Book Description
The epitome of the chivalric novel, Ivanhoe sweeps readers into Medieval England and the lives of a memorable cast of characters. Ivanhoe, a trusted ally of Richard-the-Lion-Hearted, returns from the Crusades to reclaim the inheritance his father denied him. Rebecca, a vibrant, beautiful Jewish woman is defended by Ivanhoe against a charge of witchcraft--but it is Lady Rowena who is Ivanhoe's true love. The wicked Prince John plots to usurp England's throne, but two of the most popular heroes in all of English literature, Richard-the-Lion-Hearted and the well-loved famous outlaw, Robin Hood, team up to defeat the Normans and reagain the castle. The success of this novel lies with Scott's skillful blend of historic reality, chivalric romance, and high adventure.
Customer Reviews:
waterlilly.......2007-09-23
I really enjoyed the book and the characters some of whom were good, others clearly evil, and others a bit of both. Although what characters were good or evil was not always clear. Was Friar Tuck such a good guy? I don't recall a single clergy member that was honest. I felt Rebecca was interesting in that she was brave, kind, courageous, and spirited. Rowenna took a back seat as a hollow character. Bois-Guilbert was truly fascinating. One sees a progression towards introspection in this valueless but brave man of action. You start to hope that he will evolve through love and contact with the good into a true hero. Although some progress seems to be made, where he is morally at the end is unclear. We never can tell if he would have lost the last battle on purpose. Perhaps the book should have been titled "Brian and Rebecca." Ivanhoe was not present during so much of the book and the ending is a bit unhappy and not satisfying. Overall it is a great read.
Far, far better than I expected.......2007-07-12
Ok the ending's a bit deus ex machina and too much of a total victory for the good side, but everything else about this novel is simply superb. I remember hearing back in elementary school (early 1980s) that Ivanhoe was the ultimate medieval adventure novel so I bought a copy second-hand, I think it was the Watermill Classics edition. Never read it, it just stayed on the shelf. The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope was another one that I bought around the same time and never read.
Well when I went to college I'd kept a lot of stuff at my parents' place, including that large collection of Watermill Classics. I'm not exactly sure what they did with those books (because they themselves don't remember), but after I graduated there was no trace of them. So sometime around 1999 I invested around $1000 in a new collection of classics that I'd never gotten a chance to read. Almost all Penguin editions this time. Both Ivanhoe and The Prisoner of Zenda were among these.
Read Zenda in the autumn of last year and gave it four stars, pretty solid adventure novel. Finally got around to Ivanhoe a couple months ago. Completely overwhelmed. The finest adventure novel I've read hands down, and that includes modern ones. The plotting, characterization, humor, drama, politics, it's all there and perfectly realized. With very few exceptions, I sell off fiction novels after reading them. This is one that stays, just so that over the years I have the opportunity to flip back to random passages and delight in Walter Scott's genius.
I have to say that I'm baffled by all the reviews complaining that Scott's prose is cumbersome, stilted, and dense. I found the Penguin edition to be superbly readable. Scott's prose is some of the finest and most lucid that I've ever come across, including novels written recently. In fact, it's the quality of the prose that stood above any other quality in the novel for me.
Though based on historical fact, Ivanhoe is full of fictional embellishments and outright fabrications. This is partly because it was written roughly 750 years after the events described, not exactly a firsthand account! But mostly it's because Scott wrote it for popular enjoyment and not as a dry chronicle. Nevertheless, you will learn a great deal about the medieval period in Ivanhoe, such as fashion, popular sentiment, lifestyles, classes, social mores, etc. Though you generally won't know how much is completely true.
On top of this the story is thrilling and emotional. An absolute gem of a novel.
Remember Chivalry?.......2007-06-11
Classic book about knights, damsels and chivalry. It is difficult to read because it is in 17th century English, but well worth the time to read. The book is an adventure with notable characters such as Robinhood and company, Richard the Lionheart and of course the title character Ivanhoe who are all fighting to keep Richard on his throne. Great read for those who love medieval tales.
great literary piece.......2007-04-29
i tried to read this book back in high school (10th grade, exactly) and i couldn't get past the first chapter. i tried again about 15 years later and drudged through it and still didn't 'get it', because of the way the dialogue was set up. Then, when i took a screen weriting class in college, i became obsessed with the idea of adapting ivanhoe into a screenplay. so, i purchased the book and a copy of the 'cliff notes'. the cliff note helped me to understand the dialoge and the action a lot better and i could not put the book down. i've read it at least a dozen times dirung the last four yers. though i've yet to adapt it, i still enjoy it every time i pick it up. two characters stand out: the independant minded Rebecca and the strong, powerful Richard the Lionhearted. a great read and i recemomend it to anyone whomay be a little older than your high school kid.
Effort, Rewarded: The Joys of Finishing Ivanhoe *SPOILERS*.......2007-03-11
It took me three separate attempts, over the course of my life, to successfully read Ivanhoe. The first two times, I didn't make it past page 50. This third time, I almost stopped again... but, resolutely, I continued on, because I'd heard so many good things about the novel over the years that I knew there'd be reward waiting, just around the corner.
The reason why I had stopped reading the book two-and-a-half times was because the language and syntax seem so very heavy and dense to the modern reader. And, this isn't just a "19th Century British" thing (though that does play a part), but, I believe, a Walter Scott thing. He has a style that seems a little impenetrable, at first. But now, having read the work to completion, I am happy to report the following: that, over time, the reader's "ear" becomes accustomed to Scott's storytelling; and that, the journey, for all of its initial difficulties and obstacles, is absolutely worth it. As advertised, Ivanhoe is a great novel.
Set during the reign of Richard the Lion-Hearted, who is absent from an England suffering under the stewardship of the much-maligned Prince John, Ivanhoe is the tale of Saxon partisans chaffing under the yoke of their Norman masters, and of the romances and battles which result. Wilfred of Ivanhoe, son of a Saxon noble, recently returned from service in the Crusades, becomes embroiled against Norman knights during a tournament, and risks the loss of his lands and lady-love when he is gravely injured and she, kidnapped.
While this happens, we also get to meet a host of widely-diverse characters, some of which are already familiar, such as Robin Hood, Friar Tuck and Allan-a-Dale, and some of whom are new, but wonderful heroes in their own rights, such as Cedric the Saxon Thane, Wamba the Jester, and Issac, the Jewish money-lender and his daughter, Rebecca. To balance such a scope of heroes, we of course need great villains, and Ivanhoe does not disappoint, rounding up (among others) the infamous Prince John and the Order of the Knights Templar.
The plot is a wonderful bit of romantic action, taking us from a tournament, to an attack on a castle, to a trial-by-combat, etc. It's everything you'd expect from a story set in the Robin Hood genre.
I've heard some complaint of Scott's shoddy historical details--that there are anachronisms aplenty to be found throughtout the work. As a one-time history major, I suppose that I'm the sort who ought to care about such things? And yet, I believe that the virtues of this novel, including its exciting plot, complicated characterizations (especially that of the Templar, Brian de Bois-Guilbert) and engrossing narrative voice make any substantial attention given to these temporal flaws a little off-point. We admit that Ivanhoe is not a solid history textbook; it was never meant to be one, and if you're looking to learn the history of the time, you should find something a bit further removed from the fiction aisle. What it was meant to be was an exciting, entertaining, enjoyable novel, and in that, Ivanhoe succeeds admirably.
Beyond just being entertaining, Ivanhoe is also a fairly sophisticated social statement, through Scott's representation of his Jewish heroes, Issac and Rebecca. Rebecca, especially, who never acts as anything less than a saint in the work, and yet is the only hero denied a happily-ever-after ending (an interesting bit of dischord at the end), points up the hypocrisy of religious intolerance rather well. I've heard that there are lots of readers who had hoped that Ivanhoe would wind up marrying Rebecca, instead of the Christian, but rather bland, lady-fair, Rowena. I am of that number, and I suspect that Scott planned it out that way.
In summary, I'm awfully glad that I managed to make myself press on, this third time around. Ivanhoe is a novel that might demand a little patience and perserverance from the modern reader, but stands ready to amply reward the efforts made. I plan on investigating Scott further in the future, and hopefully soon, before my ear once again dulls to his older, but rich and worthy voice.
A true classic and a wonderful read. Five stars.
Book Description
With Wilkin Flammock, Henry held much conference, particularly on his subject of manufactures and commerce; on which the sound- headed, though blunt-spoken Fleming, was well qualified to instruct an intelligent monarch. "Thy intentions," he said, "shall not be forgotten, good fellow, though they have been anticipated by the headlong valour of my son Richard, which has cost some poor caitiffs their lives--Richard loves not to sheathe a bloodless weapon. But thou and thy countrymen shall return to thy mills yonder, with a full pardon for past offences, so that you meddle no more with such treasonable matters."
Download Description
With Wilkin Flammock, Henry held much conference, particularly on his subject of manufactures and commerce; on which the sound- headed, though blunt-spoken Fleming, was well qualified to instruct an intelligent monarch. "Thy intentions," he said, "shall not be forgotten, good fellow, though they have been anticipated by the headlong valour of my son Richard, which has cost some poor caitiffs their lives--Richard loves not to sheathe a bloodless weapon. But thou and thy countrymen shall return to thy mills yonder, with a full pardon for past offences, so that you meddle no more with such treasonable matters."
Customer Reviews:
An enjoyable read from the late 12th century.......2001-09-03
In this entertaining volume, Scott characterizes the unrest between England and Wales in the year 1187, during the time of the Crusades. The Western Marches had not yet been subdued by English authority, and clouds of banditti continue to make inroads into English territory. Our characters are besieged in a castle that only at the moment of crisis is it put into a posture of defense to withstand the siege. A phlegmatic Fleming and his daughter form the sensible counters to the hot-blooded English family who owns the castle. Intrigues and sorcery (the product of the times), conflicts between religion, the foreign wars, infighting within the family (when a son would murder his father for his possessions) all have equal place here. A fascinating glimpse of the times, and a highly readable story make this yet another jewel in Scott's wonderful body of historical fiction.
Amazon.com
This novel, first published in 1817, achieved a huge success and helped establish the historical novel as a literary form. In rich prose and vivid description,
Rob Roy follows the adventures of a businessman's son, Frank Osbaldistone, who is sent to Scotland and finds himself drawn to the powerful, enigmatic figure of Rob Roy MacGregor, the romantic outlaw who fights for justice and dignity for the Scots. This is an incomparable portrait of the haunted Highlands and Scotland's glorious past.
Book Description
First published in 1817, Rob Roy was not only a resounding success but also one of the first historical novels of its time. Full of swashbuckling action and intrigue, it tells the story of Frank Osbaldistone, the son of a wealthy British businessman, who travels to Scotland, where he is drawn into the lawless world of the fiercely noble outlaw Robert Roy MacGregor. Osbaldistone and Rob Roy, along with the witty Diane Vernon, embark on numerous adventures during the height of the Jacobite uprising. With sweeping descriptions of Scottish landscapes and vivid characterizations, Rob Roy is an epic tale of heroism set against the backdrop of true Scottish history.
Customer Reviews:
Beware of the title.......2006-05-21
Young Francis Osbaldistone's destiny seems to have been ordained by his father - after spending time in France, he is due to be initiated into the world of trade and finance. This future though is not to Francis's taste, and after a period of protest he is instead carted off to his uncle's estate in Northumberland, near to the Scottish border. His uncle's family are a strange lot. Francis takes an immediate dislike to his scheming cousin Rashleigh, but his is more enamoured of Diana Vernon, who is staying on the estate. Soon Francis becomes embroiled in the ferment leading up to the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715.
I can't say that I've ever been too convinced by Scott - it's difficult to see, from this distance in time, why he was so popular. Perhaps it was because his subject matter was original for the time. In truth, "Rob Roy" is a very uneven novel, in large parts very laboured - as if Scott was struggling to find a way of developing the plot.
For those attracted by the title and expecting a rip-roaring tale of Highland derring-do, beware. Rob Roy himself does not feature very much in the novel until well after halfway. It's true that Scott picks up the rather laboured pace of the book in its last third, but that makes the ending feel hurried, and contributes to the feeling that the novel does not hang together satisfactorily.
Another warning is that a lot of the dialogue is rendered in Scottish dialect - so ye hae bin warrnt!
G Rodgers
Don't expect too much.......2006-02-15
Rob Roy isn't my favorite Scott. I suspect he planned a different novel and it didn't go the way intended. This is fine, if you've enjoyed Waverley, Ivanhoe, even The Fortunes of Nigel. That's the time to pick this one up. Don't judge Scott, who can be funny, romantic and witty, by this rather sluggish tale which is light on Rob Roy. If you want to enjoy a good Rob Roy story, watch the movie. By far and away the best Tartan-ripper of recent times and historically a lot more accurate than Braveheart.
Boring and confusing.......2005-02-28
I have derived many hours of pleasure from this author. My favorite is Ivanhoe. I wouldn't recommend this one, though. It is boring and confusing.
Another worthwhile historical classic.......2003-08-31
This was my first exposure to Sir Walter Scott and his concept of a historical novel. While it was enjoyable, it would have been easier to appreciate if I had read Ivanhoe first. Rob Roy is a difficult book to read and it does require some patience. The Scottish language and customs can be difficult to get through and it does start a bit slow. If you have already read Ivanhoe, this will be a bit more challenging, but definitely worthwhile. Once you get into it and the action picks up a bit and the characters have all been established, it flows much more quickly. Scott's work seems to have a pattern of establishing the characters and setting first and extensively before getting into the flow of the plot. I think this makes his books slow to get into but ultimately fun to finish.
Quaint Story of a Bohemian and his Guardian Angel.......2002-07-10
Francis Osbaldistone forgoes a position in his father's firm to pursue an existence closer to his own ideals, travel and adventure. In order to even maintain a sufficent income from his father, however, he is sent on an errand to visit relatives in Northern England, and there to locate a replacement for himself in his father's firm from amongst his cousins. Due to a mishap on the road there, however, Francis is cast into a difficult legal situation and quickly learns that there are political and passionate motives behind his being unjustly accused.
This book really reads almost as if it it two different novels. The first half of the book concerns the time that Francis spends at Osbaldistone hall, where he learns that there are undisclosed secrets, some of which implicate him without his knowledge. It is also here that he falls head over heels in love with an unattainable woman. The tension that these scenes create is palpable and enjoyable. Scott is wonderful with English dialogue and his description of the English countryside, its inhabitants, and the activities that consume their day to day existence.
Somewhere along the way, however, the book shifts gears rather dramatically, merely echoing its previous sentimentality and thought. The book becomes more active and more of a travel narrative in Scotland, where a good deal of lawlessness occurs in the hills. Here you'll find the title elusive title character embroiled in his own local political intrigues while also endeavoring to support Francis in his own quest.
Scottish dialect, while faithfully recorded, makes the reading difficult, and at some times arduous. I did find, though, that if you read these phonetically, that you quickly attain the language necessary to follow along. Take the time up front to figure out the Scottish translations and you'll be better suited when it becomes a large part of the latter half of the book.
All in all, I found this to be quite an enjoyable read, although not on the same level as "Ivanhoe," which I think is superior in just about every way. If you've already read "Ivanhoe," and enjoyed it, you will probably like this book as well. I could have potentially given this book 5 stars if I felt that if the protagonist did not have to shift gears so suddenly.
Book Description
A century has passed since the Norman Conquest, and England is still a colony of foreign warlords. Prince John is plotting to seize the throne from his brother, Richard the Lion-Hearted, and Robin Hood and his merry band are making fools out of the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Wilfred, knight of Ivanhoe, the son of Cedric the Saxon, is in love with his father's ward, Rowena. Cedric, however, wishes her to marry Athelstane, a descendant of the royal Saxon line, whom Cedric hopes will restore the Saxon succession.
With a colorful cast of chivalric knights and fair ladies, this action-filled novel comes complete with feats of derring-do, the pageantry of a tournament, and a great flame-engulfed castle - all of which makes it the most enthralling of Scott's creations.
Average customer rating:
- The original historical romance
- If you are dumb, stay away, if you are smart, dive in
- Good story, but very dry reading
- Good story, but very dry reading
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Ivanhoe (Signet Classics)
Walter Scott
Manufacturer: Signet Classics
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The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (Signet Classics)
ASIN: 0451527992
Release Date: 2001-07-10 |
Book Description
England's past comes alive in this classic tale featuring the disinherited knight Ivanhoe, his fair lady Rowena, and such larger-than-life characters as Richard the Lion Hearted and Robin Hood. A novel of the crusades, chivalry, and courtly love that not only recreated history, but made history as well.
Customer Reviews:
The original historical romance.......2005-12-23
The book that defined the genre. Set in late 12th century England, its cast includes Robin Hood, Friar Tuck, Prince John, Richad Coeur de Lion and the Knights Templar. A novel of chivalry and robber barons, battles and court intrigue, fights for justice and the love of beautiful ladies. What's not to like?
Scott's archaic and flowery language leads many to describe the book as 'dry' or 'boring', but as pointed out by other reviewers it rewards those with the brains and persistence to appreciate it. It makes for a heavy read, but captures the authenticity sought by every period novel.
If you think a 19th century romance must be sanitised or have idealised characters, rest assured. There's no lack of violence or human flaws in Ivanhoe, though modern readers may still find it a tad contrived; but that's part of the period charm. Mandatory reading for those who claim to be history buffs or connoisseurs of English literature.
This Signet edition contains Scott's original footnotes and dedicatory epistle.
If you are dumb, stay away, if you are smart, dive in.......2005-10-11
I have heard that this is "very dry reading" and that the first chapter is "the most boring chapter in Western Civilization." It is obvious to this author that the one who claimed these very drastic condemnations of the brilliant and beautiful writing of the Great Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) is, unfortunately of very little intelligence when it comes to criticizing classic literature.
How sad it is when you are in school and the redneck ignoramous reads to the class trash like Where the Red Fern Grows or the Summer of the Monkeys when they should be reading masterpieces like the incredible novel you see before you. It would produce much more enlightened children with it's vivid descriptions and historical characters such as Richard Coeur de Lion (Richard I or Richard the Lionhearted, whom as I was told by history teachers was bisexual. All part of the Gay conspiracy trying to rewrite history and say that their perversions have been all through history and make it acceptable to be gay. They say people like that were gay when there is absolutely no proof and no way of finding any proof. I question Alexander the Great's homosexuality also. Who were his conquored people? THE GREEKS. What peoples still are bitterly prejudice to the Macedonians? THE GREEKS. Who were the first queers? THE GREEKS.
Getting to the point, this novel is one of the greatest and most influential to Western Literature (and Russian Lit for that matter, for it was Scott who influenced the likes of Pushkin and Lermontov). It also tells an archetype romantic story with the stereotypical definition of a "romance" in it. The main character Wilfred wants to marry a princess named Rowena. When her father refuses, Wilfred sets out on adventures to prove his worth. He meets many of the warring tribes of the Middle Ages such as the Normans and the Templars. This novel is probably the most action packed adventure story unmatched until the likes of Alexandre Dumas, pere with novels such as The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo about twenty years after the publication of Scott's great novel.
So don't let people of very little brain convince you to turn away from magnificent works such as this when they criticize it like a reader of 4th grade level just because of a "dry and boring 1ST CHAPTER when this great novel has so much more in its 400+ pages to offer.
Good story, but very dry reading.......2002-03-12
Sir Walter Scott's tale of "Ivanhoe" is an enjoyable story, but it taxes the readers patience many times over. If you can bear with the very lengthy descriptions, and what has to be the driest, most boring first chapter of any book in Western Civilization, you will actually find yoursel drawn into the story. Two quick notes, you may want Cliff's Notes or an on-line equivalent to help keep straight as to who is who, and to help get a better understanding of the often arcane writing style. Second, this Signet classic version of the book really needs to be re-set for a more modern typeset. This book is still using the typeset from the 1962 printing, and it is very difficult on the eye. Most other classic books have since been re-set to a larger print to make it easier on the eye. "Ivanhoe" should not be an exception. (Note: other editions of "Ivanhoe" available in mass market form ARE available in an easier-to-read print, and the reader may want to consider them over this edition.)
Good story, but very dry reading.......2002-03-12
Sir Walter Scott's tale of "Ivanhoe" is an enjoyable story, but it taxes the readers patience many times over. If you can bear with the very lengthy descriptions, and what has to be the driest, most boring first chapter of any book in Western Civilization, you will actually find yoursel drawn into the story. Two quick notes, you may want Cliff's Notes or an on-line equivalent to help keep straight as to who is who, and to help get a better understanding of the often arcane writing style. Second, this Signet classic version of the book really needs to be re-set for a more modern typeset. This book is still using the typeset from the 1962 printing, and it is very difficult on the eye. Most other classic books have since been re-set to a larger print to make it easier on the eye. "Ivanhoe" should not be an exception. (Note: other editions of "Ivanhoe" available in mass market form ARE available in an easier-to-read print, and the reader may want to consider them over this edition.)
Average customer rating:
- Wonderful!
- Is tolerance the lesson?
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Ivanhoe: A Romance (Modern Library Classics)
Walter Sir Scott
Manufacturer: Modern Library
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ASIN: 0679642234
Release Date: 2001-07-10 |
Book Description
Hailed by Victor Hugo as 'the real epic of our age,' Ivanhoe was an immensely popular bestseller when first published in 1819. The book inspired literary imitations as well as paintings, dramatizations, and even operas. Now Sir Walter Scott's sweeping romance of medieval England has prompted a lavish new television production.
In the twelfth century, Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe returns home to England from the Third Crusade to claim his inheritance and the love of the lady Rowena. The heroic adventures of this noble Saxon knight involve him in the struggle between Richard the Lion-Hearted and his malignant brother John: a conflict that brings Ivanhoe into alliance with the mysterious outlaw Robin Hood and his legendary fight for the forces of good.
'Scott's characters, like Shakespeare's and Jane Austen's, have the seed of life in them,' observed Virginia Woolf. 'The emotions in which Scott excels are not those of human beings pitted against other human beings, but of man pitted against Nature, of man in relation to fate. His romance is the romance of hunted men hiding in woods at night; of brigs standing out to sea; of waves breaking in the moonlight; of solitary sands and distant horsemen; of violence and suspense.' For Henry James, 'Scott was a born storyteller. . . . Since Shakespeare, no writer has created so immense a gallery of portraits.'
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful!.......2006-01-22
No wonder this novel is a classic! I'm sure there isn't much I can add to the praises of Ivanhoe. I will just say that I enjoyed it very much. I mostly wanted to comment on the edition that I read.
I purchased The Modern Library Classics (paperback) edition. The quality of the book is fair, for a paperback. There are a few footnotes throughout the book and quite a few notes on the text in the back of the book, some were written by Scott himself. I only found a few of these notes to be helpful; as for the rest, they did nothing to enhance my understanding of the text and some left me with even more questions than when I started. Many of them refer to other books for further explanation.
Also, there are quite a few phrases throughout the story in Latin and French. Some are explained in the text while the rest are left untranslated. I wish their translations would have been included in the above mentioned notes. I wish there had been a pronounciation guide for the names of the characters as well.
I would give the book 5 stars but for the problems I mentioned above. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the middle-ages, knights, chivalry, King Richard, etc...even if you have no particular interest in these things, you should at least give the book a chance. After all, it's a classic and as with most classics, you can hardly ever go wrong.
Is tolerance the lesson?.......2006-01-10
Depending on your tastes Ivanhoe could either be considered a favorite or despised. Make no mistake - for today's average reader "Ivanhoe" is an extremely difficult read. The language was considerd archaic 200 years ago. Also, the reader must have a fair amount of knowledge about the Middle Ages - if you have never heard of the battle of Hasting or why it is significant... this is defintely not the book for you!
Personally, I found "Ivanhoe" to be both enjoyable and enlightening. While I do realize that Sir Walter Scott did make some historical errors - I found his despriction of "the Lists" to be informative.
The quality of the plot for "Ivanhoe" can not be questioned. It has all of the elements for a great read... deceipt, honour, a love triangle, prejuidices, castle sieges and battles to death! Scott's mastery of detail (sometimes a little TOO mastered) engulfs you into the world of the 12th century.
I especially enjoyed the involvement of Robin Hood, Richard The Lionheart and Prince John as main characters. Their historical involvement really helped to hold my interest.
The treatment of Jews is an interesting development throughout "Ivanhoe". Despite all the characters treating people of the jewish faith as sub-human "Ivanhoes" the last three pages show the prejuidices can be overcome and people of different faiths should learn tolerance. This is suprising stuff for the perion in which Sir Walter Scott penned it!
I found "Ivanhoe" to be very enjoyable - and at times a page-turner. The difficulty of the language was a challenge at times (and I am sure their are few plot points that I did miss), but as a whole I would suggest it to all readers who enjoy a bit of a challenge.
Book Description
On the auspicious night that Guy Mannering is shown to the house of the Bertrams of Ellengowan, the Bertrams' heir is born, and Mannering, a skeptical astrologer, predicts the child's future. Five years later the prophecy is fulfilled, and the heir, Harry Bertram, becomes the center of a plot to rob the boy of his inheritance. Harry's subsequent struggles are set against a backdrop of chaos and upheaval in a socially fragmented Scotland where everyone, from landowners to gypsies, is searching for their rightful place.
Customer Reviews:
A fun hodge-podge of a novel (no spoilers here!).......2007-02-06
I read Walter Scott for atmosphere, for mood, for humor and characterization and perhaps most of all, to listen to his voice. Scott has an endearingly present narrative persona--he's that chatty, knowledgeable, and even slightly eccentric uncle, the one with all the hobbies and interests and entirely too many books, who seems to be a kind of expert on every subject. The best Scott novels tap into this feeling of cozy kinship and exploit it, and in the end this is often more important than the story proper.
More than many other Waverley novels, more than Waverley itself certainly, Scott's second novel, Guy Mannering (1815), excels at producing this complicated, friendly, peculiar narrative hodge-podge. There's a bit of everything here, from romantic scenery to sharp satire, from a bookish name-dropping to curse-muttering gypsies. There's smugglers and kidnappers, astrologers and cranks, the Scottish lowlands and the English lake district. Like all Scott, there's old and new joyfully intermingled--a birth mystery worthy of Tom Jones yet a good deal of what would become Treasure Island. More Gothic and less historical than Waverley, more fun than Heart of Midlothian, less forced than Ivanhoe, this novel was an unexpected treat. It remains underrated and understudied.
Consider that Scott dashed this novel out in six weeks, and you'll get some idea of both his own considerable talents and also the casualness, almost carelessness of its tone. Like all of his novels, Guy Mannering should be imbibed slowly, savored rather than gulped. Kudos to Penguin Classics for tapping into the Edinburgh Edition and providing us with a cheap, well-annotated text of this neglected classic!
Addendum: Someone asked me, so I thought I'd add: this is the novel featuring Dandy Dinmont, for whom the popular terrier is named.
Great Story.......2006-09-14
There are some appalling cliches here - the mysterious gypsy, a lost infant (who turns up as a strapping handsome adult, but who still has the identifying talisman tied around his neck) - but my guess is that these weren't such cliches back in 1805 (so this predates Il Trovatore by a few decades). Even so I was completely taken with this, and found the last 100 pages to be very compelling reading, put down very reluctantly.
Best Scott so Far.......2005-10-30
This novel combines action, humor, unforgettable characters and intelligent writing. The author takes you into the landscape-you feel every bump in the road. A very accessible novel, considering Scott's other works. While I loved The Antiquarian, the Bride of Lammermoor, Waverly and Rob Roy, Guy Mannering is the best so far, with a plot that never falters and a few heroes that inspire admiration as well as inquiry. There is also little of the thick, unintelligible scot's dialect that can trip up the average reader. While Scott falls short on his female love interest,(she's only human) he excels in the character of the female lead, a brave gypsy filled with a sense of her own doom.
Please read Scott. He's good, and good for you.
Note to dog-lovers: the fun-loving Dandie Dinmont Terrier takes its name from this novel.
An exciting story.......2005-03-13
Scott's second novel Guy Mannering begins in the 1760s and concludes "near the end of the American war" in the early 1780s. Scott is deliberately vague about dates, as his focus in this novel is not on historical events or persons. The story begins with Guy Mannering's chance visit to Ellangowan the home of the Bertrams a noble Scottish family somewhat in decline. It is the night when Henry Bertram is born and Mannering an amateur astrologer sets out to make a chart of the boy's future. He is disturbed by the result however, and declines to reveal what he has foreseen, asking the family to wait five years before reading the prediction. Mannering leaves only to return some twenty years later to find that the fate of the Bertram family has become intimately connected with that of his own and that somehow, despite his own scepticism about his abilities as an astrologer, his predictions in an uncanny way have mirrored events.
Scott's skill as a storyteller is shown well in this novel. The story has a fast pace with lots of action and suspense. The major characters are confronted with the dangers of a lawless time, including murder, smuggling and abduction. Moreover, they must carry out their romances despite the disapproval of their parents. As is so often the case with Scott, much of the pleasure from reading the tale comes from the various minor characters he describes. Dominie Sampson is an unforgettable character hilariously awkward of speech and manner, constantly exclaiming "prodigious", but fiercely loyal to the Bertram family. Meg Merrilies, an unusually tall, mysterious gypsy fortune-teller, is likewise fascinating with her apparently supernatural ability to influence events. These and other characters, both the virtuous and the villainous, make the story continually interesting.
The best edition of Guy Mannering is that edited by P.D. Garside. This edition, based on the first edition and manuscript, provides the best possible text, restoring for the first time a large number of lost readings and indeed some quite extensive passages. It also has a full glossary, essential for understanding the Scots dialect and archaic words in the novel, and an extensive set of notes. Guy Mannering is a really enjoyable novel and good fun to read. It is also relatively straightforward and so would provide a good introduction to Scott's Waverley novels.
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