I'm insane, and here's evidence.

There are 22 books in this series. Each has about 400 pages (we'll take the median here). That makes 8,800 pages in the whole series.

I've read all of them five or six times.

That means I've read 44,000 to 52,800 pages of Redwall.

Sometimes you need pages and pages of mouthwatering descriptions of food and animals talking and singing and reciting rhymes.

I'm a cult follower. Fight me.

Can't remember when I've been so disappointed by a book that came so highly recommended and clearly has such a strong following. Seriously: I love a good yarn about talking animals as much as the next person, but I do expect some basic level of believability, maybe a good character or two... a plot...
One of the things that especially niggled at me was that I couldn't figure out the *scale* of the Redwall world. Are they mice and rats living clandestine in a human-built world? If so, where are the humans? Are they human-sized rodents in a people-free world? Then why are the horses and hay-wagons enormous and the churches inhabited by mice? It was never made clear. If I'd been in the least attracted by the dialog, characters, or story line this would have been easy enough to ignore, but as it was, I barely made it through and crossed the rest of the series off of my "To Read" list.

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Update, Summer 2020
Unfortunately the date on which I read this book is lost, but I know it was 12 to 15 years ago.
I now have a 9 yo daughter who is book-crazy, animal and fantasy crazy, and permanently in search of new things to read.
So I set aside my own feelings about Redwall and went ahead and suggested it to her. Sure enough, she Loved it. I was careful not to bias her before she started, especially as she is occasionally put off by the "talking animals wearing clothes" sub-genre. (She prefers the unclothed cats of the Warriors series!) Hopefully I will extract a review from her add to this surprisingly popular / commented upon post.
So while I am much more a fan of books that can be enjoyed by any age group (Narnia, George MacDonald's fantasies, etc), I will grudgingly accept that in this case I am simply the wrong audience.

This is a whimsical fantasy for young readers- and the young at heart!

To describe the storyline sounds almost silly. Mice and other woodland creatures living in Redwall Abbey must protect themselves from the evil enemies (usually weasels and ferrets) who want to take their riches. The main character is Matthias, a brave young mouse who finds it his destiny to be a warrior and protect his home.

As I read this delightful tale, I was inspired by the quality of literature used in such a unique way. This was a world of charming, witty animals that talk, laugh and cry. Indeed, Redwall is a strangely imaginative and enchanting story that may change your views on furry rodents forever!

Oh to be a Redwall mouse, eating scrumptious scones in the Great Hall of the Abbey.
20 years after first reading this, I still see exactly why I was so obsessed with this series.

Via Book Reviews by Niki Hawkes at www.nikihawkes.com

If I could say one thing about Jacques, it’s that he was a master storyteller! His books take you on grand adventures that rival the best fantasy novels out there. I’ve read them so many times the covers are falling off! An what’s more, the series sustains itself, with drawn out stories about downright fascinating characters. Bravery and Goodness can come from anywhere, and there are always evil-doers to stand up to. They are such well-rounded stories that I recommend them to even you hardcore fatasy buffs out there. They are often overlooked because people are expecting them to be like “Watership Down” or “Animal Farm”, and while those are worthwhile books in a certian context and place, they do not make for happy fantasy reading like these books do.

Redwall will make you forget you’re reading about animals. They boast creatively awesome representatives of different races. For example, mice are the humans of this world, sort of the standard by which we measure everyone else. The rabbits are the comic relief, and always put off a dwarf-like sentiment. The otters are the graceful archers, and very elf-like in their mannerisms. Even the villians are special – with rats as the cannon fodder and henchmen (orcs) and other creatures such as foxes and weasels who plot against our heroes.

All in all, I can credit this series for sparking my interest in books when I was in the fifth grade. I saw one in the library, and started reading smaller books with the hopes of working my way up to one someday. These are excellent adventures for children, and I’m a living example that they encourage literacy at young ages. As an adult I still love them, and am long overdue for another reread!

Word of warning: do not read these books if you are hungry… you’ll see.

by Niki Hawkes

FULL REVIEW
I managed to finish this just in time for count it "as read" in 2007! With (how appropriate) 7 minutes to spare lol:>
I really enjoyed this book!!:D I was amazed at how vibrant the characters were and how attached to them I felt. Had I known the plot going into the book, I think I would have been very hesitant as the story centers around an attack from Cluny the Scourge (an evil rat) and his horde on the peaceful and caring Abby of Redwall mice and other woodland creatures - for 350 pages. Now, that said, for whatever reason the story did not drag or seem like it was being spread out too much! Wonderful!!:) Jacques manages to weave in delightful characters (or not-so-delightful, but that's the point) and several sub-plots that are really just as important as the main plot. And even though I had a strong inkling of what the ending would be, I never felt too confident in my assumptions and was surprised by how events came about to get to the end.
I mentioned this would possibly be a good story for LOTR fans, because of the focus on the details of battle without it feeling boring or repetitive, and also because the book is full of characters and told from various points of view but doesn't feel confused but does feel like you get to know each character.
I'm very curious to read more of the Redwall series, and am so happy to finally have read a Brian Jacques book and met Matthias and Basil and Silent Sam;)

BOOK TWO (12/15/2007)
Alright! Book II done! Things still manage to move along at a quick pace. The characters are wonderful and the plot building. Some parts have been a little sad, but the cute and warm parts have been more.:) I’m very curious to find out what the conclusion will be and how things will play out. And I’m very much looking forward to meeting the snowy owl!!!:D

BOOK ONE (12/5/2007)
I've finished the first book/part! I'm pleasantly surprised because it's nearly a third of the way through the book but it stills feels like things are in the early stages without seeming like the story is dragging. I wonder if this is because the story is - in a way - doubled because we see it from multiple perspectives, resulting in learning what's occuring from both "the good side" and "the bad side."
I adore a new character, the "Stag-Hare!" What fun to write he must have been!:)
I'll try to write another update when I finish the second part - which, hopefully, will be sooner than another month!

*****

I am finally venturing into the world of Brian Jacques! I know Xt speaks highly of his books, so I am looking forward to reading one myself!

This was a fun read!

Was I crying and snotting while reading the final scene to my son? Of course I was, don’t be ridiculous.

Ah yes, I see the most beautiful summer morning of my life. The friends I know and love are all about me. Redwall, our home, is safe. The sun shines warmly upon us. Nature is ready to yield her bounty again in plenty this autumn. I have seen it all before, many times, and yet I never cease to wonder. Life is good, my friends. I leave it to you.

“Even the strongest and bravest must sometimes weep. It shows they have a great heart, one that can feel compassion for others.”

Ok, its regular sized animals living in a human sized world. Where are the humans? Why is there a human sized horse and wagon that the evil rats ride on? These are just some of the questions I pondered as I read through this snooze fest.

This book is quite literally a regular mouse picking up a tiny little sword, and fighting various things(snakes, rats, my will to live!). Now if the image of a little mouse holding a tiny sword doesn't want to make you retch at the absurd "oh how cute" nature of the story, then I don't know what will.

I just can't recommend this book, even to kids. When I look at kids buying this book I think, "were all the good and cool books already taken?" Artemis Fowl, Harry Potter, John Bellair, Philip Pullman,...etc as the list goes on and on of people who wrote and are writing more interesting stories than members of the rodent and bird species having a cute little war with evil weasles and rats. Thats why I have to say I hated this book.

Such an endearing, delightful tale! I can't wait to get to the rest of the series. It's a shame I didn't discover these when I was younger; I would have eaten them up! With all the woodland charm of The Wind in the Willows and set in a medieval fantasy, this is a treasure.

This series was my one of my first forays into fantasy when I was in elementary school. Redwall, Harry Potter, A Wrinkle in Time, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Ender’s Game were all defining elements in my childhood. I’ve loved it for more than two decades. And yet, unlike the rest, it’s a series that I haven’t revisited as an adult, because some part of me feared that it wouldn’t hold up as well as the other books that shaped me as a reader. I couldn’t have been more mistaken. Redwall proved itself to be even more delightful and charming and enthralling than I remembered. The stakes were higher than I recalled, and I loved every single second I spent in Redwall Abbey and Mossflower Wood. I’ve read plenty of adult fantasy that didn’t have my heart racing and breaking to the extent of this book. With how well it has stood the test of time, I honestly think every fantasy lover should give at least one of the books a try. It’s a huge series, and I don’t know that I’ll read it in its entirely, but I’m looking forward to revisiting Mossflower Wood again in the not-too-distant future.