The Black Arrow

A rattling tale. Swashes are not buckled because (i) that would be anachronistic, and (ii) of all wars, civil wars are possibly the most cruel and backstabby, although the gentle folk behave chivalrously and courteously when they can, and everyone else survives the best they can. I don't know how accurate the dialogue is, but the author uses now-obsolete words and meanings cheerfully and unapologetically (churl, gossip, incontenent, links, murrain, murrey, rood and shent come to mind). All in all I enjoyed it. The only sour note is that the author has drunk too deep of Tudor propaganda (=US 'Kool Aid'? and one of the foundation stones of the later British imperial project), and can't mention 'Richard Crookback' (Richard, duke of show more Gloucester) without gently pushing the line that a (probably non-existent) outer physical defect reflects an inner character defect, such as "the lad, who was afterwards to be handed down to the execration of posterity under the name of Richard III., had won his first considerable fight". show less

This is a rowdy boy's adventure story set during the Wars of the Roses between the Yorkists and the Lancastrians in England. (My 15 year old had never heard of the War of the Roses, so I'm offering a little explanation here.) Dick Shelton is an orphan who is being fostered by a tough warrior type. Then he finds out that a band of outlaws has targeted his benefactor and others as being responsible for the deaths of many people, including Dick's father.

So who can Dick trust? Practically no one, it seems. That part is kind of dark. But there's a romance too, and plenty of fight scenes thrown in for no apparent reason whenever the story slows down. Don't look for a lot of plot continuity in here. There isn't much. But there are plenty of show more sword fights, being captured and then daring escapes, a guy disguised as a leper, and lots more. I got kind of tired of it, really. Too much going on. I was glad to be at the part with Richard of Gloucester, the Crookback, who became King Richard III. But he doesn't show up until the end of the book.

I would recommend this if you like adventure type stories and if you don't mind loosely plotted book. Or if you want to see what kid's books were like once upon a time. For the modern reader, I think it's a little tougher going. show less

Brilliant! Stevenson's superb use of language would have been enough to keep me turning the pages, but there is so much more. A rousing adventure story, a believable, well wrought world and characters, and a view of war not as good against evil but as something infinitely more complex. Dick Shelton is neither hero nor buffoon, but a young human being in challenging circumstances who succeeds, fails, and learns lessons about war and consequences that never border on preaching. I am so glad I finally discovered this book--so many lesser lights pale in memory! (Actually, a lot of them were pretty pale to begin with.)

The Black Arrow is a fairly typical swashbuckling tale of knights, battles and courtly love. The romantic love interest was a bit on the silly side, but other than that, an enjoyable read.

Очень занятный фанфик Стивенсона по Шекспиру. Я благодаря этому роману впервые познакомился с тематикой войны Алой и Белой роз. Само приключение несколько менее интересно, чем тот же "Остров сокровищ", а романтическая линия довольно наивная. Но я даже выписал кое-какие интересные мысли по поводу морали.

Another wonderful tale by the British author R.L. Stevenson who excelled in producing historical novels like Kidnapped. In this work, he weaves the tale of a Richard Shelton & his quest for justice during the time of the Wars of the Roses. In the midst of this tale, a black arrow strikes its intended victims released by another whose quest for revenge gets Shelton into trouble. All in all, a tale with twists & turns keeps one awake wondering who done it & will Shelton get his girl?

Picked this up while on holiday and running short on reading material.
The story is set during the Wars of the Roses and details the struggles of a young man against his cruel foster-father and to find his place in the world.
It's about what you'd expect from an adventure story. The language was very archaic in line with the setting - I only knew what "salet" meant thanks to Wordle!
The main character seemed quite naive and as I neared the end of the book I did feel that he was just going with the flow and not considering the consequences of his actions - just as I began to feel that way, I reached the one scene where he does get confronted with how his actions have ruined someone's life.
He still gets of pretty scot free in the end, gets show more the girl and all that. Not that I ever doubted he would. It's a fun book for what it is, and a pleasant way to spend a sunny holiday afternoon. show less