Oddities in book 1

[MeadowR]

There is quite the style change in writing between more recent books like The Sable Quean and Redwall. Obviously this was known already, but reading it again it's all the more pronounced. All this talk of an 'order' of elder mice, well things definitely toned down in time at the abbey! I think the writing style was more solely directed at younger readers - though I can still enjoy it now.

Mice eating fish! Do they do this in any other book? They even mention specifically cheddar cheese.

[HeadInAnotherGalaxy]

Ah like cheeze. Anyvay, na' zat zat iz oot o' ze vay...
Ah believe ze milk zat zey uzed vaz zome zort o' tree zap or zummat made oot o' ze leavez. Ah believe Brian anzvered thiz in vone o' ze queztionz on ze zite vhere people could send in queztionz aboot Redwall.

[Faiyloe]

The first book was written to read to blind children he would visit them and read to them but he didn't like the things he was reading so he wrote Redwall. He never intended for it to be published.       

[HeadInAnotherGalaxy]

An' it zeemz tae me zat ze kind o' literature vritten for reazonz like zat often endz up bein' ze bezt vonez. Written tae 'elp an' entertain zoze zat ze author vrote zem for. Care, love, compazzion; never mind 'ov zappy it zoundz, it makez for vone major book!

[Maudie]

Mice eating fish! Do they do this in any other book?

Yes, several. And remember, there is shrimp and hotfoot soup, which is in basically all the books. I'm trying to think of all the other books where they eat fish. I know that in Taggerung shrews eat eels.

[MeadowR]

^ Ah, okay then.

[Ungatt Trunn]

Yes, several. And remember, there is shrimp and hotfoot soup, which is in basically all the books. I'm trying to think of all the other books where they eat fish. I know that in Taggerung shrews eat eels.

That's "Hotroot"

[HeadInAnotherGalaxy]

Hotfoot? Ach...zat zoundz like it vid 'urt!

[Tam and Martin]

Hotfoot? Ach...zat zoundz like it vid 'urt!

Exactly

[Maudie]

Lol! Sounds like poison to me!

[Emperor Ublaz]

There was also some size problems. In Redwall, Squire Gingivere is big enough for Matthias to ride him with ease, whereas Tsarmina, Verdauga, and Ungatt Trunn are about the height of a weasel. At least, that's how I picture them.

[MeadowR]

Yeah. The animals are more their actual sizes. Also that cat walks on all fours which is odd enough!

So Gingivere is the cat in Redwall... so on the 'favourite wildcat' thread I voted the wrong cat - I thought Gingivere was the nice/grey wildcat from Mossflower. Is that Verdauga then? Confused!

Anyway, wildcats are always certainly bigger than weasels!

[Emperor Ublaz]

There are two Gingiveres. The first is the nice one from Mossflower. The second is Squire Julian Gingivere from Redwall. I think the two might be related.

[HeadInAnotherGalaxy]

There are two Gingiveres. The first is the nice one from Mossflower. The second is Squire Julian Gingivere from Redwall. I think the two might be related.

Aye, ah believe 'e zaid 'e vaz ze lazt o' ze "Gingivere" family line? Eizer vay, boz o' zem vere pretty nice.

[Tam and Martin]

There are two Gingiveres. The first is the nice one from Mossflower. The second is Squire Julian Gingivere from Redwall. I think the two might be related.

Aye, ah believe 'e zaid 'e vaz ze lazt o' ze "Gingivere" family line? Eizer vay, boz o' zem vere pretty nice.

I don't remeber when he said that? WHen was that?