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A review by dotorsojak
The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson
3.0
Edition I read: Stevenson, R. L. THE BLACK ARROW: A Tale of the Two Roses. Ill. by Lionel Edwards. The Children's Illustrated Classics. London: J. M. Dent & Sons, 1957. I read this long, long ago when I was a child and knew nothing of the War of the Roses or Richard III or Middle English. Okay, granted the book is not written in Middle English, but it is written in a peculiar, archaic lingo. The characters speak in an English that never was. Here is an example:
'And ye think I would be guardian to the man's son that I had murdered?' he asked.
"Nay,' said Dick, 'pardon me if I answer churlishly; but indeed ye know right well a wardship is most profitable. All these years have ye not enjoyed my revenues, and led my men? Have ye not still my marriage? I wot not what it may be worth--it is worth something' (93).
I know I was confused by this book when I read it at age 11 or 12, and even still it is not the easiest thing to follow, especially at the beginning when there are many references to characters and to the ongoing civil wars. Still, overall I liked it. There appears to be a slight anti-war, anti-violence theme, and for sure definite digs are made against political ambition and avarice, and the suggestion is that the two are related.
The love story is pretty standard. Joan does not appear very often in the novel. She shows a bit of courage at the beginning, but she also cowers on occasion. There is also the obligatory escape scene where Dick jumps out a window, but Joan stays behind and is captured. Rather reminds me of the absurd scene in THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS where Hawkeye abandons Cora.
The novel is episodic and not tightly constructed. Characters are introduced never to reappear--or if they do reappear it is to perform some plot necessity and then exit stage left. It's not a great book, but for an adult it passes a few hours pleasantly. It's a 19th century YA book, I guess, but the vocabulary would be challenging for any 17 year old I know. 2.75 stars in fact
'And ye think I would be guardian to the man's son that I had murdered?' he asked.
"Nay,' said Dick, 'pardon me if I answer churlishly; but indeed ye know right well a wardship is most profitable. All these years have ye not enjoyed my revenues, and led my men? Have ye not still my marriage? I wot not what it may be worth--it is worth something' (93).
I know I was confused by this book when I read it at age 11 or 12, and even still it is not the easiest thing to follow, especially at the beginning when there are many references to characters and to the ongoing civil wars. Still, overall I liked it. There appears to be a slight anti-war, anti-violence theme, and for sure definite digs are made against political ambition and avarice, and the suggestion is that the two are related.
The love story is pretty standard. Joan does not appear very often in the novel. She shows a bit of courage at the beginning, but she also cowers on occasion. There is also the obligatory escape scene where Dick jumps out a window, but Joan stays behind and is captured. Rather reminds me of the absurd scene in THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS where Hawkeye abandons Cora.
The novel is episodic and not tightly constructed. Characters are introduced never to reappear--or if they do reappear it is to perform some plot necessity and then exit stage left. It's not a great book, but for an adult it passes a few hours pleasantly. It's a 19th century YA book, I guess, but the vocabulary would be challenging for any 17 year old I know. 2.75 stars in fact