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The Black Arrow Paperback – July 28, 2008

4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 896 ratings
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This is Robert Louis Stevenson's historical romance set during the War of the Roses.
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  1. Print length
    208 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Book Jungle
  4. Publication date
    July 28, 2008
  5. Dimensions
    7.52 x 0.44 x 9.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1605979260
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1605979267
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Book Jungle; Reprint edition (July 28, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1605979260
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1605979267
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.52 x 0.44 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 896 ratings

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
896 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A worthy entry in the Stevenson canon
Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2022
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The story is excellently paced and the characters well realized. Perhaps the best pieces of characterization are supporting players Bennet Hatch and Richard, duke of Gloucester, whom Stevenson makes quite a complex fellow. More befallen the protagonist in a "boy's own" take, which in lesser hands this might have been. Highly recommended, and the transcription is clean and error-free.
One person found this helpful
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4.0 out of 5 stars Good story
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2024
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A story which illustrated the complexities of friendship, loyalty and betrayal. The ruinous effects of revenge and anger. This is a nice novel on both the coming of age of a young man and the growth of his character.
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Gary Hoggatt
3.0 out of 5 stars Solid, but not Stevenson's best work
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2011
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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 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 1883 and as a novel in 1888, 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.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?" This precludes any sort of build-up of tension, and also results in a limit to how much each episode is affected by those that came earlier. 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. I didn't especially care for her reading this book, though, primarily because 95% of the characters are male, and having to decipher her narrow range of fake male voices to track who was speaking on top of following along with the difficult language wasn't an ideal combination.

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. If you like medieval stories, you'll probably enjoy The Black Arrow, but I can't recommend it to the general reader like I can Treasure Island or Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

If you're interested, check out my reviews Stevenson's Treasure Island and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde here on Amazon for more of my thoughts on those works.
6 people found this helpful
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lacey gal
5.0 out of 5 stars For those who haven't yet had the privelege.....
Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2013
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okay, so often one may think of the ones written in olde english as being of lesser value or as being dull due to shakespeare being over-taught -- but this is a must read!! the number of twists and turns are incalcuable!! i thoroghly enjoy most teen fictions with good writers & this one fits the bill too!! if you haven't given Robert Louis Stevenson a try before, then here is the book to start you off on a very fun, olde adventure!! :)
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Eric Beyle
4.0 out of 5 stars A Solid Adventure Novel
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2012
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The Black Arrow was an enjoyable, fast-paced adventure novel. The protagonist was flawed in a way that made him believable and likable. Best of all, his flaws serve the reader as subtle cautionary tales against haste and violence while still providing a very entertaining read.

Written for adolescents, I expect that the novel's period-style language would be somewhat difficult for younger readers today although I do think that the lessons are valuable enough that young people should be encouraged to at least attempt what is otherwise a not very challenging read. The ending, the change in the protagonist's goals and his realizations about his own actions were very satisfying.

Additionally, I found the free Kindle edition to be adequate and free from distracting format errors or other issues.
13 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Treasure Island met great amounts of criticism
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2015
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It would be interesting to read the entire story of the criticism that surrounded the release of Treasure Island. Evidently, Treasure Island met great amounts of criticism, so Robert Louis Stevenson wrote this book to prove that he could write great literature.

This is a great book, but it is much deeper. It lacks the simplicity and the unpretentious character of Treasure Island. Posterity voted for simply told good stories and forgot this bid for greatness.

With that said, this is a well told story of the end of Richard the II's reign and the beginning of Henry Bollingbloke's. It lies well within the context of true history and you will not guess what happens next. It is a good suspense as well as a good historical novel.
18 people found this helpful
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Amazonian
5.0 out of 5 stars Stevenson's "Tushery" Triumphant
Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2014
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Robert Louis Stevenson's classic first written in serial installments in 1883 takes one back to the 15th century gallantry embodied in his hero Sir Richard Shelton. Stevenson loved his characterization of Richard Crookback (Richard III), whose skeleton was recently found in England. Stevenson encapsulates the Wars of the Roses in this delightful novel, simple enough for the young to understand and enchanting enough for the mature to enjoy. I heartily recommend this to all.
3 people found this helpful
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DX
2.0 out of 5 stars Misleading
Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2020
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The book I received was not the book pictured in the listing. Would not have purchased it if I had seen what it really was.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Alejandro
5.0 out of 5 stars Buen libro
Reviewed in Mexico on March 16, 2024
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Buen libro. Lo adquirí para practicar Inglés.
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Mark K Jackaman
5.0 out of 5 stars A good tale of adventure, hardship, loyalty, perseverance and romance.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 3, 2022
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This is a good adventure story, although some may struggle with the old English language, it's about the war of the roses and the tale of a particular individual who finds himself in the middle of it all. Good characters, plenty of action and excitement and a bit of romance......a great read.
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Cristina
5.0 out of 5 stars Good story
Reviewed in Italy on September 25, 2019
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Nice adventure story based during the War of Roses and requires a basic understanding of this period. Also it is written in a kind of dialect that is not so easy to understand especially for not mother tongue readers. Less known then Treasure Island but surely a nice book.
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Nirmal Patel
5.0 out of 5 stars A novel for all ages
Reviewed in India on December 24, 2018
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This was the first novel I read, as a kid. The first novel my mom bought me.
And this is the still the most 'repeat' novel in my library. I have ready god knows how many times. Read it from page to page, or just browse it a chapter at a time. The book is always entertaining and never dull.
Forget the background history and dont bother to look up the real history of a few 'real' characters in the story.
This yarn has everything - romance, intrigue, politics, 'horse trading', vengeance, social exploitation, turf wars, outlaws, duplicity, skirmishes, battles, inheritance issues, ... you name it.
The pace is breakneck and fast.
The hero is barely a hero but that is why all the tensions and troubles he faces look so insurmountable.
Classic dialogues : "I have four black arrows under my belt".
Even the outdated English does not detract from the fun of this sprawling narrative.
A straightforward and effective fusion of a romantic tale and a revenge drama. Very entertaining, and for all ages.
Where do they write books like this any more ?
2 people found this helpful
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Dougie B
5.0 out of 5 stars The Black Arrow
Reviewed in Australia on May 14, 2019
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I first read this story when I was about 8 or 9 years old, so that would be almost 70 years ago. I enjoyed it then and counted it my favourite. However, my memory of it was a little different. Perhaps I read an abridged copy. The old English made it hard to follow to begin with, but I eventually got used to most phrases.
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