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Rolf, son of Hiarandi the Unlucky, is a character who exemplifies the effect of Christ's teachings upon the Icelandic people during their heroic age. The book is set in Iceland in the days when Christianity has come to the island though the old customs still linger. Hiarandi, at the urging of his wife, does an unprecedented thing: he lights a signal fire on a dangerous point of his land, thereby challenging the accepted custom which places lucrative salvage at higher value than the saving of life. However, the life that is saved that night causes his own death and the unjust outlawing of his son Rolf. Rolf's response to this injustice creates a suspenseful, thought-provoking tale difficult to put down.
Series: Living History Library
Paperback: 244 pages
Publisher: Bethlehem Books; Reprint edition (June 1, 1995)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1883937019
ISBN-13: 978-1883937010
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #375,833 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #117 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > Medieval #885 in Books > Children's Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Family Life > Values
Age Range: 10 and up
Grade Level: 5 and up
The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow is one of the best recrafted narratives I have ever read. Allen French brought to life this story that he originally found as one of the Kolbieters. (The Kolbieters, founded by JRR Tolkien, was a group of friends that read ancient verse in their original languages.) I would recommend it to any history buff, Tolkien fan, fantasy reader, or just any one looking for a well written story.
Allen French has translated some of the old Icelandic sagas, including GRETTIR THE STRONG, but this is a novel, using some of the locations and settings and even some of the characters of the sagas. I first encountered this book at about the age of twelve, read it many times, and always wanted a copy. The story has plenty of adventure, some interesting twists, and is a good read, but it also deals with how to face adversity and the danger of pride. It's an excellent book for teenagers and adults will probably also enjoy this story.
My 12 year old son, ...loved reading this book. I planned to assign him to read 1 chapter a day and expected the usual struggle to make him read it, but he loved it so much that he finished it in short time and kept telling me what a great book he thought it was. He just didn't like when a dead character came back alive to fight Rolf, or the witchcraft parts, but otherwise wanted to read more books by this author...
Rolf is the only son of Hiarandi the Unlucky. Most of his father's ill luck springs from the fact that he is compassionate and that his neighbor, Einar, covets his land and his spacious hall. The wicked Einar manages to get Hiarandi ensnared in legal difficulties and he is sentenced to spend a year within a bow-shot of his own hall. Not content, Einar sends his henchmen to trick Hiarandi into venturing beyond this perimeter where he will be fair game for slaughter. Hiarandi is killed, but in the process, young Rolf also kills one of Einar's henchmen. Now Rolf is made an outlaw and is forced to flee from Iceland until his sentence is complete. But Rolf will not be content until he can prove that his father was killed within a bowshot of his home--and thus make Einar subject to the law.Rolf and the Viking Bow is a wonderful read. It is a story told in the style of the Icelandic sagas, even including some of the same characters, but the prose is completely approachable for a modern reader. The reading level is about age 12 and up, I'd say, but a precocious 10 year old could handle the content. The book is perfectly suited for parents to read along with their youngsters and there is plenty of fodder here for discussions about important subjects like justice, virtue, greed, the law, corruption, and loyalty.This book has the look and feel of a "young adult" novel, but I must admit that I enjoyed it very much, even though I'm approaching 40. I read the edition published by Bethelehem Books and was impressed by the production values--it's definitely worth a couple extra dollars. I recommend it heartily to all.
This book was an amazing story. You will read this book again and again until you've memorized it. What happens is that Rolf a young viking boy is the best archer in the land. He lives a happy life until someone kills his father. He leaves his land to find someone who can out do him with the bow by three yards. I'm not telling you anymore about this story. Read this book and find out what happens. I'm sure you will have a blast reading Rolf and the Viking bow.
This is one of my all time favorites. The subject matter and the style are based on the Icelandic sagas. French's execution in this book is just flawless. The story is tight and so satisfying, and the high, archaic style is consistent throughout.This is by far my favorite of Allen French's books. I'll read it over and over again, to my self and to my family. I'll always be grateful to our firends who first recommended it.And if you like this book, I recommend that you give R.A. Lafferty's "The Fall of Rome" a shot.P.S. I have not found any evidence that French was a member of Tolkien's group of Coalbiters. According to Wikipedia (I know -- not the most reliable source in the world), French was an American who attended Harvard. If Mr. Borgquist has evidence to the contrary, I'd would love to know of it.
Such a great book! I LOVED this story. I bought it because we're learning about Vikings in our homeschool and I started reading it without the children... I couldn't put it down! I won't mind re-reading it with them either. Actually, I can't wait. It's such a great adventure story and it doesn't lag around, over explaining everything like some books do. The book itself is well constructed. No flimsy pages. It's printed on good paper. It's bound well and the cover and back are nice and sturdy.
My 12-yr-old son was the one who chose that his was an "I loved it" rating -- he loved the storyline and the story of strong friendships.As the mom, I appreciate a book that still builds on a strong moral base (human life over wealth, repeated forgiveness, the need to learn from life lessons, the need to be repentant, the value of appreciating others) while successfully teaching us things about cultural history that we didn't fully appreciate before. The use of the courts in Rolf's homeland, the use of lawyers and the necessity of knowing the law, the ways the law tried to be fair, the tradition of looting for wealth being more important to many than saving human lives and the concept of "fostering" children at other courts/houses/lands are all included in this story. This book is written in an old world style as if it is trying to copy the tone of the sagas and it makes reference to the sagas which I also considered valuable for my son's education.
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