Goodreads:
Jack in the Green by Charles de Lint
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
View all my reviews
Quick Take:
I stumbled upon Jack in the Green at a local library. Given my penchant for short reworkings of mythology, fairy tales, etc. this seem like a good fit.
But while this retelling of Robin Hood has its moments, it came off very one dimensional. It is interesting to explore what justice, even if it is of the vigilante sort, might look like in the barrio where power is corrupt and the wealthy gate themselves off from everyone else. What does law and morality mean in a world where the economy and the law is stacked against the poor and less fortunate? This could be fertile g
But too much of this novella comes off flat and obvious. Everything feels like a caricature; even if the setting is the American Southwest instead of England. The only scene I found all that compelling was the interaction between the gang and the bottle witch.
Even the resolution was too simple. Maria comes back to life, Jack defeats the bad guys (in a rather dark and cruel scene that nonetheless came off equally flat), and they live happily ever after. This came off as a sketch of a story rather than a flushed out one. Even short stories pack more punch than this.
Perhaps my expectations were too high but I came away disappointed.
