Classically wonderful
Pros:
archaic language, action, and adventure! a classic
Cons:
archaic language [for some]
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
Finally! a classic worth reading!!
The acclaimed author Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Black Arrow in 1888. It was written in not the language of his time, but the language of the setting he wished to portray. For me, this is a definate plus, because I love archaic language, and am forever seeking to learn better how to use it in my own writing; however, for some this will be a real stumbling block. I personally do not think it to be as difficult to read as Canterbury Tales [written in Middle English] or any of Shakespeare's works, but I think some might disagree. So, this forces me to not recommend this book to youngsters, but only to a more mature audience, who either has the patience to puzzle through a rather stilted language or already understands old language well and has no trouble with it.
Other than that, its really a great story! Its a historical adventure full of thieves, knaves, maidens, lords, priests, and sailors. A young lad named Dick [Richard, but Dick for short] is forced to run from his father's murderer and unwittingly aid in the escape of his future love from that self-same man. He gets into quite a lot of tangles and even ends up with a group of cutthroats, leading them in some cases.
Great for lovers of history, fantasy, adventure, or coming-of-age stories. And reading works by authors such as Stevenson is also a good way to go up in people's esteem ["Its time you stated reading something other than those trashy fantasy paperbacks!" "OK, _____, how about this"].
