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Parke Godwin

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Sherwood Paperback – January 1, 1992

by Parke Godwin (Author)

4.4 39 ratings

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Forced from his home by Norman invaders, young Edward Aelredson, Thane of Denby, takes refuge in the forest Sherwood, where, with sword and bow, he bedevils the usurping king and comes to be called "Robin Hood." Reprint.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Avon Books (January 1, 1992)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 529 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0380709953
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0380709953
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.25 x 1.25 x 6.75 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #204,837 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #30,502 in Fantasy (Books)

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4.4 39 ratings

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Parke Godwin

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Parke Godwin (1929–2013) was a bestselling historical fantasy and science fiction author. Before becoming a professional writer he was a military intelligence radio operator during the Korean War, a research technician, a stage actor, an advertising man, and a maitre d' hotel.

His classic three-part retelling of the King Arthur legend (FIRELORD, BELOVED EXILE, and THE LOVERS: THE LEGEND OF TRISTAN AND YSEULT) is set in the 5th century, during the collapse of the Roman Empire; and his reinterpretation of Robin Hood (SHERWOOD and ROBIN AND THE KING) takes place during the Norman conquest.

His other well-known books include DARKER PLACES (a thriller), THE LAST RAINBOW, THE TOWER OF BEOWULF, THE LORD OF SUNSET, and two science fiction satires, WAITING FOR THE GALACTIC BUS and THE SNAKE OIL WARS. His short fiction includes the award-winning ”The Fire When It Comes” and "Influencing the Hell out of Time and Teresa Golowitz," which was made into a TWILIGHT ZONE episode.

In collaboration with close friend Marvin Kaye, Parke wrote two science fiction novels — THE MASTERS OF SOLITUDE and WINTERMIND — and a horror novel called A COLD BLUE LIGHT.

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4.4 out of 5

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Shelli

What a fantastic story!

Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2021

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Parke Godwin has created a special world. With an obvious knowledge of History and a wonderfully innate sense of people and the early pagan and Catholic beliefs that were part of them, Godwin uses his beautiful prose to weave a story filled with characters that become very real, for me, very beloved.

Putting Robin into the events around 1066 and earlier with Robin’s humble nature as Thane of Denby and an (anything but simple) farmer was a stroke of genius! This Robin is complex, but down to earth. A Welsh Will Scatloch and a beautiful farm girl for Marian are a few of the surprises that await in characterizations.

When I found quiet time to immerse myself in the writing style and the story I found myself transported into Godwin’s world in a way that stayed with me after putting the book down and moving into the ‘real world’ for the rest of the day. Anxious to get back to ancient and magical Sherwood and the turmoil and beauty of the recreated and re-imagined years of Godwin’s ROBIN HOOD.

For me, one of the best and most authentic adaptions of the tale. These are very real, believable characters and situations brought on by a challenging time of change. Just enough of the ‘old ways’ to give a soft magical glow in a sometimes gritty world filled with some stark history.

It reminded me that in troubled times distant from, but not so different from these days, that it takes a man and woman’s courage to stand up for what’s right and the rights of all men and women!

One person found this helpful

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Sarah

A book to read over and over again

Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2012

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I've passed this book on to my mom, my kids, my husband, my sister, and every friend who has ever expressed an interest in the Middle Ages in England. The description of Saxon life, laws, and their reaction to the Norman conquest is excellent. I LOVE that Godwin put Robin Hood in this era, rather than during the time of Richard the Lionheart. My fifteen year old son just finished it and his comment to me was how much he liked the fact that the 'bad guy' (the Sheriff) wasn't all bad. In fact, he was kind of good. The best stories often result when an author is capable of writing characters with nuance and complexity. I loved this book. I've read it at least 16 times and might read it again tomorrow.

5 people found this helpful

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Esther Schindler

A balanced view of Robin Hood? Yes, and it works.

Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2008

Parke Godwin's Sherwood is among the stack of books that I've owned seemingly forever, and I re-read every few years just for the joy of it. I'd argue that it's one of the best re-tellings of the Robin Hood tale (the other being The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley).

First, Godwin sets Robin Hood not during the usual "King Richard the Lionhearted" era but in a more interesting time: the Norman conquest and the years immediately following. Certainly, there's more inherent cultural friction between Saxons (including Robin, who's a thane of a small village), Normans (including the sheriff of Nottingham, Ralf), Danes and the occasional Welsh slave.

Second, Parke Godwin's books all have wonderful characterization, and he chooses to tell stories from non-obvious viewpoints (such as that of Guinevierre, after Arthur's death). In this one, the viewpoint characters shift around a bit, but the main stories are told by Robin (who discovers the concepts of justice and law), and sheriff Ralf (who has his own path to follow, from war to peacetime). Darnit, it *works.* Everyone makes reasonable and sensible decisions, even when they are (literally) at each other's throats. The love story is sweet but not cloying. Marian is no shrinking vine whose main role is to be prize on a pedestal; she's a strong woman (and marries Robin). (Maybe that's one of the reasons I like both this book and McKinley's.) And there's even an appealing cat.

It's told with humor, warmth, and the underlying assumption that everyone is doing the best he can with the information he has available at the time. Even the villains.

This is simply a great novel. Pick up a copy.

8 people found this helpful

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David Kirk

An Enjoyable Trip into 11th Century England

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2015

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First, you have to enjoy books of this genre. I do. Stories of Robin Hood can vary greatly and I enjoy the diversity. Placing the story in the late 11th century adds a degree of depth not found in other similar stories. The author goes to great lengths to bring the reader into their world and, in my opinion, succeeds. What I also enjoyed is that he builds the character of the Sheriff of Nottingham into a full individual, not leaving him as a monster but as a person.

3 people found this helpful

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BamaMom

Great story

Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2016

Enjoyed this version of the Robin Hood story. Recommend. Must also read Robin and the King: A Novel

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Duckie

Hits close to the bullseye

Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2012

A leisurely, engaging read much in the vein of Bernard Cornwell or Ken Follett. Fans of Ken Follett's "Pillars of the Earth" books in particular will find much to like here. There is solid character development among the principal players and the author shows a good grasp of the historical/political significance of developments in English rule of law. It's clear Godwin has a deep and abiding passion for his subject, although his explanations are occasionally weak and sometimes hard to follow.
Godwin's real strength here is his uncanny ability to capture Northern English accents and speech patterns in writing. His characters are not simply British, they are clear products of their time and place in history, which gives the novel a solid sense of grounding. As do the frequent references to episodes and characters from "Ivanhoe" and other classics with the same theme. Godwin clearly knows his subject.
Unfortunately, at times the subject seems to get away from him. His descriptions of battle scenes were often confusing, and I sometimes had to read passages two or three times to figure out who was allied with whom and where this alliance was going. The writing itself was also frequently choppy and lacked flow. Overall this is a solid, entertaining work of historical fiction, but in the hands of a more skilled writer it could have been extraordinary.

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Fair Comment

The Real Robin Hood?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 20, 2008

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This book was published in 1991, a time when you wouldn't really expect a serious writer to look afresh at such an overworked subject, but after only a few pages it becomes clear that this really is a fresh look. It has a completely different tone to the men-in-tights adventures made familiar by Hollywood. It is more gritty, more realistic, more human, and you could almost swear Godwin must have been there back in 11th century Nottinghamshire to tell the tale as he does. He is inside the minds of the characters, living their lives, speaking their thoughts and words with a detail that, coupled with his knowledge of history, conjures reality. His picture of the grimness and closeness-to-nature of medieval English peasant life is vivid. The familiar characters are there - Marian, Little John, Will, Friar Tuck, the Sheriff - but not quite as they have been portrayed before. Kings John and Richard are absent, as Godwin breaks with tradition in setting the story at the time of the Norman Conquest instead of the Crusades. Robin is depicted as a Saxon farmer and minor noble, driven to oppose the Norman invaders in the face of increasing oppression. The tale is spun well, and is an absorbing read. Godwin says in the epilogue that the story of Robin Hood is not factual history, but a legend likely based on the exploits of a real man, or perhaps several men, who defied unjust laws and opposed the abuse of power. As it is not even clear which century he lived in, this gives Godwin poetic licence as to when the tale is set. Godwin's story is, after all, fiction, and his placing the tale in the 11th century works well, probably because he is such a good writer that the story and characters are believable. Indeed, by the time you get to the end of it you are quite prepared to believe that these characters really lived and this is actually how their story played out.

4 people found this helpful

BlackBrigand

A vibrant, different and grittier novel of Norman England.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 17, 2013

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SHERWOOD Parke Godwin 1991 1st edition Hardcover

Despite being instantly recognised in the US as the author and illustrator of many juvenile books, Parke Godwin remains almost totally unknown in the UK and his two novels about the legendary English hero Robin Hood seldom appear in genre reading lists and are almost totally unobtainable through libraries and bookshops.

Sherwood was published in 1991 and brought a new perspective to the traditional Robin Hood image and genre. For a start the story is set not during the crusades but in the years following the Norman conquest of England and the central character of Edward Aelredson, nick named puck-Robin is depicted as a minor Saxon thane who comes into conflict with his new Norman over lords and charts his conflicts, reconciliations and friendships with his new King William I, the sheriff of the shire and his Norman neighbours. The tale is told with a gritty realism that does not exclude the violence and cruelty of the era and although Mr. Godwin has worked many of the traditional characters into the story they have been transformed into lifelike and realistic people of the 11th century.

The book is absorbing and well written and any reader of historical medieval fiction should make an effort to seek out copies of both SHERWOOD and the sequel novel ROBIN AND THE KING which continues the saga into the reign of William Rufus.

One person found this helpful