The Robin Hood legend is turned on end in this lively and daring "corrective tale" of the oft-maligned Sheriff of Nottingham. Myth is overturned with this historically-based account of the poor, French-born Philip Mark. Appointed to the post of Sheriff, he is portrayed as a man of honesty and fair-mindedness--traits the corrupt Nottingham had never seen.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
This earthy, richly textured tale by a NBA finalist inverts the Robin Hood legend, focusing instead on the customary villain--here identified with an actual 13th-century figure who is torn between duty and conscience in rooting out corruption.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Kluger's revisionist novel portrays the infamous Sheriff of Nottingham of Robin Hood fame as a scrupulously upright man fighting to retain his integrity in a vicious world, and his loyalty to a king whose cruelty and capricious temperament are legendary. Employing a wealth of historical detail that informs and intrigues without overwhelming, the author brings to life a wide variety of complex characters; readers will react with moral ambivalence and sympathy to even the worst of them. Kluger's novel is a detailed, evocative portrait of the age of corruption and conflicting loyalties that produced the Magna Carta. Highly recommended.
- Cynthia Johnson Whealler, Cary Memorial Lib., Lexington, Mass.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
- Cynthia Johnson Whealler, Cary Memorial Lib., Lexington, Mass.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
decidedly NOT a Robin Hood novel,
This review is from: The Sheriff of Nottingham (Mass Market Paperback)
Richly textured, deliciously word-profuse, this novel is the perfect antidote to the depressing suspicion that sometimes descends on readers of historical fiction: that not much good stuff is still being written. This is a fantastic, powerful and graceful book, with scenes and characters so stark and beautifully drawn that they'll stick with you long after you've forgotten the specifics of the plot. All of which sounds easy, I know, I know - but if you knew how much stuff I hate, you'd be reaching for your credit card even as we speak! I hugely recommend this book as an example of the very best that historical fiction can be.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Good history, poor novel,
By
This review is from: The Sheriff of Nottingham (Mass Market Paperback)
As other readers have mentioned, Kluger has done a fine job revisiting a challenging historical era. He draws from all social levels to bring Nottingham and Thirteenth Century England to life. If you enjoy reading about this time period, you will appreciate this novel.
However, the plot itself never really finds its balance. The Sheriff himself is a fine role model, but lacks character growth and development; although the reader might cheer for him as a pillar of moral fortitude in a tumultuous time, there is no success or finale for him to achieve by the end. If anything, his success is that he kept himself alive and in office for so long against such odds. This is very rewarding in a real-life sense, but in the novel it gives a feel of aimlessness. Therefore the book takes on an episodic style. Various problems occur, the sheriff is offered the low road, chooses the high road, and moves to the next dilemma. It is hard to push through and see what happens next, and the reader will never be quite satisfied with how it turns out. Bottom line: Sherriff of Nottingham provides a sweeping picture of the England of Magna Carta, but fails to find a central character worth enjoying when placed on the scene.
4.0 out of 5 stars
the sheriff of nottingham,
By jbarr (RI) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Sheriff of Nottingham (Mass Market Paperback)
the sheriff of nottingham by richard kluger
1208 England has sheriffs in the towns to keep peace. love era, the costumes, legends, things people stood up for, castles, taming of the big birds Never realized how much religion and how much politics played a huge part of all this. I rate this a 4, because it was very long and took me forever to finish it. Really liked the era and all that entails, quite a tale.
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