Oo-de-lally

Book #32 Outlaw by Angus Donald.


When I was three years old, my absolute, hands-down favourite movie was the Disney version of Robin Hood. I was obsessed with it. There were no DVDs or VCRs back then, but I had the storybooks, and any and all toys associated with that movie that my parents could find me. And of course, a toy bow and arrow.

That obsession grew to an overall in Robin Hood as a legend for awhile, but strangely, as a teenager, my obsession with larger-than-life English legends who were based on a real person but completely embelleshed upon switched to King Arthur and my childhood love of Robin Hood was mainly forgotten. I have nearly an entire bookcase full of books on King Arthur, whereas the only Robin Hood book I own is a taped together, scribbled on adaptation of the Disney movie I got when I was four.
So yes, Outlaw is about Robin Hood. It's told from the POV of Alan Dale (who was the awesome rooster in the Disney version, voiced by Roger Miller) and it's... ok. It definitely tries to give a Bernard Cornwell feeling reality to the legend. I mean, Robin is definitely shown to be a legend and a leader and all that, but he's also not unrealistic. Of course, the problem with reading this tale told by a member of his band (and Alan here is young and only recently joined), Robin is definitely a secondary character. Which I guess is ok since we are supposed to just see Alan's indoctrination into Robin's Merry Band.

The timeline here is different than the one I remember from the Disney version, or even from that awful Ridley Scott/Russell Crow version of Robin Hood from a few years ago (saw a free screening of it and still wanted my money back). Here, Robin is outlawing during the reign of Henry II, and towards the end of the book, Richard ascends the throne. I find this interesting, as usually the given reasoning behind Robin's robbing the rich to give to the poor is due to the oppressive taxation carried out by Richard's regent and brother, Prince John (y'know, the guy who screwed the pooch so badly when it comes to being king that his nobles come up with the Magna Carta and force him to sign it). So I admit, this threw me a little.

The characters are all fine, if a little... dull. No one really stands out. And I even got tired of the meticulously detailed battle scenes by the end. (also rather reminiscent of Bernard Cornwell). But there are a number of nice touches here and there, and he does capture how shitty it was to be a peasant back then, and how there weren't many opportunities to escape being destitute. His attempts at intrigue are a little transparent though.
  There is a sequel, which is basically Robin goes to the Crusades! but not sure I want to continue on or not...