Madame, you are proper hoody, aren't you!
Why is Robin Hood so interesting to you? H

You find the best books--your reviews are always enticing. I would suspect anyone living the life of Robin Hood would have to be a bit of a hardcase. If you make your living stealing (regardless of how wealthy the victims), and aerating the local law enforcement with arrows, a bit of toughness is probably essential. The average joe with Robin's desire to help others would probably just join the Peace Corps or the Red Cross. The man had to have a big ego and a good amount of ruthlessness. Not the type to encourage uppity subordinates.

John Gotti was beloved by his neighbors (except the one he had killed). In fact, in parts of New York City, having a gangster neighbor was a big plus. Before my mom came to live with me, she lived on a street in Astoria that was also home to a minor league mafioso and everyone loved having him there...in a dicey neighborhood, they were immune to burglaries, the block was safe for kids, and my mom never worried about walking home from the bus stop at night...no mugger would show their face in the area. The neighbor wasn't someone she admired...and was undoubtedly a sociopath of the first order...but she and the rest of the folks on the block were very grateful for his presence. They conveniently forgot that the man probably dealt in drugs, preyed on honest businesses, trafficked in women, and any number of other things ranging from the unsavory to the horrific.

I grew up in Brooklyn on the same street as the Palumbo family, father and son mafiosi. They were much admired...they had a swimming pool and invited all the kids on the block to use it, sponsored block parties on major Italian and Polish (they know how to work the system) feast days, supported both St. Stanislaus and St. Anthony of Padua churches (the priests spent more time at the Palumbo house than at church), and proved helpful when small favors like bypassing waiting lists for membership in the Longshoreman and Teamster Unions. All the kids knew that Mr. Palumbo and Nono Palumbo were gangsters. We just didn't know that gangster was pejorative.

There is something undoubtedly appealing about the outlaw in any case...but when he provides some service to the community, it becomes the stuff of legends. I love this take on Goode Sir Robin and just plonked it into the cart! Thanks again, Jennifer!

Why am I interested in Robin Hood? Why not? When I was a child, there was a television series which depicted a very noble Robin Hood and his band of Merrie Men. I liked their heroic actions and adventurous spirts. I guess I still do. Alas, this Robin Hood is not such kind soul.

I thought Robin Hood was a girl for a long time...before I could read. This was based solely on the name and a rather ambiguous illustration on the home copy of the book. I was kind of disappointed to learn he was a boy. I mean the hat? The tights? It didn't add up.

F1, your response is as good as the one that I recommended to GB in his Wittgenstein madness review. As long as one can answer warum? by darum, one can also answer why? by why not?
Same thing, only it isn't. H

Great review!

Criminy, amici mieie, any "youth" who doesn't aspire to be Robin Hood has no heart! But then, any geezer who still thinks he could be Robin Hood has no brain.

Very interesting premise. It's great how immaginative writers can be.
Thanks for the review.
Mike

I think you and I may have seen the same TV program.

http://robinhoodtree.blogspot.com/2006/01/robin-hood-1950s-tv-series-richard_05.html

There are so many stories of Robin Hood at so many different times it is difficult to tell which is true.

Jennifer and Edwin...the Richard Greene "Adventures of Robin Hood" was the best version on any screen, big or little. The Sheriff was truly eeeeveeyilll, Friar Tuck was robustly Jolly, Little John was big and dumb, and Maid Marian lovely, vapid and utterly unable to keep out of the clutches of the Sheriff from one day to the next. There was a lot of swigging from tankards and wiping of mouths with the back of hands, lots of "After him, boys" running around in the woods, plenty of sword fights where Robin got to swing from chandeliers, much untying of the hapless Maid Marian. Richard Greene was kinda hunky and gorgeous in an odd, tights-wearing (probably with a rainbow flag embroidered somewhere) way.