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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
Okay, so I picked this up on a whim. I enjoy reading stories centered around the legend of King Arthur, and while this story isn’t about Camelot, it certainly has a similar tone without the depressing ending of being murdered by your own son. In most stories about the Prince of Thieves, we see everything from Robin’s point of view, with Maid Marian a whimsical love interest on the sidelines as Robin does his thing of robbing the rich to give to the poor. This book proposes we view things from Marian’s angle. She is always seen as a ward of the king, which means she is an orphan, something never mentioned in the legend of Robin Hood. And from Marian’s standpoint, her life isn’t quite as peaceful as everyone supposes. Since King Richard is off to the Crusades, she is at the mercy of his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine. And Eleanor is determined to use every resource at her disposal to benefit her favorite son. This includes marrying off orphan daughters of deceased landowners to gain favor and loyalty from other noble families. Marian finds herself married first at the age of 5, but when her husband dies under mysterious circumstances and she is engaged to the brother of her former husband, she fears her own life is in danger from her cunning and deadly mother-in-law. She, along with her maid Annie, go in search of Robin of Loxley, in hopes the renegade will help her to formulate a plan to secure her freedom. What Marian doesn’t expect is to fall in love.
If you’ve ever heard the legend of Robin Hood, you know how all this story turns out. But Watson does a lovely job of turning the tables on us as the reader, never venturing too much information in the direction of Robin’s capers and instead constantly focusing on Marian. We are treated to her history, her innermost thoughts, her fears, and her motivations to risk nearly everything in pursuit of happiness and the legacy that is rightfully hers as heir to her parent’s lands.
I enjoyed this book. It’s always nice to gain a different perspective on a legend you’ve heard over and over. It was a good enough story to stand on its own, relying just enough on the legend to keep you abreast of what’s going on in the timeline of Robin. This barely boarders on a romance novel – there’s nothing graphic in this, but it is a story of the romance of Robin and Marian, so be prepared for some mush “flutterings of my heart” and “what is this feeling coming over me” scenes. Nothing that made me too disgusted, so I’m sure it’ll be fine for anyone who reads this blog. There are some very entertaining characters in this story as well. Little John is supremely different from anything you’ve seen in a Disney movie, and Marian’s friend and maid, Annie, is just spunky enough to balance out Marian’s nobility. If you enjoy romance novels that aren’t too graphic and have a quality of historic background to them, I’d recommend this.
If you’ve ever heard the legend of Robin Hood, you know how all this story turns out. But Watson does a lovely job of turning the tables on us as the reader, never venturing too much information in the direction of Robin’s capers and instead constantly focusing on Marian. We are treated to her history, her innermost thoughts, her fears, and her motivations to risk nearly everything in pursuit of happiness and the legacy that is rightfully hers as heir to her parent’s lands.
I enjoyed this book. It’s always nice to gain a different perspective on a legend you’ve heard over and over. It was a good enough story to stand on its own, relying just enough on the legend to keep you abreast of what’s going on in the timeline of Robin. This barely boarders on a romance novel – there’s nothing graphic in this, but it is a story of the romance of Robin and Marian, so be prepared for some mush “flutterings of my heart” and “what is this feeling coming over me” scenes. Nothing that made me too disgusted, so I’m sure it’ll be fine for anyone who reads this blog. There are some very entertaining characters in this story as well. Little John is supremely different from anything you’ve seen in a Disney movie, and Marian’s friend and maid, Annie, is just spunky enough to balance out Marian’s nobility. If you enjoy romance novels that aren’t too graphic and have a quality of historic background to them, I’d recommend this.
Oh, so cute. A new retelling of the Robin Hood legend through the eyes of one Maid Marian. While certain liberties are taken (and are always taken with Marian), it actually stays pretty true to the history the tale is set in.
Plus, Robin and Marian (Or Brian and Lucy or Nick and Kate or whatever alias they've picked now) are absolutely adorable.
Plus, Robin and Marian (Or Brian and Lucy or Nick and Kate or whatever alias they've picked now) are absolutely adorable.
adventurous
emotional
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In “Maid Marian”, Elsa Watson presents a romantic and beautiful retelling of the Robin Hood legend centered on women’s experiences and class disparity. Although anachronous at times, the story rests on its own self-spun solid ground of lightly adapted history and creates a believable setting through its consistency. Most importantly, it’s one of the few books in my (very short) shortlist of what I consider top-tier works of Maid Marian fiction.
For some context, I first read this book when I was about thirteen. Maybe a little younger. Since then I have read it at least 6 or 7 times. It’s a book that I have returned to again and again with nothing but warm nostalgia. It was the second book I ever owned, the first being Howard Pyle’s “The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood”. They sat side by side on my shelf and, in many ways, I found Watson’s book complemented Pyle’s. Watson takes clear inspiration from Pyle and directly centers Marian as the title character. Meanwhile Pyle includes Marian in only a brief mention. As a young person, I think I combined the two to create the version of Robin Hood that I used as a baseline. Especially in my most recent reread, I can see how my perception of the Robin Hood story was colored, or at least outlined, by Elsa Watson.
All this to say, this book has become very special to me.
For brevity, here are some things I liked but won’t opine on for too long:
- Before Marian eventually returns to a life as a noblewoman, she puts in time, effort, and hard work to understand those she would govern.
- Marian and Robin’s relationship has just the right amount of build-up. It is well-constructed and clear why each one is in love with the other, and their differences complement each other in the way that good relationships should.
- It references older Robin Hood ballads and incorporates them into the story.
- Female antagonists! This book is completely driven by women. There are so few novels about Maid Marian that are actually driven by and focused on women. This one is. Robin does not drive this plot. Marian does.
And here are things I don’t necessarily like, but don’t feel overly critical about:
- The history is a bit smudged, especially as it relates to the Norman-Saxon conflict. But that isn’t a new element to Robin Hood stories. Not such a big deal, but it does take me out just a bit.
- There could have been another 150 pages. I would have been happy to live in this storyworld a little longer. However, since nothing felt rushed or left out, it’s probably best as it is.
Readers are introduced to a Marian who, through her own admission, is blithely unaware of the larger world outside the castle in which she lives. She is introduced as a Norman noblewoman who finds herself living at the whims of others, especially those of Queen Eleanor and her mother-in-law, Lady Pernelle of Sencaster. Throughout the story, she takes more and more control of her life. She self-identifies her own flaws and works towards a future of her own choosing, considering her personal values and moral standing first when making her decisions. I found her to be an admirable main character.
Marian’s character growth over the pages of this relatively short novel is undeniable but happens at a pace that feels comfortable. She doesn’t change her mind overnight, or rush to aid the plot. Her experiences inform her choices and her worldview, and she is open-minded and willing to change her perspective as she learns more about other people.
Of the Robin Hood books I’ve read, this one exemplifies the female gaze in a way that I love. Most obviously, this is a romance novel from the first-person perspective of a woman, and the way Marian’s attraction to Robin is described feels emotionally weighted and distinctly feminine.
Outside of Marian’s personal emotions, I feel that this novel utilizes a female gaze on the story of Robin Hood itself. It feels tailor-made specifically for women who care about the legend of Robin Hood and want to see it from a romanticized feminine perspective. The story, Sherwood Forest, outlaw life, and medieval England is romanticized and presented with the love of someone who cares about it. This is not necessarily new to Robin Hood literature, and other examples can be found written by male authors, including Howard Pyle. (In fact, some of Watson’s elements of description feel reminiscent of Pyle.) In “Maid Marian”, however, there is something distinctly feminine within the world of the novel, beyond the gender of the protagonist.
I have read this book so many times and its place on my Robin Hood shelf and within my literary upbringing is permanently reserved. This is the only book I own that automatically opens to my favorite pages. It has been reread and loved for years, and will continue being so. I absolutely adore it. It makes me giddy and happy and nostalgically reminds me what it was like to be a young girl and in love with the story of Robin Hood.
At first I truly enjoyed the well-researched, realistic depiction of the early medieval setting, and Marian appealed to me as a convincingly human, genuine character.
However, I am sorry to say that, after a while, both Marian and Robin, as well as the plot, appeared bland. :/
The story could have benefited from more showing & less telling; as it were, the characters lost my interest after the first few chapters - I didn't feel invested in them.
But the ambiance of the period was superbly captured on page, and I like how the role of the villains wasn't given to Sheriff of Nottingham and King John. Both played minor parts, but - in this female narrative, the villainy slot was filled by villainesses - formidable, powerful and power-seeking noble women of the time.
However, I am sorry to say that, after a while, both Marian and Robin, as well as the plot, appeared bland. :/
The story could have benefited from more showing & less telling; as it were, the characters lost my interest after the first few chapters - I didn't feel invested in them.
But the ambiance of the period was superbly captured on page, and I like how the role of the villains wasn't given to Sheriff of Nottingham and King John. Both played minor parts, but - in this female narrative, the villainy slot was filled by villainesses - formidable, powerful and power-seeking noble women of the time.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I like this book a lot and am surprised there are so many people who don't.
It's a little slow in the beginning, but the backstory is all important to later on in the book. It's split into 3 parts for good reason - each is very different, and I appreciate the author's efforts to show all parts of life in the 12th century - the nobility, the outlaws in the forest, the lower class farm workers, and the servants in a castle.
Overall, there might be points that are not historically accurate or believable, but I just liked the story. It kept me entertained and the romance was cute. It's an easy read that put me right into the setting.
It's a little slow in the beginning, but the backstory is all important to later on in the book. It's split into 3 parts for good reason - each is very different, and I appreciate the author's efforts to show all parts of life in the 12th century - the nobility, the outlaws in the forest, the lower class farm workers, and the servants in a castle.
Overall, there might be points that are not historically accurate or believable, but I just liked the story. It kept me entertained and the romance was cute. It's an easy read that put me right into the setting.
I don't know why I liked this book as much as I did. It was definitely really good. I gave it 3 stars only because this book really was all about Marian. It was from her perspective and we knew everything about her by the end of the book but there was very little sense for any of the other characters. Even Robin. If the author had found a good way to delve more deeply into the other characters I probably would have given this book 5 stars.
A couple hundred pages in thus far; the writing is absolutely enchanting! Marian is a very likable character.