Not Exactly England
In the preface to the novel, the author lays out a foundation for the “reality” of his tale. Admitting that the story takes places in a country that is familiar to readers, he warns against applying that familiarity too keenly:
“This country is not Fairyland. What is it? ’Tis the land of Fancy, and is of that pleasant kind that, when you tire of it—whisk!—you clap the leaves of this book together and ’tis gone, and you are ready for everyday life, with no harm done.”
Robin the Philosopher
The author’s imaginative recreation of the legend of Robin Hood takes certain liberties. Robin is here a bit more philosophical than in other incarnations. Here he gives advice on the power of talking things out.
“A flow of words doth ever ease the heart of sorrows; it is like opening the waste weir when the mill dam is overfull.”
A Truly Merry Man
The author is lover of metaphor. The narrative is made all the richer for a wealth of metaphor and simile and perhaps the most well-known and often quoted is that which describes in a truly breathtaking image the full depth of Robin’s famously merry quality:
“But of all this Robin knew not a whit; so he whistled merrily as he trudged along the road beyond Stanton, with his heart as free from care as the yolk of an egg is from cobwebs.”
Dietary Advice
Upon meeting up with a beggar, Robin admits his thoughts are upon food. The beggar responds with a bit of metaphorical philosophy of his own that almost sounds like some sort of a modern day diet program shill:
“I do love to let my hunger grow mightily keen ere I eat, for then a dry crust is as good to me as a venison pasty with suet and raisins is to stout King Harry.”
Dialogue
The dialogue of characters is peppered with similes. In fact, reading the text is not dissimilar from reading Shakespeare, though perhaps one would argue the language is much simpler and direct. A perfect example of this is one of many observational responses such as this from Robin to a tinker:
“Why, thy wits are like beer, and do froth up most when they grow sour!”
