Commentary on the Book Pearls of Lutra

[James Gryphon]

I'm pretty sure Martin's spirit warns him not to stare into Ublaz's eyes and snaps him out of it. That being said, I haven't read it in ages, and I just had a fascinating lesson about false memories in psychology so yeah.

That happens in Redwall with Matthias. Martin II evenly maintains his gaze with Ublaz. There's never any explanation; he's just immune to it.

[Eulaliaaa!]

That could have been Martin's spirit, as well, Brian Jacques just never said. Or, maybe it was because there was such a great distance between the two. I mean, Martin II was on a ship far enough at sea to be sailing and Ublaz was on land.... so, it could have been distance.

[alexandre]

Well, right before Ublaz dies, Martin literally brings his face inches from that of Ublaz and screams, HOLT LUTRAAAAA! So I don't think distance is a factor. As for the spirit thing, I am highly doubtful that Brian Jacques would think not to write about it.

[TheRedSnifit]

This is actually my favorite book in the series. The characters are cool, and moving the conflict away from the Abbey and to Bad Guy Island was brilliant, as it allows there to be actual stakes. The riddle-solving at the Abbey is good fun, and the heroes' adventure to the the island is very memorable. I know it's not the only book in the series to use this formula, but I find it to be the best.

Also, this has one of the most depressing character deaths in the series.

My only real complaint is that the ending battle feels somewhat anticlimactic. I'd have preferred the vermin conflict to have reached a proper resolution before the heroes showed up and wrecked shop, but eh.

[Cornflower MM]

Welcome to the eleventh book in our series readalong event: Pearls of Lutra!

For those who have not already seen, here are a couple things to note before you start discussing:

• Please keep your posts here and in the entirety of the General Discussion board on-topic and constructive. When discussing topics like favorites, it always helps to give reasoning as to why you chose your favorite character, scene, etc. When in doubt, add more! It is always fun to see what other people think and respectfully debate with them.
• If you would like to participate but don't own the book, there are a few resources that may be of use to you. Libby, Audible, and (of course) your local library, are all good ways to rent books/audiobooks for free (Audible is free only for the first 30-day trial). There is no harm in permanently expanding your Redwall collection, though, if you can afford it!
• If you want even more Redwall discussion, please check out the Recorder on the Wall podcast episodes for the book! Every three weeks we will be posting the relevant episodes, so please check them out. Here are the episodes for Parts 1, 2, and 3 of Pearls of Lutra!
• If you have created any writing, art, voice acting, or any other form of media based on this book and/or its characters, send a link (or image if it is art) to me through PMs and I will share it in this post! Seeing how other people portray the story through their own work is a wonderful way to be drawn deeper into the story and wider Redwall community.

Finally, here are a few guiding questions for discussion if you are unsure what to talk about:

• Who is your favorite character, and why do you regard them as your favorite?
• Who was your least favorite character, and why did they bother you?
• What was your favorite scene? What stuck out to you about it?
• What are your thoughts on the book as a whole? Where does it rank against other Redwall books and why?
• Do you have any theories or small details others may not have picked up on when reading?
• And anything else you want to mention!

Have fun, and happy discussing!

[clunylooney]

I've always loved Pearls of Lutra.
Unlike pretty much everybody, I like Martin II. I thought he was a good protagonist. I also think this book has the best, "riddles to help find something that is possibly useful" thing in the series.
I do wish there was more of a fight between Ublaz and the main characters, but the mind games between Ublaz and Razconsa are amazing and that whole storyline is one of my favorites.

[Tungro]

I quite agree, one of my favorites

[saugysaugysaugy]

So I guess I'll have to re-read The Pearls of Lutra next, but a couple of things off the top of my head that I really remember enjoying the civil war that took place on Sampetra, between Ublaz' and the Wave Brethren.

It was a really nice bit of world building that imo mosty takes backseat to narrative in Jacques' work- not that there's anything wrong with that, but that conflict amongst the antagonists and depictions of the tropical isle made the world feel much more lived in.

Also off of the top of my head, I remember thinking the travels of our protagonists on that double-outrigger to be very romantic. It reminded me of fishing trips I'd take with my granddad off of the coast of Newfoundland, and how cosy and homely something like a fishing dory could be in cold winter seas.

ALSO it bears mentioning that the cover for The Pearls of Lutra is one of my absolute favourites, and always stuck out to me as a young child wandering around bookstores, many many years before I was able to read the series

ALSO it bears mentioning that the cover for The Pearls of Lutra is one of my absolute favourites, and always stuck out to me as a young child wandering around bookstores, many many years before I was able to read the series

To clarify, I'm referring to the UK cover art, which were also the ones we had in Canada.

Also only just realizing that the American publications dropped The from the title, simply calling it Pearls of Lutra. Classic American publishers' brevity

[WorshipTiria]

Did you know that Lutra comes from the word Lutrinae, which is the scientific term for otter.

[clunylooney]

Did you know that Lutra comes from the word Lutrinae, which is the scientific term for otter.

I'm not surprised. Brian liked doing that a lot with his characters.