Customer Reviews

The Adventures of Robin Hood

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I think the book "The amazing Robinhood" is a very good book. Its one of the best books I have ever read because its got adventure, its got action, and it has so many great characteristics. Some of the characters are strong, some are tall and thin, and some are even fat. But the best of them all would be my favorite good old Robinhood. If you like adventure and action this book is great for you.

This is a truly wonderful book. Green makes everything seem so real, I actually cried in the end, and in a few parts I laughed out loud and ran to tell my sister about it. When I was reaching the end half of me almost made me put the book down and do something else so it would last longer, but the other half wouldn't let me, because the book was so exiting and I had to find out what happens next! Scince I own this book I know I am going to read it again and again!This is a really great book about Robin Hood!!!

It's in keeping with the book's hero that Roger Lancelyn Green is a bit of a thief. He plunders ballads, plays, novels and poems for this Robin Hood novel.

Thankfully, he steals from the best sources.

This kid's book is a pleasant, briskly-written version of the legend incorporating details from an astonishing variety of sources.

I'm also glad to see Marian get a large role in this book. She doesn't appear in the Howard Pyle novel at all.

You could do a lot worse than let this book be someone's first introduction to the legend of Robin Hood.

Who hasn't heard of Robin Hood and his merry band of outlaws in Sherwood Forest? In this book you meet them all - including the powerful Little John, courageous Will Scarlet, musical Allan a Dale, and sly Friar Tuck. Roger Lancelyn Green has researched the legends and ballads about Robin Hood, and this collection of Robin Hood tales rivals the authoritative collection by Howard Pyle which has been unequalled for more than 100 years. But Green corrects one notable omission in Pyle: the absence of Maid Marion. In addition to the ample adventures revolving around Maid Marion, all the old favorites are included - Little John and his quarter-staff toppling Robin into the water, Robin winning the golden arrow at Nottingham's archery contest, and the Sheriff being outsmarted in numerous attempts to capture Robin. But these are just the tip of the iceberg - this book is chock-full of entertaining merry adventures.

The medieval setting is portrayed beautifully, including the vast gulf between the upper and lower classes of society, the corruption and greed of the nobility, and the hypocrisy of the medieval Roman Catholic church where religion has degenerated to mere outward rituals. But the medieval setting is not presented without a social commentary - Green shows that the unbalanced social structure inevitably resulted in the oppression of the poor and weak. Robin Hood and his band are clearly Catholics, and they are motivated by a genuine love for God and for the King. It is left to Robin Hood and his men to take justice into their own hands, and fight nobly for the cause of the downtrodden. Such justice is accomplished in a questionable manner, because the notion of robbing the rich to help the poor implicitly endorses civil disobedience. But Green points out that Robin Hood is motivated by justice and not revenge, and acts only because the lawful authority of King Richard has been replaced by an unlawful usurper. The theme of seeking justice and maintaining truth and right is in itself a noble one. With Robin Hood, we find ourselves wanting justice, and being prepared to make unselfish sacrifices in order to achieve it. When justice is done, it is actually the greed and corruption of the nobility that has led to its own destruction and ruin.

But the real attractions of this gem are the enthralling exploits of Robin Hood and his band of merry men. Comparisons with the classic Howard Pyle collection are inevitable. Green's collection of tales is equally well researched and equally comprehensive. Although the absence of Pyle's antiquated language is an improvement, Green's collection is still in the end inferior to Pyle's. Pyle's Sherwood Forest is a rather glamorous utopian world where feasting and song abound, where it is never winter, and where the ale rarely runs dry. Robin Hood clearly represents a form of hedonism, and in his company there is never a lack of action, adventure, or for that matter - ale. Green's Sherwood Forest is ironically less "green" than Pyle's, and lacks the hedonistic feasting and song, and lacks the sense of atmosphere that Pyle so skilfully evoked. Green's action and atmosphere fails to match the excitement and merriment that Robin Hood deserves, and he seems to have taken the "merry" out of Robin Hood and his band of outlaws. In this case the grass really was "Greener" on the Pyle side of the fence.

But that is not to detract from Green's superb effort. If you can't get Howard Pyle's "The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood" or can't endure his antiquated language, then don't look further than this collection by Green. There is no end to the accomplishments of muscles and mind, as Robin and his merry band outwit all comers by sheer physical skill in archery, wrestling, swordmanship, and quarter-staff combat, or by outsmarting them with deceit and disguise. To our delight, Robin's brawn and brains always come out on top at the end. Along with the tales of King Arthur, the tales of Robin Hood are the most exciting tales that British history has produced. Green's collection of Robin Hood's merry adventures is still constantly entertaining and exciting - one that you'll want to own and read over and over!

The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green is a brilliant retelling of the Robin Hood tales. All of the stories are here. Robin's fight with Little John is related, as is the archery contest, Robin's love affair with Marion, and the wedding of Allan-a-Dale. All of the characters like Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet, Little John, Maid Marion, and (guess what!) Robin Hood make their appearances. Overall, the tales are well told, and the book is very complete. My favorite portion of this edition is the prologue in which the author writes from where the stories are derived. There, I was turned to Thomas Love Peacock's brilliant, if forgotten, tales of Robin Hood entitled Maid Marian. This edition will help to keep the adventures of Robin Hood in the minds of children for another generation.

This book had included the beginning of how Robin Hood had come to be and how the legend of Robin Hood had ended. This was by far the best Robin Hood book that I've ever read.

This book is extremely good. It is a good example of adventure at its best. Robin's cleverness in defeating the sheriff of Nottingham is often funny. This book is a must-read

I read this book when I was a kid, and I can't recommend it highly enough to parents and kids who are looking for classic high adventure. It's timeless, yet provides good role models for boys (Robin Hood was the original cool do-gooder) and for girls, since Roger Greene's Maid Marian is more than a match for Robin with sword and bow and arrow.

The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green is an excellent retelling of the Robin Hood Tales. All of the normal stories are told: those of Robin and Marian's romance, those of the archery match, and those of the marriage of Allan-a-Dale. Each story is ably written. All of the usual characters also appear: Friar Tuck, Little John, Maid Marian, Will Scarlet, and (surprise) Robin Hood. The Adventures of Robin Hood is an easy read. It is well suited for children to read and become acquainted with Robin for the first time. My favorite section to this edition is the prologue. In it, Green writes where he derived his stories from. Among the books listed is Thomas Love Peacock's brilliant, if forgotten, Maid Marian. This publication of the adventures of Robin Hood is very entertaining, and it is very informative.

If you saw my previous review, don't get me wrong... This book is very imaginitive... Just not my favorite. I'm sorry if you are displeased with my comments, but I won't lie in a book review.

This book, in my opinion, is STILL not original.