If you're looking for a good literary adaptation of Robin Hood (and, really, they're all adaptations since Robin Hood figures only in random fragments of remembered story and ballad), then look no further. Even though almost half of this volume is what we could consider prologue to the "real" story of Robin Hood, it goes at an amazing clip, with action and adventure at almost every turn of a page.

I was extremely impressed by how the women characters were represented, especially since this was published in 1917. Make no mistake, Robin and his men are still definitely at the fore here; but the women, headed of course by Marian, are strong and courageous and often fighting right alongside the boys. They most assuredly are not the demure damsels-in-distress we've come to expect from this story. Creswick even creates an imposing major villainess out of what is usually a minor character in the legends. All of these things make the read very worthwhile from a contemporary standpoint.

I don't even need to say anything about the gorgeous paintings of N.C. Wyeth that illustrate the book. They're world-famous and rightly-so. and were the main reason I picked up this version to read. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that they accompany a dark, rousing and moving adaptation of the legend.

I admit I did shed a tear when, at the end, Robin shoots his last arrow on his deathbed and Creswick decries that Robin is not dead but lives on within the English spirit. Every other literary version of this tale I go on to read will have much to live up to. ( )

This book tells the story of Robin Hood's life from childhood to his death. His uncle invites Robin to live with him and be his heir, but Robin is unwilling to give up his father's name. After his father dies, Robin returns home to provide for his mother. His feud with the Sheriff of Nottingham begins around this time, and after his mother dies, Robin begins living in the woods where he and his merry men take from the rich and help the poor.

I found this version of the Robin Hood story to be a bit boring because it took nearly half of the book to get to the point where Robin became an outlaw. On the plus side, it varied significantly from the other Robin Hood legends I've read, and it was nice to see a different take on the story. ( )

This classic re-telling of the legend of Robin Hood, is definitely a classic in my library! It’s got adventure, romance, and mystery…something for everyone. Robin of Locksley joins an outlaw gang and becomes dedicated to helping the poor, since Prince John only cares about making himself richer. I thought the writing was descriptive and exciting. The scenes where Robin is in a disguise are very well done. I enjoyed reading about the merry men, and the fighting scenes. It’s a magical story that completely takes you back to that time and place. Though it has been been described as being “Carefully abridged for younger readers”, I think adults will also be intrigued by this legendary hero tale. The illustrations throughout are also very wonderful. A classic! ( )

Paul Creswick's 1917 version of the ballads of Robin Hood is written in the novelistic tradition pioneered by Howard Pyle in his 1883 version, including a fictitious "old English" idiom, a heroic Robin and storyline for children - the modern Robin Hood most of us associate. Creswick's version, sort of the first generation after Pyle, has a tighter plot, a better origins story and includes more adventures than Pyle. The writing though can be strict and little bland at times compared to Pyle who is more colorful and new. Creswick at times put me to sleep but then things picked back up again on and off. Unlike Pyle, Creswick was writing during the age of film and some of the scenes have a distinct silent movie feel to them (one of the earliest films ever made was Robin Hood in 1907). Creswick's long downfall of Robin, when nothing could get worse but does, is well done - the explanation of his turn to crime has some emotional depth, and elements of King Arthur's legend.

It struck me while reading this that the theme of Robin Hood is "identity" - even the name "Hood" is derived from Robin's hood which hides his true identity. Almost every episode involves one character or another changing identity as the central plot device. Why is this? Well, prior to the democratization of society in the 18th and 19th centuries, who you were was everything - what you wore born into, and the clothes you wore, determined your station in life - your merit or skills or actions were secondary, class mobility was limited and your life was mostly pre-determined. As the nobility might say "Being things is ratha bettha than doing things." Thus it was a fantasy of the lesser born to break from the restrictions of social bonds and be judged fairly on skill and ability, as Robin does of his Merry Men in encounters of strength. Robin Hood took from the rich and gave to the poor, a form of socialism - it is no accident that the legend of Robin Hood was so popular in the 19th century when the Middle Class rose to dominance and Socialism became popular.

--Review by Stephen Balbach, via CoolReading (c) 2008 cc-by-nd ( )

An extremely enjoyable version of the tale, complete with the beautiful Wyeth illustrations. ( )