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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
I can't believe I've lived so long without reading this! A delightful classic.
The epilogue was SO sad though, it almost made me cry.
The epilogue was SO sad though, it almost made me cry.
Despite a little struggle at the start, after acclimating to the moderately unfamiliar older English, Robin Hood stole my heart just as he has the hearts of many before me. I was curious about the original tale that has led to so many revisions, spinoffs, versions, etc, in popular media, and it's certain that the humorous and gallant spirit of the Robin Hood from the books has lived on successfully in more than one of his movie counterparts.
The story begins by asking the reader, in essence, to suspend their disbelief, and participate fully in the tales they are about to be told. The book is chalk full of the expected heroic doings, but it is almost equally filled to the brim with good humor, much of which got me to laugh aloud. Robin Hood is jovial and always ready for a good joke, and the comedy is often directed at the upper classes, but it's also just as often pointed towards Robin and his yeoman. They get too cocky or bold, and they get bested. It's an endlessly delightful back and forth, and when you buy in fully to the drama of one man insulting the other and immediately they are challenging one another to a duel, it's marvelously fun.
Despite the abundance of merriment, the story gets more heavy as it progresses. Trivial encounters step aside for one almost-hanging and a fight that ends in a death, among others. The official ending is cheerful, but there is a built in epilogue, and it's painfully bittersweet and appropriately dramatic. I was surprised to find myself choked up by the end. They are the sort of adventures that you never want to believe will end, even though they must.
Of course, in a manner of speaking, Robin Hood is alive and well. The book continues to be a great read today, and the other versions (particularly the Disney one for me) keep the legend alive. Sort of like the Legacy of Sherlock Holmes, there will always be a detective in 221B, and there will always be a Robin Hood in the woods, looking for adventure.
The story begins by asking the reader, in essence, to suspend their disbelief, and participate fully in the tales they are about to be told. The book is chalk full of the expected heroic doings, but it is almost equally filled to the brim with good humor, much of which got me to laugh aloud. Robin Hood is jovial and always ready for a good joke, and the comedy is often directed at the upper classes, but it's also just as often pointed towards Robin and his yeoman. They get too cocky or bold, and they get bested. It's an endlessly delightful back and forth, and when you buy in fully to the drama of one man insulting the other and immediately they are challenging one another to a duel, it's marvelously fun.
Despite the abundance of merriment, the story gets more heavy as it progresses. Trivial encounters step aside for one almost-hanging and a fight that ends in a death, among others. The official ending is cheerful, but there is a built in epilogue, and it's painfully bittersweet and appropriately dramatic. I was surprised to find myself choked up by the end. They are the sort of adventures that you never want to believe will end, even though they must.
Of course, in a manner of speaking, Robin Hood is alive and well. The book continues to be a great read today, and the other versions (particularly the Disney one for me) keep the legend alive. Sort of like the Legacy of Sherlock Holmes, there will always be a detective in 221B, and there will always be a Robin Hood in the woods, looking for adventure.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I have to stop buying Classics just because they're beautiful. I have a horrible track record with them. The only one I remember ever truly enjoying is The Count of Monte Cristo which is a revenge story so...of course. This was originally published in 1883 but is set in the late 12th, early 13th century so that was a little odd. It isn't really noticeable until the end. I assume this is because songs/ballads about Robin Hood were popular in this time?
This book comes with the usual 1800s bullshit of being way longer than it needs to be for no real reason. (Okay, the reason was money, but no GOOD reason.) There was a lot of the usual repetition of one character says one thing and the second one repeats it back to them. There was a lot of repetition in the narration and extended flowery writing. It got to be too much sometimes. I was also surprised that Maid Marion was mentioned once in passing and never again. I thought she was supposed to be important to Robin. I think the last 75 pages or so are really what did this book in for me. It ends in a way that feels unlike the character I've known throughout the book and then when it got to talking about the end of Robin's life it felt very sad and boring. Especially compared to who he was in his younger years.
There were some fun moments of Robin Hood robbing the rich to pay the poor and all the usual stuff we associate with him. He was less enjoyable than other versions of him I'm seen in movies. I liked seeing the characters I knew from the movies of Robin Hood. I think Little John is probably my favorite character.
adventurous
fast-paced
I REALLY enjoyed this. Howard Pyle was, I believe, the first author to compile Robin Stories into a narrative specifically for young people.
I was surprised to be reminded of the differences between the "original" and the Hollywood versions. (I shouldn't be surprised, I know.) Robin Hood wasn't a rebel guerilla fighting Prince John, but guilty of manslaughter under the reign of King Henry. Maid Marian is rarely mentioned.
However, once I got past the culture shock, I could lean into these stories and heartily enjoy them as Right Merry Adventures!
I was surprised to be reminded of the differences between the "original" and the Hollywood versions. (I shouldn't be surprised, I know.) Robin Hood wasn't a rebel guerilla fighting Prince John, but guilty of manslaughter under the reign of King Henry. Maid Marian is rarely mentioned.
However, once I got past the culture shock, I could lean into these stories and heartily enjoy them as Right Merry Adventures!
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I appreciate the importance Robin Hood has to the literary canon, but since I'm already really familiar with this story and these characters, I found this to be a pretty dull read.
This was a great starting book for my 10-year old daughter—we read it together, and took turns reading it aloud. Classic Starts not only provided at great start to these fun, witty, smart Adventures of Robin Hood, it also opened the window to the world of great literature while my daughter practiced the skills of reading aloud, analyzing the story and increasing her reading proficiency. I am very pleased with the storytelling, it stayed true to the tales I know with solid writing. A good example of brining literature to levels of reading that struggle without sacrificing language and sentence structure—it wasn't "dumbed down".
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A great compilation of the legends surrounding Robin Hood. Howard Pyle did an awesome job recounting his various adventures, and though it had only a few references to the modern traditional story we all know, it felt like a chance to get to know Robin Hood beyond the single adventure depicted in all the movies.