Robert louis stevenson the black arrow first edition

Published by Gilberton, Comic First Edition. Hicks, Arnold L. Classics Illustrated 31 with a. Third printing. From New Zealand to United Kingdom. Dust Jacket Condition: Good. Lionel Edwards illustrator. Used - Hardcover Condition: gut. From Germany to United Kingdom. Condition: gut. Erste Aufl. Der Erstdruck erfolgte in der Zeit vom 1. Oktober bis Januar als Mehrteiler in der Zeitschrift Young Folks". Der Roman war Stevensons erster finanzieller Erfolg.

Schottland, Jahre nach dem Zweiten Jakobitenaufstand. Am Catriona ist ein historischer Abenteuerroman des schottischen Schriftstellers Robert Louis Stevenson, der im September auf Upolu Samoa vollendet vom Oktober bis zum September in der Londoner literarischen Monatszeitschrift Atalanta vorabgedruckt wurde.

Die schottische Clanjustiz will davon nichts wissen und unterbindet den Auftritt des Zeugen David Balfour. Juni bis Oktober unter dem Pseudonym Captain George North. Es ist die Zeit der Rosenkriege.

Dick Shelton jedoch erfuhr lange Jahre lang nichts v. Published by Cideb, New - Softcover Condition: New. From Ireland to United Kingdom. Quantity: 7. Condition: New. Seller: MW Books Ltd. Used - Hardcover Condition: Fine. From Australia to United Kingdom. Hard Cover.

Condition: Fine. Book appears to have hardly been read and is in Fine condition throughout. Published by Cassell, UK hardback first impression. Solid but Fair only overall with some darkening to spine, a few marks to cloth, fraying to head of spine and cracked hinge at half-title.

Published by Peerage Books, London, No previous owner name or marks. Book square, spine straight, pages tight, clean uncreased and complete.

Handsome faux leather - gilt title and deco to front and spine. Very solid book, gilt page edges, ornate patterned end papers. Published by British Books, London, J K Maxton illustrator.

First edition thus, no date, c. Facsimile signature to front cover. The binding is really very good, however, and the pages are clean, lightly browned at edges.

Striking illustrations frontispiece and full page plates in sepia, by Maxton. Overall a charming and unusual edition. Size: H. Soft blue leather binding with 'Sandroyd School' to front, first thus with illustrations by H M Brock. Marbled end papers with a little discolouration, owners bookplate to first inside board.

RLS copyright stamp to back board inside. Binding firm. Publication Date: First edition. Hardback with DW. Colour frontis. A very good clean copy with no ownership inscriptions. The wrapper is a little chipped at extremities and slightly soiled and the spine is lightly sunned. Published by Cassell and Company, London, First UK Edition. Floral patterned endpapers with gift inscription dated penned to FEP. Spine is cocked and heavily sunned.

Light sunning to rear board, light foxing to endpapers, prelims and page block. Stevenson creates arguably the most successful fictional adaptation of Richard III, presenting him as a complex, multifaceted man who, while not conventionally likable, is a brilliant leader and powerful warrior.

Definitely a book I'll be reading to or recommending to my children! Originally published on my blog here in January This medieval romance is one of Stevenson's minor adventure stories.

Its main character is naive young noble Richard Shenton, who discovers that his guardian is in fact an evil man who murdered Richard's father and who looks to become wealthy by continually swapping sides in the Wars of the Roses. The point of the guardianship is this.

When a noble heir was orphaned, his revenues until he came of age were in the hands of his liege lord, or su Originally published on my blog here in January When a noble heir was orphaned, his revenues until he came of age were in the hands of his liege lord, or such guardian as he appointed; moreover, the guardian was also frequently granted the tax payable on coming of age or marriage. These rights were the subject of lucrative trade in medieval England, and were one of the crown's major sources of income.

To a modern reader, the main obstacle in The Black Arrow and the major reason it is less well known than, say, Treasure Island , is the flowery pseudo-medieval language used in the dialogue. This is something that has gradually been toned down in historical novels during the twentieth century, until now they are usually written with characters who speak more or less colloquial modern English.

This is due to a change in philosophy; it is now considered better to accessibly reproduce what it felt like to be alive at the time the novel is set than to attempt to literally recreate it, and a modern reader will react differently to the kind of language used here from the way their medieval counterpart would have done to hearing it spoken.

And, of course, there was more regional and class based differentiation between individuals when people travelled less widely; this would be extremely difficult to duplicate, even for an expert in dialect development. Writers like Scott , Morris , Stevenson and so on didn't attempt to do this, and gave their characters dialogue based on a romanticised version of the formal speeches in medieval poetry - at least as inauthentic as modern usage.

One of the merits of Stevenson's writing is the imperfection of his heroes. They tend to be - as Shelton is here - naive, not too bright, but with a strong moral sense; this makes them more interesting than the characters of many of the other writers of what might be termed proto-thrillers.

Interestingly, when first published in serial form, The Black Arrow was more successful than Treasure Island had been; this ordering has since been reversed to leave the earlier novel as one of the classics of English popular fiction with The Black Arrow as just another novel by the same writer.

View 1 comment. Sep 04, Mary Catelli rated it liked it Shelves: mundane , very-old-books. Action and adventure during the War of the Roses. Young Dick Shelton finds himself in the middle of intrigue, from his father's murder, to a prisoner his guardian is bringing to his hall, to the wars about him. It involves a pursuit through the woods, the title black arrows being used to threat murderers, an attempt to mislead him with oaths, disguising himself a monk, winning and losing favor, an interrupted wedding, and more.

This was a really fun read. A young, brave, noble hero and a young, fierce heroine go on an adventure. There's lots of action and danger, and you really root for the main characters, because they have such good hearts, honesty, and depth of feeling. I'll be honest, I didn't really pay very close attention to the fighting scenes, of which there were plenty.

It felt a little naive. Had I read it as a teenager, I think it would have joined my "favorites" shelf. The tale is solid, but unfortunately there are a few issues prevent it from delivering on its promise.

The Black Arrow, first published as a serial in and as a novel in , follows the adventures of Dick Shelton as he discovers that his guardian may be responsible for the death of his father and se Since I enjoyed Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and enjoy medieval history, Stevenson's The Black Arrow would seem to be a perfect combination.

The Black Arrow, first published as a serial in and as a novel in , follows the adventures of Dick Shelton as he discovers that his guardian may be responsible for the death of his father and seeks justice, attempts to rescue his betrothed from the clutches of said guardian, and gets swept up in the tumult of the War of the Roses. Shelton comes across throughout the book as mostly naive and occasionally cruel and self-centered, and he seems to blunder from one encounter to the next.

In short, it's hard to really root for him or care about him, as he has few redeeming qualities, but he's also just not that interesting, either. I've read other books where the main characters aren't exactly heroes such as George R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice series , but in those cases, the main characters were at least plotting and scheming and being actively devious, which is entertaining.

Shelton shows a bit of character growth at the end of the novel, showing regret about some of the dubious actions he took while trying to rescue his betrothed, but it isn't enough to redeem him as an interesting character. Another downside to the book is the disjointed nature of it. It feels very episodic, as if Stevenson approached each chapter thinking, "Okay, what trouble can Dick Shelton get into next? When I started reading the book, I was not aware that it had first been serialized, but by the time I finished it, I guessed it had, as it read like a collection of episodes, and I'm aware it was common practice at the time Stevenson's Treasure Island was first published serially in the same magazine as The Black Arrow, and even Charles Dickens released his work that way.

The old fashioned language was a difficulty in getting into the book. I was reminded of watching a Shakespearean play, where it takes you a scene or two to really get into the old language and follow along relatively clearly. I had no trouble with the similarly jargon-laden and old fashioned Treasure Island.

Maybe I just speak pirate better than I do knight. The best parts of the book are the action scenes. These are strong, and helps redeem some of the other shortcomings of the novel. There are chases through forests, spying and sneaking, one on one combats, and large battles. I think I'm probably being harder on this book than it might deserve because I'm holding up against Stevenson's other work.

It's okay, it just lacks the life and energy of Treasure Island or the creepy tension of Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and isn't the same sort of genre-defining work as those two stories. I listened to the audio version read by Shelly Frasier.

Frasier doesn't stand out with this book, though she isn't inherently bad, either, and I wouldn't avoid her in other productions. The Black Arrow is a solid book that has the misfortune to have been written by an author with other fantastic books that outshine it.

Mar 07, Olivia rated it really liked it Shelves: classics , historical-fiction. May 21, Hafsa Sabira rated it liked it. The Black Arrow is a romance and historical adventure novel which is based on the Wars of the Roses and tells the story of Richard Dick Shelton.

The whole plot revolves around Richard becoming a true English hero from a mere ward of Sir Daniel, who is the real villain of the novel. Through so many struggles, betrayals and near-death escapes, Richard gradually earns his rightful knight title, saves his lady Joanna who accompanies him the whole time disguised as a boy and avenges his father's br The Black Arrow is a romance and historical adventure novel which is based on the Wars of the Roses and tells the story of Richard Dick Shelton.

Through so many struggles, betrayals and near-death escapes, Richard gradually earns his rightful knight title, saves his lady Joanna who accompanies him the whole time disguised as a boy and avenges his father's brutal death. The novel with such alluring characters and storyline reminded me of the other literary writings in the similar era. However, those who are into these modern detective, thriller genre, may not enjoy this novel much as it totally gives a classic vibe with a rather biased narrative.

I expected to like this a lot more. Stevenson thought The Black Arrow would earn even more acclaim than Treasure Island , but it doesn't come close. The story itself is a slightly-out-of-kilter historical fiction set during the War of the Roses, but it strikes the reader more like a rip-off of Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe , published two generations earlier.

Even Stevenson admitted that he fudged some historic facts for the sake of his plot. And the thinly disguised Robin Hood theme is thi 2. And the thinly disguised Robin Hood theme is thin soup.

The whole celebrates the last glow of a chivalry which probably only existed in the minds of the Romantics. The dialogue was awful. Stevenson tried to recreate fifteenth century English, which was probably quaint in his day. A hundred fifty years later, it's almost unreadable. One notable point was Stevenson's treatment of the female cast. At a time when women are rarely mentioned in adventure stories see Treasure Island , this story features two intelligent, active and heroic female characters.

Given their time and place, each is more realistic and sympathetic than many of the ridiculous female wonder women featured in modern adventure stories.

If anything, the naive innocent of the tale is the male lead. An interesting, if not a good read. View all 4 comments. May 30, HBalikov rated it really liked it. Stevenson has a gift for dramatic action and this "swashbuckler" novel would take little effort to make into a screenplay. It was a help to be reading this on a Kindle where the antiquarian English words could be easily defined, but there are several editions that are well-footnoted.

Stevenson puts his young protagonist in the middle of the War of the Roses and gives a sense of how turbulent a time that was with shifting alliances and villages obliged to show fealty to a new lord and pay rents Stevenson has a gift for dramatic action and this "swashbuckler" novel would take little effort to make into a screenplay.

Stevenson puts his young protagonist in the middle of the War of the Roses and gives a sense of how turbulent a time that was with shifting alliances and villages obliged to show fealty to a new lord and pay rents at a moment's notice. The romance is contrived but works. The picture of Richard "Crouchback" shows that Stevenson did extensive historical research before giving us this vivid picture of the times.

Sep 12, Abigail Bok rated it did not like it. This book if it remains in print should be labeled with a parental advisory. The Black Arrow is a semi-historical tale set during the Wars of the Roses of fifteenth-century England. It takes place far from the main nodes of power and conflict, though a few of the power players appear in it. The story focuses on a young man, Richard Shelton, an orphan living in the household of a minor knight in the shires, Sir Daniel Brackley, who is busy using all those around him including Dick Shelton to enh This book if it remains in print should be labeled with a parental advisory.

The story focuses on a young man, Richard Shelton, an orphan living in the household of a minor knight in the shires, Sir Daniel Brackley, who is busy using all those around him including Dick Shelton to enhance his own power and wealth. These characters are thrown into a fast-paced plot of treason and double-dealing, lightly spiced with romance. This was one of my favorite books when I was a child, and now I am at a loss to understand what I saw in it.

It is breathtakingly violent, with dozens of deaths by arrow and sword; over and over people are killed simply because they are inconvenient or vaguely suspicious; animals get even shorter shrift. At the end the author makes a few half-hearted stabs at adding up the costs of war and ambition, but clearly all the pleasure of the story lies in the sneaking about and stabbing and shooting, not the lessons learned.

The Wyeth illustrations in my edition are lovely, but not lovely enough to disguise the deep ugliness of the value system depicted. View all 5 comments. Aug 18, Marina rated it it was ok Shelves: classics , uk , historical-fiction.

While I see the point, I found this book only mildly entertaining, while Dumas' novel is a masterpiece, in my opinion. Maybe my expectations were too high. Jan 02, Paul Clayton rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Everybody. Dozens more words, not footnoted, will send you to your dictionary, or your OED, more likely. I loved the phrasing, the old archaic words, camping in the cold snow, the roaring fires. By the rood the cross , 'twas a tale to enchant o're many a night.

The beginning was strange. Set in England during the War of the Roses, young Dick Shelton throws in his lot with a strange looking boy his age, a boy who would be 'well favored for a wench,' that is, good looking for a girl, but effeminate for a boy. Earlier, Sir Daniel, Dick's warden, and the villain of the story, is sitting in an inn by the fire, plotting.

Near him a 'young lad, apparently of twelve or thirteen,' sleeps in the straw. Sir Daniel says to him this exchange confused the hell out of me , " I took you, indeed, roughly, as the time demanded; but from hencforth Ye shall be Mrs. Master John. Sit ye down, sweetheart, and eat. Since ye force me to this sin, I will fast for my soul's interest.

The book is genre, adventure fiction, but hyper-realistic, in my opinion. Rubs to t he corners and spine tips. Some rubs to the wrappers' edges. Small nick at the middle o f the front spine edge. Age toning to the pages. Cover art by D. Published by Dell, New York, Used - Softcover Condition: Very Good. Condition: Very Good.

Published by Gilberton, Comic First Edition. Soft cover. Hicks, Arnold L. Classics Illustrated 31 with a. Third printing. Published by Pocket Books, Jr. NY: Pocket Books, Inc.

J very good, creases paperback,. Published by Pocket Books, Used - Softcover Condition: Fine. Mass Market Paperback. Condition: Fine. First Printing. A square solid tight clean unread copy. This copy has some light cover edgewear, the word "from" printed on the FFEP. J, Pocket Book Jr. Published by David McKay, Philadelphia, Used - Hardcover Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. Frank Godwin illustrator. Front cover paste down near perfect, red top edge.

Stevenson, Robert Louis and B. Allen Bentley introduction. Published by Airmont, Published by Saalfield Publishing. G, no jacket 8VO, pgs. Rear board spotted. Spine is cocked. Published by Pocket Book, Jr. J, Used - Softcover Condition: Near Fine. Condition: Near Fine. J almost near fine paperback,. Published by Transworld Scottie , GB, From United Kingdom to U. Used - Hardcover Condition: Good.

Condition: Good. Lawrence Beall Smith illustrator. Junior Deluxe Editions : Good condition Hardcover Octavo with no dust jacket, , Reprint of the story, first edition of this version. Boards are lightly soiled, with the spine ends and tips bumped. The front hinge is cracked between the end papers. Reading copy of a good story! Size: 8vo - over 7" - 9" tall. Published by Charles Scribner's Sons, Used - Hardcover. Fair copy in the original black cloth, pictorial color cover label binding rubbed and bumped; spine gilt is dull; inner hinges weak; text edges foxed; some foxing and stains to margins; bookplaate.

Later issue of this particular illustrated edition title page verso is blank; imprinted recto with date. Wyeth, N. Published by Thorndike Press, Former library book; may include library markings.