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The Adventures of Robin Hood (Puffin Classics)

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Roger Lancelyn Green is nowhere near as famous as the likes of J.R.R. Tolkien or C.S. Lewis, but during his lifetime he was counted among them as part of the Inklings Club, a group of writers at Oxford University who read and critiqued each other's work. From this club came The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, but also Green's own work: retellings of Norse, Egyptian and Green myths, the legends of King Arthur, and this: a collection of folktales surrounding the renowned figure of Robin Hood.

As with King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, Green's claim to fame is being the first writer to not only collect the disparate stories and ballads of Robin Hood and organize them in a singular narrative, but to write them in such a way that they are accessible to children. Beginning with the courtship of Robin's parents, and ending with his death at the hands of a treacherous prioress, the story covers almost every possible aspect of the Robin Hood mythos: the adventure, the romance, the tragedy and the character's enduring legacy. Every Robin Hood adaptation that followed, whether book or film, probably owes a little to Green's compilation.

Unlike his quest to unite the King Arthur mythos into a structured novel (which was a near-impossible venture given the sheer amount of material), Green has an easier time in collecting sources for Robin Hood. The narrative is made up of stories derived from folk-plays, romances and poems (from ballads to doggerels) which were printed in their entirety at the end of the eighteenth century by Joseph Ritson, and later literary appearances from the likes of Alfred Tennyson, Walter Scott and Thomas Peacock. In his introduction Green explains how he pieced together characters, storylines and dialogue from these various sources into a coherent whole, giving the book the impression of a patchwork scarf that has been carefully stitched together.

For the most part, Green is successful in his endeavor. All of Robin's most famous adventures are here: the archery tournament, the bridge fight with Little John, the wedding of Allin-a-Dale, the dunking of Friar Tuck, and the last arrow, as well as more nebulous events, such as stealing from the rich to give to the poor, rescuing innocent people from hanging, the dangers of poaching, the existence of a traitor amongst the outlaws, and the return of King Richard in disguise. All of these adventures turn up in Robin Hood stories in one form or another, the only thing that changes are the details. And of course, ever present is Robin's immortal romance with Maid Marian, who in this retelling (first published in 1956) has more spunk, courage, and fighting prowess than oh-so-many of her later incarnations.

There are also a couple of tales that were completely unfamiliar to me, such as the Witch of Paplewick and the story of Robin's parents' courtship and his birth in Sherwood Forest. Other aspects of the legends are given a bit of a twist, such as Robert of Huntington taking the name "Robin Hood" as an alias long before he becomes an outlaw, Robin and Marian's (early) wedding being interrupted, and Will Scarlet being portrayed as significantly older as he usually is in later adaptations. On the negative end of the scale, Robin's adventures in Scarborough seem shoehorned in at the last moment, and Green's clumsy insertion of Walter Scott's Ivanhoe was probably a mistake (he's little more than a pointless, and thus confusing, cameo).

Though there is no real chronological order to these tales, instead making up a series of episodes in Robin's life, we also get some background development in the burgeoning romance between Robin and Marian, and in the court intrigue concerning King Richard's crusade and subsequent kidnapping in Austria.

Whereas Green's retelling of the King Arthur legends is structured around the theme of good versus evil, with plenty of Christian motifs and symbolism, the Robin Hood tales are more humanist in nature, in which evil is not some supernatural force, but corrupt governmental officials. Robin doesn't fight black magic or dragons, but the mundane evils of greed and injustice, and does so by putting his personal convictions above that which the law orders him to do. In hindsight, it does seem rather strange that Western culture has turned a thief into a hero, but for many young readers, Robin Hood is their first look into a world made up of shades of grey, in which a person's understanding of right and wrong can transcend the rules that govern society. Whether you enjoy Robin's anarchic spirit of "sticking it to the man," or find a deeper resonance in the way he defies the law in order to follow his own principles, there's a reason that he's lasted as long as he has as a folk-hero.

The latest Puffin publication is stuffed full of extras, including an introduction by John Boyne, a short biography on Roger Lancelyn Green, character profiles, suggestions on further activities, and a glossary on the medieval terminology used throughout the text. As a final touch, each chapter is fronted by a quote from one of Green's sources, which gives the book as a whole a richer tone. As anthologies of Robin Hood's adventures go, Green's is definitely one of the most definitive versions (if not *the* definitive version).

My 8 yr old son and I recently finished reading this book aloud to one another, and I must say it was hard for either of us to put it down! It is very well-written and seemed to accurately portray the events that were occurring in history at that time and place. I had considered the Pyle version when I purchased this, but I am very happy with our purchase and I will for sure re-read this with my other boys when they are between 7-10 yrs old.

What would you do if you were called an outlaw by Prince John of England? Would you go ran away and become the leader of the outlaws? Well, that's what Robert of Locksley, or better known as Robin Hood, in the historical adventure novel The Adventures of Robin Hood, by Roger Lancelyn Green, did.

In the time of King Richard, a legend was born. Robert of Locksley was about to be married to the lovely, Marian Fitzwalter but, a man by the name of Sir Guy of Gisborne came with a warrant for his arrest, for stealing from Prince John. Robin stole from Prince John and gave it back to the poor. At this time and for the rest of his life he would be known as Robin Hood, the outlaw. Robin became a savior from the Sheriff to the people of Locksley and a legend. Along the way Robin meets many people including, Little John, who isn't quite that little, and Friar Tuck. He also met Will Scarlet, who becomes Robin's right-hand man, and his enemies Sir Guy of Gisborne and the Sheriff of Nottingham.

This book, as a single story, is full with the legend born in Sherwood Forest and with the story of how Robin helped others with this band of merry men. The author was detailed in the description of characters and settings. Roger Lancelyn Green loved to tell stories especially about legends and myths. He started to write the stories of Robin Hood showing his writing in many variations both old and new English. I recommend this book to readers who love to read about old legends and about adventurous stories. This book is meant for you, including those who love to read literature that is from the 1900's.

With the Tea Party in the USA agitating for less government, the story of Robin Hood is even more relevant today than it ever was. Just like the Tea Party, Robin Hood vanquished corrupt, supposed law keepers, and helped people of upstanding character to keep their homes and possessions from ravaging Big Government, who taxes us to oblivion. Along with Tales from King Arthur, Robin Hood illustrates why the British mind-set, before all others, set the tone for a legal and government system that protects the rights of the individual over an oppressive government. King Arthur's knights protect and defend ladies in distress and other helpless victims. Robin Hood continues in this strain. He protects and defends anyone who is oppressed by an institutionalized system led by a corrupt individual, and he has fun doing it. Our country, the United States of America, as it was conceived by our founding fathers, owes a great deal to the enduring legacy of Robin Hood. Roger Lancelyn Green's rendition is complete and very readable, as are all his retellings of classic stories.