Customer Reviews

In a Dark Wood

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

 

 

The YA imprint and miniscule dimensions of this book give it the appearance of being lightweight, but that would be a mistaken impression. It is adult, if not graphically so, and although it is short, it is packed with complexity of texture and character development.

I was afraid, upon approaching this book, that it would be no more complicated than a simple reversal of the Robin Hood legend; that the entire thrust of the book would be to prove that the sheriff was not so bad after all, a sort of politically correct effort to prove that "I'm OK, You're OK". In actual fact, while the sheriff is a sympathetic character by virtue of being the main character, he is a complex man, and the Robin Hood legend is merely a vehicle in order to explore that complexity. He is degenerate, yet in his degeneracy he is struggling to find meaning and purpose in his life. Although he is physically courageous, Geoffrey is uncomfortable in the wild wood, and is most at home within the walls of his keep.

Robin Hood and his outlaws are made of darker stuff than in other versions of the legends: they are mutilated, wretched, desperate. Yet for this very reason, Robin Hood's spirit shines even brighter through the grime. Rather than being a character of equal complexity to the sheriff, he is symbolic of all that the sheriff fears: everything that is wild, unpredictable, beyond his control. The dark wood is the darkness within Geoffrey himself, and by braving its depths he makes unexpected discoveries that change his life.

The prose is rich in metaphor and the medieval setting beautifully rendered. Cadnum most conspicuously draws on Chaucer to bring the setting to life, but at the same time makes it his own. The characters are each in their own way vivid and realistic, in particular Hugh and the Geoffrey's wife. This book is probably not as popular as other Robin Hood retellings because it does not glitter with heroism and pageantry, but it is by far more complex and adult than most retellings, which more than compensates for its superifical lack of lustre.

IN A DARK WOOD by Michael Cadnum is a compelling novel which quickly enticed me "behind the scenes" into the gritty reality of 12th century feudal England. I enjoyed the skillful writing which vividly conveyed the sights, sounds and smells of the middle ages. The author's approach to the well-known legend of Robin Hood is especially satisfying because he presents a new perspective without diminishing that rebel's age-old mystique. The complex central character, Geoffrey, the Sheriff of Nottinham, is intriguing, especially in terms of his relationship with the silent, mocking Fool. Cadnum wisely choses to balance Geoffrey with the young Squire Hugh and to allow each to undergo his own maturing adventures in Sherwood Forest. Minor characters -- three females included -- also are interesting and believable, except perhaps for the executioner. In short, if you want a fine escape, this book offers the best kind of time-travel available for the most reasonable price. I'm eagerly waiting to see what Cadnum does next.

This is not your typical Robin Hood tale. There are no merry, carefree outlaws, triumphantly fooling a remarkably stupid and greedy Sheriff of Nottingham; nor is there a clear division between good and evil.

No. What In a Dark Wood has are subtleties, textures, shades. It explores in depth the characters of the traditional legend, reducing both hero and villain from their overblown stereotypes to what they would have been: men. Through an untraditional perspective on the tale-- Geoffrey's, the Sheriff of Nottingham-- Cadnum makes real a story that has often seemed bombastic and hopelessly romanticized.

In a Dark Wood is chiefly an exploration of the Sheriff's relationships with those around him: his unloving wife, his impudent fool, his squire, the woods around him, the highwayman Robin Hood, and most importantly, himself. These are crafted with great care and delicacy, and though some of the traditional adventures of the myth are present, they are not there for heroism, but rather as a means of slowly improving the Sheriff's understanding and tolerance. Robin Hood appears infrequently, but his importance in changing the Sheriff is shown throughout the novel. He is mostly important in relation to the Sheriff, rather than as an archer or a noble thief. This is truly Geoffrey's story.

The language is marvelous. The metaphors and similes are done so well that they allow the reader to visualize every vibrant image, and yet are never superfluous or flowery. While Cadnum does not skirt around the brutality of medieval life, the complete picture he creates of it gives it an undeniable vitality and resonance, which has its own peculiar type of beauty. The details of daily life in a medieval society are plentiful, but manage to fully recreate its conditions without weighing down the book in unnecessary and awkward historical insertions.

In a Dark Wood is similar to other novels in some ways-- in its sympathetic treatment of a traditional villain, it is a little like Donna Jo Napoli's fairy tale retellings; in its well-crafted medieval setting, a little like John Morressy's The Juggler; in its willingness to look at both beauty and ugliness in a world, a little like Cynthia Voigt's Kingdom series. Though those who liked these books will probably also enjoy In a Dark Wood, it remains unique altogether, both as a Robin Hood retelling and as a novel. It is unforgettable, and I only regret that it is so little known.

This rich and complex story tells the story of Robin Hood, from the viewpoint of Geoffrey, the Sheriff of Nottingham. Geoffrey himself is a complex man. He is a product of his time, taught to reverence God and yet use horrifying violence when necessary. But he feels himself torn; he cannot measure up to the level of purity that his religion demands, and too softhearted to mete out the cruelty that his duty requires. And when that laughing rogue, Robin Hood, wanders into his jurisdiction, Geoffrey finds the thick and comfortable shell that he has built around himself begin to crack.

This story is entertaining in a very sophisticated way. The world that the author builds is believable and quite fascinating. I enjoyed that the author made believable characters that seem to have hoped right out of history, rather than modern Americans walking around in medieval England. I also enjoyed watching the characters evolve and change (often painfully) as their world changed around them. Though marked as a teen book, I highly recommend it to readers old and young alike!

I don't know why this would be classified as Young Adult, except for the fact that it deals with the Robin Hood legend, and the fact that the author often writes YA books. Primarily it tells the story of the Sheriff of Nottingham and his household, and the ways in which they change by interacting with Robin Hood. The historical detail is impeccable, the characters very complex and completely in keeping with their time, and the relationships fascinating. Enjoy it for the beautiful prose and character development. A sophisticated gem of a book that deserves much wider readership. I'm going to look for more by this author, including his modern YA books.

A somewhat philosophical novel giving the sheriff's viewpoint of Robin Hood. It gives a realistic picture of the era, when torture was routine and common people could be abused with little recourse (the Magna Carta dealt with nobels' rights).

King John orders the sheriff to deal with Robin Hood, whom the sheriff had been ignoring as a petty nuisance. The sheriff has other problems closer to home than the king's highway, including his personal love life, wandering pigs, local thieves, and tax collections. The sheriff's encounter with Robin Hood causes him to get religion. There is no Maid Marian in this novel - in fact Robin Hood's band tends to be unattractive, grubby social outcasts.

The novel digresses into detailed descriptions of torture. That type of sidelight gives the novel, at best, a PG-13 rating.

Now I know why all the books are about Robin Hood, instead of the Sheriff of Nottingham.

To be honest, I was disappointed in this book. The two things I liked best about it were the title and the original idea: the Robin Hood legend from the Sheriff of Nottingham's view point. It sounded so very promising. But the plot turned out to be very thin.

The characterisation and the descriptions were very good, however, hence the two stars instead of one. The author very vividly paints his characters and their grim medieval lives (in the sheriff's case I would even say `depressing').

Geoffrey, the Sheriff of Nottingham, is a womaniser and loves beautiful clothes. He broods a lot about several things among which his profession. Because he loves being an administrator, especially the accountant's side of it, but hates to fight. If it wasn't for his preference for torture, he could even be called likeable. He is trapped in a loveless marriage to an adulterous wife with a sharp tongue, who may have become like this due to his playing the field with servant women and an abbess. Hugh, Geoffrey's squire, is a sympathetic young boy, who longs desperately for a word of praise from his lord. They are like a son and father, with - like so many others - a problem with communicating their affection. This is the plot of the first hundred pages. Oh, I'm sorry I forgot to mention one small event: a messenger from the king arrives, telling Geoffrey that the king demands the capture of a certain highwayman, not a ruthless killer, but a prankster who raises toll and calls himself Robin Hood.

Reluctantly, Geoffrey takes up this task. After his steward has reported the failure of a few attempts, (and we are halfway through the book now) Geoffrey organises an archery contest to lure this Robin Hood into a trap. The contest, however, is won by Thurstin, the miller's son, a boor with whom Hugh is on bad terms.

Now, things seem to get moving, at last. We have come to some of the well-known Robin Hood stories like Robin disguised as a potter, dining with the sheriff and his wife, (and taking the opportunity to beat Thurstin at a game of archery, after all), Robin treating the sheriff on a Sherwood feast. But really the most (and only) exciting part is when poor, misguided Hugh is taken captive by Robin's gang (page 209). As the sheriff and the reader fear, Hugh's life may be in danger, because he is set upon killing Robin, and although Robin would certainly not harm him, his men might.

As I said, the characters are believable. I liked the sheriff's wife and I liked Hugh. As for the sheriff himself, I really felt sorry for him at times, but that's where it ends basically. He just isn't the most interesting of characters. So very unlike, for instance, the Sheriff of Nottingham, as presented by Parke Godwin in his splendid novel "Sherwood" and its sequel "Robin and the King". Now, there is a sheriff I like. Although he is not the main character of these books, he is strong, attractive, and at times even sympathetic (except when he is upholding the harsh Norman law). Actually, he ends up as Robin's opponent only because Robin `chooses' a life outside the law. Well, maybe the fact that they love the same woman has something to do with it, as well. But that, of course, is another book...

This rich and complex story tells the story of Robin Hood, from the viewpoint of Geoffrey, the Sheriff of Nottingham. Geoffrey himself is a complex man. He is a product of his time, taught to reverence God and yet use horrifying violence when necessary. But he feels himself torn; he cannot measure up to the level of purity that his religion demands, and too softhearted to mete out the cruelty that his duty requires. And when that laughing rogue, Robin Hood, wanders into his jurisdiction, Geoffrey finds the thick and comfortable shell that he has built around himself begin to crack.

This story is entertaining in a very sophisticated way. The world that the author builds is believable and quite fascinating. I enjoyed that the author made believable characters that seem to have hoped right out of history, rather than modern Americans walking around in medieval England. I also enjoyed watching the characters evolve and change (often painfully) as their world changed around them. Though marked as a teen book, I highly recommend it to readers old and young alike!

A Review by Steffi

In a Dark Wood is a version of the story of Robin Hood. Only this interpretation has a twist; it¹s in the Sheriff of Nottingham¹s perspective. In this book you get to know more about the sheriff's (known as Geoffrey) story and what conflicts he faces. He is portrayed as a cold man not wanting to feel emotion, but the reader learns that he has a hidden heart, rarely exposed. A particular example of this is he can¹t express how he looks upon his squire, Hugh, as a son. Also in this book you see the impossible attempts Geoffrey makes to catch Robin Hood, who never fails to outwit the sheriff. It is the classic chase of Robin Hood, only through the sheriff's eyes.

One thing I liked about this book is its interesting approach to the tale of Robin Hood. Who would have thought to take a look in the ³bad guy¹s² point of view. It makes you realize that just because someone is cold doesn¹t mean they don¹t have feelings. In Geoffrey¹s case, his job forces him to do cruel things, such as punishing people who can¹t pay their taxes. Another thing I liked about this book is the poetic words and phrasing Cadnum used. Similes such as ³like a petal floating on dark water² were used throughout the whole book, which made it a really beautiful thing to read. One thing I didn¹t like, however, was the lack of Robin Hood. He obviously played a big part in the plot, but it wasn¹t enough for me, being a Robin Hood fan. Maybe if Cadnum would have done both perspectives of Geoffrey and Robin I would have enjoyed it more. I would have also loved to know more about Robin and Maid Marian¹s romance because that is an aspect of the Robin Hood story that really appeals to me. There was no mentioning this love in this book.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the tale of Robin Hood. It really is an interesting story to read, like a hidden background to the original story. This interesting and poetic adaptation is surely worthwhile for anyone to read.