The Chronicles of Robin Hood Review
Title: The Chronicles of Robin Hood
Author: Rosemary Sutcliff
Date Purchased: 10/28/2019
Price Paid: $8.36
Date Finished: 9/18/2021
Rating: 3.5/5
Much like any aspect of life, I’m sure that I have changed as a reader over the years. For instance, I know for a fact that I have a much lower tolerance level for poor writing than I did when I was younger – hell, I can actually discern when the writing is subpar and point out why that is, which is a skill I didn’t always possess.
Over the past year I’ve realized that I really enjoy collections of short stories. I’m not sure if I’m ready to say that I enjoy them more than I do a full-length novel, but they seem to leave me with a more satisfied feeling than a lot of novels do. This could be a product of my lifestyle, it could be my attention span, it could be any number of things. Perhaps I should really put some thought into this once I’m deeper into this project.
The Chronicles of Robin Hood is a collection of short stories surrounding one of my favorite outlaws, Robin of Locksley. Through this collection we see Robin grow from wrongfully accused landowner into an outlaw, from an outlaw into a legend, from a legend to figurehead, and back to the start. It’s quite a journey, and I think this collection was rather well done.
When skimming some reviews prior to reading this collection, one of the most common refrains is that Sutcliff would spend a LOT of time painting a picture for the reader. Most frequently this took place whenever she would describe a nature scene. While some found it to be tedious, I appreciated the effort she put into weaving the picture for the reader, especially as this was written as a children’s book.
From one standpoint, it can be a bit difficult to judge these stories – they are, after all, based on stories that were originally written in the 13 and 1400’s. But what can be judged is how she portrays each character. Robin Hood is certainly the focal point, and is portrayed as a humble man that is somehow almost superhuman with his ability to inspire others. Each other character, from Little John to Will Scarlet and beyond fits into that traditional mold that one has come to expect from these stories.
I really enjoyed this book, and found myself easily digesting chapter after chapter. Perhaps this one will make it into the rotation as a book to read to my son some day!
Final Thoughts: Quite good, a nice enjoyable telling of some old tales.