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A review by aotora
The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I never watched the Disney movie nor did I read any other Robin Hood books. I had this one on my shelf for a while now and it looked simple and short to read so I did - and it was ok for the most part. The book is kind of slow and repetitive - you can only read about Robin challenging someone walking through the forest or inviting them to dinner then take money from them or give them money if they need it so many times before it gets a little bit boring and repetitive.
I did like the parts where he tricked Prince John or Sheriff- that being said, I didn't expect the ending to be so... depressing. There is death on both sides throughout the book and it doesn't hold back punches when it comes to graphic depiction of violence, but in the last few chapters one of the bad guys gets beheaded, Sheriff is shot and killed, Scarlet, one of Robin's closests companions is shot and killed and then King Richard dies so John is king again, Marian becomes a nun and Robin is mortally wounded but still manages to walk around, work on a ship and shoot a bunch of pirates before coming back home and dying in the same place his Marian is- it's just so depressing and it comes out of nowhere, especially after 80% of this book being super repetitive in slow going.
It was still an all right book, especially for a classic, but I don't think that I will pick up anything related to the story of Robin Hood any time soon.
I did like the parts where he tricked Prince John or Sheriff- that being said, I didn't expect the ending to be so... depressing. There is death on both sides throughout the book and it doesn't hold back punches when it comes to graphic depiction of violence, but in the last few chapters one of the bad guys gets beheaded, Sheriff is shot and killed, Scarlet, one of Robin's closests companions is shot and killed and then King Richard dies so John is king again, Marian becomes a nun and Robin is mortally wounded but still manages to walk around, work on a ship and shoot a bunch of pirates before coming back home and dying in the same place his Marian is- it's just so depressing and it comes out of nowhere, especially after 80% of this book being super repetitive in slow going.
It was still an all right book, especially for a classic, but I don't think that I will pick up anything related to the story of Robin Hood any time soon.