4 h 4 minAudiobook5 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if life outside the law offers more honor—and better company—than life under a prince?
Robert Fitzooth, Earl of Huntingdon, loves Matilda, the spirited woman known as Maid Marian. But their world gives them more than a love story to contend with. When Robert becomes an outlaw, he takes the name Robin Hood, and Sherwood Forest becomes a new home for people who have lost their place.
In Thomas Love Peacock's comic novel, the greenwood rings with songs, banter, and arguments about power. Marian takes a full part in outlaw life, while Friar Tuck brings appetite and mischief. Against them stands Prince John, whose greed gives this merry adventure a sharper question: who has the right to rule?
What you’ll discover
- Lovers in the greenwood Meet Robert and Matilda, whose love finds a place among the outlaws of Sherwood.
- Marian as an equal Discover a spirited woman who chooses the forest and stands as Robin Hood's match.
- Tuck at the feast Enjoy a fighting churchman whose love of food and company brings hearty comic pleasure.
- Loyalty with a laugh Join Little John, Robin's loyal friend, with his ready bow and good humor.
- Power under playful scrutiny Follow a familiar legend into witty questions about rule, greed, and life outside the law.
Who will love it
For readers who love adventure with a laugh, songs and banter, and a fresh look at the Robin Hood legend, with spirited lovers and sharp jokes about power.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Two lovers and a world against them
- The greenwood becomes a free commonwealth
- Friar Tuck brings appetite and mischief
- Satire dressed as a romance
Who’s who
- Robert FitzoothA young nobleman, also called Earl of Huntingdon, who loses his place in the world and becomes the outlaw Robin Hood.
- Matilda, called Maid MarianThe spirited young woman Robert loves, who chooses the forest and plays a full part in the outlaws' life.
- Friar TuckA hearty, food-loving churchman who prefers the greenwood and good company to the strictness of the cloister.
- Little JohnA big, loyal outlaw and close friend of Robin Hood, always ready with his bow and his good humor.
- Prince JohnThe ambitious royal brother whose rule stands for greed and abuse of power, and who is the outlaws' great enemy.
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- Audiobook
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- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
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Read and hear Jungfer Marian in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Jungfer Marian
by Thomas Love Peacock · 1822
Robert Fitzooth and Marian leave a corrupt world for Sherwood Forest, where outlaws make a freer life.
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In short
Maid Marian is a comic novel by Thomas Love Peacock, published in 1822. It retells the old legend of Robin Hood and his outlaws in Sherwood Forest.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Two lovers and a world against them
The story begins with Robert Fitzooth, a young nobleman of Huntingdon, and Matilda, the young woman who will become Maid Marian. They love each other, and in an ordinary tale that would be enough. But the England of this book is ruled by grasping lords, scheming churchmen and the ambitious Prince John. Their love runs straight into the interests of men who care more for land and rank than for feeling.
Peacock sets the tale in the age of the Norman kings, when the old English and their conquerors still sit uneasily together. Robert has enemies at court, and trouble over property and favor pushes him out of the life he was born to. The clash is told lightly, with a narrator who seems to enjoy every folly he describes. Nobles posture, officials hide behind the law, and the lovers look on with good humor.
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What is Maid Marian by Thomas Love Peacock about?
It retells the Robin Hood legend as a comic romance. A nobleman and the woman he loves leave a corrupt world for Sherwood Forest, where they live among outlaws, songs and good company.
Is Maid Marian a true story?
No. It draws on the old English legend of Robin Hood and the ballads about him. Peacock published it in 1822 and used the medieval setting to make fun of power and privilege.
Who is Maid Marian in the book?
She is Matilda, the spirited woman whom Robert Fitzooth loves. Peacock makes her brave and independent, and she joins the outlaws in the forest as a full member of the band.
The author
Thomas Love Peacock
1785–1866 · English satirical novelist and poet
Thomas Love Peacock (1785–1866) was an English novelist and poet. He was born in Weymouth, Dorset, and died at Lower Halliford, Surrey. His novels include Maid Marian (1822) and Gryll Grange (1861). He worked for the East India Company from 1819 until his retirement in 1856.
More by Thomas Love Peacock
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