Howard Pyle - Story or Sermon?

[Nanuri]

So I figured I'd start some sort of literary discussion topic. Featuring one of my current favorites, Howard Pyle. He is famous for such compilations as The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood and The Story of King Arthur and His Knights, for which he also drew the illustrations.

Though he likes to write in an antiquated style ("...for any man may be king in that life in which he is placed if so be he may draw forth the sword of success from out of the iron of circumstance. Wherefore when your day of assay cometh..."), he has a very accurate- though sometimes a little OVER-religious- retelling of the legends.

He does, however, like to moralize. I personally think it gives the reader more to chew on, but it is a little heavy-handed sometimes.

People who DON'T like him argue that he throws religion into things with a bit too much zest, in places that it doesn't belong ("Thus Arthur achieved the adventure of the sword and entered into his birthright of royalty. Wherefore, may God grant His Grace unto you all that ye too may likewise succeed in your undertakings").

So anyone who's ever read his books- like? hate? Is he too preachy? A great author? Thoughts, feelings, and etc?

[Matt Alan]

I once tried reading The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood when I was 10....and didn't get too far due to his style of writing, however, a few years later, I read Men of Iron, by Pyle and found it to be a very enjoyable tale. Knowing absolutely nothing of Pyle off the top of my head, I assume he was a very religious man, a priest of some kind, maybe?

His zest of weaving religon into every other sentence is balanced out nicely by his detailed discriptions of life in the middle ages, the Knight life, especially. As to the Nanuri's question, I like him as an priestly author, like the olden religous men who wrote the legend of Beowulf, another favorite of mine.

^^ I think I'll pick up a copy of Robin Hood and try reading it again now that I'm much older, and post something more intelligent here later.

[Klaymen1]

He was a teacher. Which acounts for his writing style. Sorry no Preacher. If you look at the time he was alive and the major current events at the time it isn't surprising his retellings would be a tad more religious. Of course that's my personal opinion. Take it or leave it.

[Nanuri]

He was a teacher. Which acounts for his writing style. Sorry no Preacher. If you look at the time he was alive and the major current events at the time it isn't surprising his retellings would be a tad more religious. Of course that's my personal opion. Take it or leave it.

I agree, just trying to stir some discussion up :) the time period was a very religious one, and Church doctrine was a huge part of education.

As to Matt's stuff, yes, I really do like his style. It's done wonders for my reading comprehension and vocabulary- I can whip out an authentic Olde Englishe sentence now no problem, and I can quote his books and sound really intelligent.

I also like the moralization because it makes the stuff relevant to everyday life. So instead of it being like "Arthur pulled the sword which makes him awesome," it becomes, "So like Arthur, you too have to make something of the hard truth of your existence," or whatever.

:O PEOPLE REPLIED <33 so happy.