Introducing Redwall

[NovaNocturne]

Just tonight, I started introducing my husband to Redwall. We started out with the animated version, just watching a couple episodes, as it was a quicker way to get him introduced, but now he is downloading the audiobook. He wanted to comment after I explained a little more of what happens in the book per each scene, that he is SHOCKED at how brutal the series is so far. This was after I explained exactly what happened to Sela and Chickenhound, the rivalry between Cheesethief and Scragg, and the various other deaths that have occurred in tandem with the tv show and in the novel. He says he's interested now for sure. I'm having a hard time holding back overwhelming him with it all. My self-restraint is being tested.

What sort of experiences have you had with introducing your friends to the Redwall books? Anything that you would recommend when doing so?

[The Skarzs]

I haven't really introduced my friends to it. They either have read it already or aren't interested in this sort of  literature.

Can't say I would recommend it, but I got my brother to read Redwall by reading the first chapter aloud, and because he hates leaving a book unfinished he ended up reading the rest.
He hasn't read any more, though. . .

[Ashleg]

I kind of forced my best friend to read Redwall and Mossflower.
And I got my other friend to read all of them up 'till Salamandastron.

Neither of them went further to my knowledge.

[alexandre]

A couple weeks ago I got a friend to read Mossflower, he's on Redwall now, and he says he really likes it 

A couple years back I got a friend to read all the way up to Mattimeo but then I left that school and haven't seen him since so I don't know what ended up happening with that. shrug

I've got a lot of friends to try Redwall but none of them other than the two listed above really showed any interest. One of my friends even made this

[The Skarzs]

Heresy!

Yeah, problem is, Redwall is such a different book compared to the others that it can be a hard thing to get into if you're not already interested in the series through, perhaps, the animated version.

[Ashleg]

Al, that meme is great.

[NovaNocturne]

@alexandre That meme is hilarious. I love that you talk about it so much.

So my husband finished watching the first season and is curious enough to continue watching! WOO!

[The Skarzs]

Sweet!

[Krowdon]

I always suggest Redwall to people, but hardly anyone ever takes it up.

One of my roommates and I watched the TV show together, and she liked the show but I'm not sure if she wants to read the books.

My other roommate, I gave her a copy of The Long Patrol. Not entirely sure why, but in my head I was like "She would like this". She read it and did enjoy it, though I'm not sure if she'll continue on to any of the others.

[Triss8]

I have told all of my friends about Redwall but I am not sure how many have read it.

[The Skarzs]

I feel like one of the most common ways this series was introduced to the younger generation was through the animated series. From there, if there is interest, they will find the source material and already have a good opinion of it, driving them to read one, then seeing there are more, and going on until all the books are read.

[NovaNocturne]

You're probably right. Which is tough because while I love the animated series, I do recognize that it wasn't the best quality and it definitely was made for children.

[Matthias720]

Want to feel old? The animated series aired back in 2000. That's right, 17 years ago.

[Grond]

You're probably right. Which is tough because while I love the animated series, I do recognize that it wasn't the best quality and it definitely was made for children.

I think it would be more difficult to get an adult or older teenager, who has no prior connection/knowledge/experience of Redwall interested in the series or books. As both the series and the books are geared towards children. Don't get me wrong I think Redwall, the series and the books, is awesome but if I hadn't watched it as a kid and then subsequently read the books I don't think I would be particularly interested to take it up now- nostalgia is also part of the reason I still like it so much...

As the others have said though the series probably got a lot of people interested in the books- the fact that it no longer airs on t.v. ( at least not on any channel in Canada that I know of) probably plays a role in the lack of "new blood". Which is a shame considering that there is more than enough material to have made many more seasons...

On a kind of unrelated note- given the fact that the Redwall series definitely had "darker" themes and not so subtle deaths for a series rated C8+ in Canada, it maybe part of the reason it wouldn't even be aired anymore. Society has become more pc... Again I'm going off topic here but at the same time that Redwall aired on Teletoon (1999) another series I also liked called Cybersix also aired the same year for only one season though unfortunately... It was also dark, and I really think that, unlike Redwall, it would have done better as an "adult" series rather than a children's anime. Anyway I digress to much...

[Ashleg]

If I was any younger than I was when I started reading the books, I would have been blatantly freaked out by certain things.
My book store places Redwall books in the young adult section, away from the children's' books.