Robin Hood

by George Cockburn Harvey

Burgandy cover with gold writing on the spine and cover. Illustrated by Edwin John Prittie. 278 pages

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Adventure, Fantasy, Childrens Classics, Middle Grade, Historical Fiction

344 pages, hardcover

First published January 1, 1923

Reviews

[~Evy's OBSESSED~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"No rhymes were so popular as those which told of this true English hero -- a protector of the poor, a foe of the tyrant, brave, gentle, and chivalrous, a man after the English peasant's own heart."

*sighs contentedly* I love a good ol' classic and this one delivered. Short and sweet, I loved learning more about the adventures of Robin Hood and would definitely suggest this to anyone who loves the Disney adaption (the one where Robin Hood is a fox)....


**

OVERVIEW
This is a book filled with many tales of Robins adventures with his Merry Men through Sherwood and beyond.

POSITIVE ELEMENTS
Robin Hood is very respectful and a good leader. His men follow him with unending loyalty. Although he's an outlaw, he tries to do good things.

SPIRITUAL ELEMENTS
Mentions of God, the church and prayers. Robin Hood attends Mass. "By our Lady" and mentions of "our Lady" are said throughout the book. Mentions of priests, bishops etc.

VIOLENCE
Bow and arrows, swords, knifes and other weapons used. Many trial battles with Robin Hood is trying to see if a man is good enough to join his band. Talk of hanging. The Sheriff of Nottingham attempts (multiple times) to hunt down Robin and his men saying he wants them dead. Death threats. Brushes with death and injuries (none of it descriptive).

SEXUAL CONTENT
Mentions of marriage. Robin and Maid Marian get married.

LANGUAGE
Clean.

DRUGS/ALCOHOL
Mentions of feasting and drinking (wine and ale).

OTHER NOTES
Overall a story nearly anyone can read. The only caution I'd say is that some of the language is Old English which could be a bit hard for younger readers (say "thou", "wouldst", "ye", "thee" etc). Recommended ages 10+ for violence and possibly difficulty reading Old English.

**

~Happy Reading~

[Victoria Lynn]

Just didn't get a chance to finish.

[the_bookish_took · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great version of Robin Hood. It contains most of the stories from the ballads—at least the ones I know and love—and are downright delightful, except for the last chapter because of how it ends. It's been around for centuries at this point so I'm just gonna say it: it ends with Robin Hood's death. That last chapter always stings because I don't want to follow him to that sad part.

Anyways, the stories are always so much fun with the sheriff being outwitted and all the disguises Robin Hood and the others take.

This particular one, if it wasn't obvious already, reads more like short vignettes instead of having an overarching plot, because of the whole ballad inspiration thing.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Ever since I was a child I loved Robin Hood, but I had only seen him in movies... now finally I could read the famous tales. The book is really fun, exciting, sometimes a bit ridiculous but still very entertaining. My only complaint... Robin is a little overrated.. sorry! I said it! Truth be told I was hoping more from him, I mean he’s the legend! He’s supposed to be this larger than life character but he wasn’t.. not completely I mean. Don’t get me wrong, he’s great, a crafty yet noble man, a trickster with good intentions, charming and loyal to the King and his men. The thing is he wasn’t the most reliable leader, most of his decisions he makes on a whim or cause he’s bored.. most of his men he can’t defeat in hand-to-hand combat, his only undefeated strength is the bow and arrow and he scarcely uses it! Oh and every time he’s (unsurprisingly) defeated he just blows his horn and Bam! twenty guys appear to save him, like really save him, like alone he’s toasted... soooo yeah.. I was expecting more... to be honest the best guy is Little John, he’s the real MVP. Cleaver, strong, brave, just as noble as Robin and loyal to a fault to him. I would have gladly followed him. Honorable mention to Sir Richard (loved him too) and poor dumb Sheriff who couldn’t catch a break xDD Also my condolences to Maid Marian who was nothing but a footnote in the whole story, one chapter, she was there.. let’s keep fooling the Sheriff!

[Sydney Coles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is part of my great grandmother’s classics collection. I never really knew the stories of Robin Hood, only that he stole from the rich and gave to the poor from movies. It’s written in old English which I needed to refresh on but overall the stories of the outlaws and Robin were really enjoyable.

[Addie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great classic full of adventure.

[Matthew Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still nearly as good as when I was a kid. It was an absolute joy revisiting this one.

[Riley · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s really hard for me to read and understand older books like this. I think the storyline was okay, it was just hard for me to read and took me forever.

[Rebecca Mandrillorian]

My favorite Robin Hood

[superawesomekt · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the version I read as a child into the wee hours (this it was published as part of the Children's Classics set). now I'm reading it to my kids :) full of fun and adventure. love it still.

[Ryder]

I think Robin Hood was overall a great book. It had action and everything else great books have. Also, this book was written in the old English. I would recommend this book to everyone. It was the very first Robin Hood and classic book. If I could be one character, I would choose Robin Hood because he is a very good shot. He has such a good shot that he has never missed his shot. Years from now I will remember how Robin Hood met Little John. If I could change one thing about the book I would use the new English instead of old English because sometimes it’s hard to understand what they mean. It was really hard to put this book down I read it on the weekend, at night, and when I woke up. This is why I think and hope you think that this book is great.