer tells Matthias that Martin slew a wildcat enemy with his sword; this villain, revealed to be Tsarmina Greeneyes in Mossflower, died by drowning after a battle. When asked "In Redwall it says that Martin killed Tsarmina, but in Mossflower it says that she drowned. What really happened?", Jacques replied "He defeated her in the water, so probably both are true." (Ask Brian, Volume 4)

Audiobooks

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Redwall has been adapted into several different audiobook formats with different narrators and full cast recordings.

Trivia

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  • Watch Brian Jacques discuss what inspired him to write Redwall in the Redwall TV Series.
  • Watch Brian Jacques discuss what inspired him to write Redwall on his 2008 U.S. tour.
  • Redwall was originally written by hand on 800 sheets of recycled paper kept in a Safeway grocery bag.
  • Redwall was first read in the U.S. by Putnam editorial assistant Arthur Levine.
  • Kirkdale, Liverpool's Stanley Park was an inspiration for Redwall.
  • In several printings of Redwall, Killconey is identified inconsistently throughout the text as either male or female. Brian Jacques confirmed that Killconey was male.
  • Out of all of the Redwall series novels, Redwall contains the most character deaths via the Sword of Martin.


Release details

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de:Redwall fr:Cluny le Fléau (livre) ru:Воин Рэдволла

Books in the Redwall Chronicles, by Brian Jacques

Redwall · Mossflower · Mattimeo · Mariel of Redwall · Salamandastron · Martin the Warrior · The Bellmaker · Outcast of Redwall · Pearls of Lutra · The Long Patrol · Marlfox · The Legend of Luke · Lord Brocktree · Taggerung · Triss · Loamhedge · Rakkety Tam · High Rhulain · Eulalia! · Doomwyte · The Sable Quean · The Rogue Crew · Orphans of Mossflower

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