The Outlaws of Sherwood

"The Outlaws of Sherwood" is a retelling of the legend of Robin Hood by Robin McKinley. published by Greenwillow Books in 1988 and Ace Fantasy in 1989. The story includes both the traditional Robin Hood characters--Little John, Friar Tuck, Allan-a-Dale, etc, and some of McKinley's own invention. Important elements, used by others in telling the story, are also used by McKinley--Robin Hood's first meeting with Little John, the archery contest in Nottingham, robbing the unjustly rich to help the poor--but she tells each of these in her own way. Much attention is paid to the motivations and thoughts of the characters. Three of the most important characters are women, and all of them escape marriage to prospective spouses chosen for economic or political reasons by their fathers. As might be expected when the subject matter is such a well loved and widely retold legend, it is not hard to find reviews that take issue with this particular approach. A cursory search will show, however, that it is widely viewed as an enjoyable and interesting retelling (see reviews in External Links).

McKinley adds an Afterword, describing the history of the tales of Robin Hood. She writes "the retellings through the centuries have echoed concurrent preoccupations."

External links

[http://www.amazon.com/dp/0441644511 Amazon.com (Ace Fantasy Edition)] with "look inside" showing first few pages) will get you a feel of the story, also reviews

[http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&client=safari&rls=en-us&q=the+outlaws+of+sherwood+%2B+review&btnG=Search|Links to many reviews]