Much thinks that Robin should hide in Sherwood Forest and gather a band of men with him as an idealistic resistance to the tyrannous sheriff of Nottingham. Alan and Marjorie join Robin's band, which takes in a mysterious young man called Cecil, who is later found to be a girl, and whom Will recognizes as his sister, Cecily. He offers the injured ones a chance to stay in England, but they all wish to go with Robin to the Holy Lands. A young minstrel named Alan-a-dale asks for help. But such a summary, while accurate in the broad strokes, does not do The Outlaws of Sherwood justice. He had to stop the smile that wanted to spread across his face from appearing till his name was calleda cautious third. The outlaws give Sir Richard the money he needs. Addeddate. An Heir of Realms is the immersive first book in the young-adult, coming-of-age fantasy series about saving all existence from draconic parasites. Unsurprisingly they rob the rich, give to the poor, and poach deer. He had had the wisdom not to choose Robin first, for Bill Sharp, who was the Chief Forester's spy among the young men, was watching eagerly; but Robin knew as soon as Nobble's eye fell on him that he was to be permitted to go. Here are eight [], Its a tough job, saving the world, and when you have to do it with the regularity that the Avengers do, well, I can only imagine it wears you down. He'd bring his bow to the fair, and enter the archery contest, and try not to miss at least his first shot. Robin McKinley. ), the resources below will generally offer The Outlaws of Sherwood chapter summaries, quotes, and analysis of themes, characters, and symbols. Please try the search box at the top of this page. My first encounter with the tale itself was no doubt the Disney animated version (which I still love watching with my son), but I'm pretty sure the first actual novelization I read was Robin McKinley's THE OUTLAWS OF SHERWOOD. The outlaws of Sherwood The Outlaws of Sherwood Soon after, Guy of Gisbourne and his men find Tucks hideout, believing he is hiding an injured Robin. Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web. The outlaws of Sherwood Every quarter saw him in rising panic as the time for the rents grew near. The only reason the outlaws are not all killed is because Marian is present and negotiated on Robins behalf. Your email address will not be published. The day before the Nottingham fair, a year after Robin became an outlaw, Cecil is discovered to be a girl, and Will recognizes her as his sister, Cecily, who had hid in her room so she wouldnt have to be married. He makes all the outlaws swear loyalty to him, and tells them that they must join the crusades. She likes complex and layered stories and characters with hidden depths. Its mostly a pleasant and enjoyable read, but theres an extremely violent and bloody battle toward the end that is rather harrowing. Bill Sharp would be telling it far and wide at least by the next dayand Robin thought it likely that he would have gone whining to the Chief Forester to be given permission to go to the fair after all, despite Nobble's decision, and would therefore be able to see for himself. Of course, my unease could be resolved with an Outlaws Part Two. So Robin had enough money in his pouch to throw to a juggler who might particularly take his fancy (although he should be saving it for next quarter day); and enough to buy the hot fried bread there would be at the goodwives' booths for Marian and Much as well as for himself. "I will not have to," replied Marian, "so long as evading my father's questions when I wish to spend a day with you continues to exercise my talents so usefully. ). And he could not help it that he often recalled that his gentry-bred mother had chosen to marry a mere forester with no prospects. Robin even tells one of his outlaw band: "you pass the basic requirement, which is to be a better archer than your leader Come now, that's the most open secret here, that I am the worst archer of us all.". His boss, the Chief Forester, hates him as the son of the man who married the woman the Chief Forester wanted for himself, and his cronies have been bullying Robin. The outlaws make enemies of the Sheriff of Nottingham, and the sheriff hires a bounty hunter named Guy of Gisbourne to eliminate Robin and his outlaw band. Robin finds a place in the woods, which later earns the name Greentree, for the outlaws camp. 368 pages first pub 1988 ISBN/UID: None. Bergs wife invited a monk to their Christmas feast, hoping that his spiritual advice would end Bergs affair with Unn. WebThe Outlaws of Sherwood - Summary Summary Robin is on his way to meet his friends Marian, a noblewoman, and Much, the miller's son, at the Nottingham Fair. There would be no knights' contests. KAT HOOPER, who started this site in June 2007, earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience and psychology at Indiana University (Bloomington) and now teaches and conducts brain research at the University of North Florida. Robin hides from the vengeful Sheriff of Nottingham in Sherwood Forest. "Golden arrow? On his way to Nottingham Fair, a young apprentice forester named Robin is accosted by some of his fellow foresters. But Much and Marian convince him that perhaps his personal catastrophe is also an opportunity: an opportunity for a few stubborn Saxons to gather together in the secret heart of Sherwood Forest and strike back against the arrogance and injustice of the Norman overlords. WebAmong the summaries and analysis available for The Outlaws of Sherwood, there are 1 Short Summary and 3 Book Reviews. Forced to flee, Robin shoots some arrows in self-defence at his attackers. Ive owned a paperback copy of The Outlaws of Sherwood, a retelling of the Robin Hood folktale, for ages, dating back to the days when I was auto-buying everything Robin McKinley wrote. Instead, Unns anger at the monks speech caused Berg to kill the man. (ed. Greenwillow Books, $17 (288pp) ISBN 978-0-688-07178-3. All Right Reserved. We learn to know a character the same way we do in real life, through moments or actions as brief, or as understated as a gesture, a glance, a word withheld, a word understood. Robin has led a downtrodden life since his father, a far more gifted archer than Robin himself, died under rather suspicious circumstances. But when I picked it up again for the first time in a couple of decades to refamiliarize myself with it before writing this review, it was difficult not to get lost in the pages of this book. Robin's friends Marian and Much convince him to become an outlaw. Robin Longbow, a lowly apprentice to the forester of Nottingham Forest, is on the way to Nottingham fair when he is waylaid by bullies. 2004 eNotes.com delightfully to life!Kirkus Reviews. The Outlaws of Sherwood Published in 1988. . . It deliberately deconstructs the figures and setting, trying for historical accuracy and psychological plausibility, as well as unusual attention paid to the matter of privies. The Outlaws of Sherwood The ending of The Outlaws of Sherwood was unsettling (view this spoiler if you like: As a reward for excellent service, King Richard allows the outlaws to go fight with him in the Crusades . This makes for an interesting twist on the famous archery contest story. This experience causes Tord to run to the valley, where he reveals Bergs hiding place to the villagers. It shivered in its flight, and fell, a little off coursejust enough that the arrow missed the slender tree it was aimed at, and struck tiredly and low into the bole of another tree, twenty paces beyond the mark. The Outlaws of Sherwood features many likeable characters including Robin, a reluctant hero who struggles to meet the physical and mental demands of his role, and Marian, a strong (stronger than Robin) half-Norman young woman who doesnt seem totally out of place in her historical time period. But when Robin defends himself by accidentally killing one of the sheriffs men, he flees to Sherwood Forest, knowing that he has not only lost his fathers land and good name forever, but that he will live the rest of his days as a hunted man. However, Little John and Cecily realize that the man is actually Marian in disguise. WebThe Outlaws of Sherwood. Summarized that way, it's easy to see why Stephen Knight has described Robin McKinley's book as a "straight re-telling". The Outlaws of Sherwood Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. Format: Not specified. The ending really bothered me when I first read the book in 1989, but less so now. Marian is badly hurt. Once Robin said to her, "But your stories are second-and third-hand. Publisher They watch an archer win the contest, who everyone believes to be Robin Hood. She inherited her love of classic and hard SF from her father and her love of fantasy and fairy tales from her mother. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. WebPaperback: Ace Books, 1989. ", Robin said teasingly, "I will tell you what you already know only if you promise that you will not run off with a band of wandering players.". Posted by Kat Hooper and Tadiana Joness rating: 3.5 | Robin McKinley | Audio, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |, The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley. WebThe author retells the adventures of Robin Hood and his band of outlaws who live in Sherwood Forest in twelfth-century England. That night Tord dreams of Unn, the beautiful woman, and of a drowned man. Sites like SparkNotes with a The Outlaws of Sherwood study guide or cliff notes. The second is the date of The Outlaws of Sherwood , Paperback Sir Richard stood up from behind his great desk and fumbled for his purse; and he pressed coins into Robin's hand and curled the young man's fingers around them as he turned him toward the door to the long hall that led down stairs and at last to the kitchens. I could hang it around my neck on a chain, perhaps, and let it stab me in the ribs when I tried to sit.". fiction fantasy historical young adult adventurous mysterious slow-paced. I admit, I struggled with finishing this one. Guy of Gisbourne, a mercenary hired by the Sheriff of Nottingham, attacks her thinking that she is Robin. And I still like it, but I think it had less of an impact than it had before. Robin serves as a king's forester in Sherwood forest and fletches arrows to The best knights did not care to display themselves at so mercantile an event as the Nottingham Fair, much to the sheriff's chagrin, for the sheriff was vain of his town and his place in it. The son was sent off to fight with King Richard in the Holy Lands, but Sir Richard will lose his castle. Robin McKinley, quote from The Outlaws of Sherwood. Plus, there's my personal reaction to a certain historical event (and contemporary parallels) that colours my response to the ending. It's unfortunate that many people still think that Marian should be shy, retreating, helpless. But when I picked it up again for the first time in a couple of decades to refamiliarize myself with it before writing this review, it was difficult not to get lost in the pages of this book. the worst archer of the Merry Men. Like the original Robin Hood tales, The Outlaws of Sherwood is an episodic type of novel, with a series of adventures and conflicts, and several twists on the original legends. WebYou know it is going to hurt quite a lot in a minute.. WebThe Outlaws of Sherwood. They might not like it when she proved to be a girl, but no one would notice in the crowd when the three of them signed up together, for she would be wearing boy's clothes, with her hair up under a hat; and after she won, Robin didn't think they'd deny her the prize. WebThe Outlaws of Sherwood. If youre interested in the Robin Hood legend, Atlas of a Lost World: An intriguing account of how people got to America, The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London. Good portrayal of the Saxon / Norman hostilities and the poor government of the day. As he leaves an archery contest, someone shoots at him and only just misses. Buy The Outlaws of Sherwood on Amazon.co.uk The sanguine held that, barring an unlucky pox or dropsy, the son would kill himself at one of his headlong games before such a fate came to be. Robin hears that Sir Richard of the Lea, who had been kind to Robin when he was a forester, is about to lose his property due to debts. After an 18-year-old Robin Hood accidentally kills a stranger to avenge his father, he runs off into the Sherwood Forest to begin life as an outlaw. David wanted to escape, instead he was plunged head first into a terrible conflict that would forge his destiny as the wielder of the Orb. Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them. The Outlaws of Sherwood Their conflicts, their challenges, their courage, complaints, and their fearsAnd all with Robin McKinleys usual deft and light touch. Please try again. From then on, Robin is on the run-but he is not alone. WebThe author retells the adventures of Robin Hood and his band of outlaws who live in Sherwood Forest in twelfth-century England. Buy The Outlaws of Sherwood on Amazon.com Robin sighed and dropped his bow. Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt. Please try your request again later. This book would be better if it were Marions tale because she is the best character. ), the resources below will generally offer The Outlaws of Sherwood chapter summaries, quotes, and analysis of themes, characters, and symbols. : Tadiana juggles her career, her family, and her love for reading, travel and art, only occasionally dropping balls. I love her writing. If you cherish the strapping, dashing, swashbuckling hero a la Errol Flynn, then this version is probably not for you. The romance between Marion and Robin never felt romantic. She lives with her husband and four children in a small town near the mountains in Utah. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. : Does Lagerlof want the reader to believe that Tord is destined to kill Berg in The Outlaws? She prefers complex characterization, intriguing plots, and plenty of action. Outlaws of Sherwood The Outlaws of Sherwood is a tale told with great pace, filled with risk, adventure, desperation, compassion, the many faces of courage and sacrifice. Tords mother is a witch who eats parts of human bodies that she finds in the sea. PublishersWeekly - The Outlaws of Sherwood. "The Outlaws - Summary" Comprehensive Guide to Short Stories, Critical Edition The Outlaws of Sherwood Summary 6 likes. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. The Outlaws of Sherwood . Do you? Evil Lords. Young Robin Longbow, subapprentice forester in the King's Forest of Nottingham, must contend with the dislike of the Chief Forester, who bullies Robin in memory of his popular father. Copyright 2007-2023 Fantasy Literature's Fantasy Book and Audiobook Reviews. Robin Hood The Outlaws of Sherwood Young Robin Longbow, subapprentice forester in the King's Forest of Nottingham, must contend with the dislike of the Chief Forester, who bullies Robin in memory of his popular father. But he is ambushed by a group of the Chief Foresters cronies, who challenge him to an archery contest and he accidentally kills one of them in self-defense. Boxid. The sheriff is furious that Sir Richard is hiding the outlaws, and both he and Sir Richard send word to King Richard the Lionheart, who has just returned from captivity in a German prison. It also features strongly Another outlaw, Tordaccused of stealing a fishing netescapes to the forest, where he and Berg share a cave. If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original After Berg learns that Tords father, not Tord himself, stole the fishing net, he begins to appreciate Tords services. While the men are lost in reverie, Unn, a beautiful young woman, rows pasther skin is white like water lilies, her eyes and hair are dark, and her skirt is blue with a wide red hem. Robin tells her he loves her and asks her to marry him. They also begin to rob the rich who pass through the forest to assist the local families. . One forester is accidentally killed. They seek out Wills friend Friar Tuck to perform the wedding ceremony and show up at the chapel on Marjories wedding day, where Marjorie marries Alan instead of the original groom, the disgruntled baron. There is an archery contest with a prize of a golden arrow; it is clearly a trap so Robin does not go. WebYou know it is going to hurt quite a lot in a minute.. Camera. (One scholar has suggested that Marian's character was softened as the suffragette movement gained strength and strong woman seemed more politically threatening.) It was old Nobble, who had worked with his father as a friend, who had had the duty to decide which of the younger men might have the day to go to the fair. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club thats right for you for free. She has a pretty and suitable English accent and does a good job with both female and male characters. The Outlaws Summary Forbidden Forests. The following day Berg tells him that Unn was the woman for whom he killed the monk. One keeps searching for ease, she did not say, and not finding it, till the memories of no-pain seem only like daydreams.. McKinley brings to the Robin Hood legend a robustly romantic view. Language: English. Marian wears a disguise and wins the contest. Robin had not told her or Much what his life had been like since his father died; and this was only too easy a decision to keep, as he had so little time to meet with them. Robin is outlawed is outlawed for his crimes. But the money was useful; as one of the youngest sub-apprentice foresters in the King's Forest of Nottingham, he barely earned coin enough to feed himselfin fact he didn't earn even that, and he was struggling as well to keep title to his father's small holding. The Wonderful Adventures of Nils The Further Adventures of Nils. One keeps searching for ease, she did not say, and not finding it, till the memories of no-pain seem only like daydreams.. Between all the rescuing and the heartbreak and the creation of new and ever more dangerous villains, its hard for Earths mightiest heroes to get [], McKinley brings to the Robin Hood legend a robustly romantic view. The Chief Forester himself might be there to laugh his great, rolling, harsh laugh, though usually at such events he disappeared into the tent set out for the refreshment of the sheriff and his men, and was little seen. But Robin does not want to leave Nottingham or lose the title to his fathers small tenancy, because he is in love with a young lady named Marian and keeps remembering that his mother too was gentry and married a common forester. You can filter by tag (e.g. When Robert came back late the next morning, he was wet through, and he took to his bed, and did not leave it again alive. It was a great pity, as everyone said, that such a good man (and forward-looking, said those who approved of his archery; if misguided, said those who did not) should have such a worthless son. Marian remains in her fathers castle but uses her position to secretly supply the band with food and other necessities and spy for them. Robin's friends Marian and Much convince him to become an outlaw. But he knew he would be able to sell them to Sir Richard of the Lea, his best customerand the kindest, though Robin tried not to think about that too much in the fear that he might realise he should not accept the kindness. Robin had learnt that it did no good to answer the taunting, and so he could hold his tongue; but he had yet to learn to ignore it, and as the angercompounded of his helplessness and inability simply not to listenbeat inside him, it would throw his shooting out. WebThe Outlaws of Sherwood Robin McKinley. Whites reincarnation of King Arthur, a novel that brings Robin Hood . The focus here is on the different personalities in the group and how they interact with each other. Maid Marion is a dream for our more feisty modern day women. Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations. But while the present Chief Forester remained, there was no chance of marriage for Robin, neither to a member of the gentry nor to the humblest village girl, who would never contemplate sleeping apart from her chickens were she so fortunate as to own any. "So? His often repeated slogan is that various things like philosophies "do not keep the rain out". He resettled his bow on his shoulder and gave another shake to his quiver, that it would hang straight, and not tease the back of his neck; he spent far too much of his daily life walking to be comfortable with an arrow-sack looped around his belt and banging against one leg in the common manner. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness. There were half a dozen of them together, and they sat and watched him so expectantly that he wondered if they had been waiting for him, and what they intended to do.