Ivanhoe - A Romance

By Sir Walter Scott

This vintage book contains Sir Walter Scott’s 1820 historical novel, "Ivanhoe". Set in twelfth-century England, it tells the story of a Wilfred of Ivanhoe, a Saxon who has become disgraced in his father’s eyes for his allegiance to the Norman king, Richard I. Ivanhoe is considered to have had a significant influence on increasing interest in romance and medievalism in literature, and it is highly recommended for those with an interest in these genres. Sir Walter Scott (1771 - 1832) was a Scottish historical novelist, poet, and playwright - considered to be the first truly international English-language author. Many vintage texts such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive, and it is with this in mind that we are republishing this book now, in an affordable, high-quality, modern edition. It comes complete with a specially commissioned biography of the author.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Nov 27, 2015
• ISBN: 9781473375697

Sir Walter Scott

Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright, and historian who also worked as a judge and legal administrator. Scott’s extensive knowledge of history and his exemplary literary technique earned him a role as a prominent author of the romantic movement and innovator of the historical fiction genre. After rising to fame as a poet, Scott started to venture into prose fiction as well, which solidified his place as a popular and widely-read literary figure, especially in the 19th century. Scott left behind a legacy of innovation, and is praised for his contributions to Scottish culture.

Reviews for Ivanhoe - A Romance

[mbmackay · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The tenth book in Scott's series of historical novels. Anthony Trollope rates Ivanhoe as one of the greatest ever novels, up there with Pride and Prejudice and others. I'm afraid I don't agree. It is an enjoyable read, but the plot is a frequently implausible, the characters are more caricatures than believable people, and the historical "background" tends to become didactic at times. But, as a rollicking good yarn in the Biggles or Indiana Jones style, the reader should settle down and enjoy.

[darthdeverell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sir Walter Scott’s 1819 novel, Ivanhoe, tells the story of Wilfred of Ivanhoe, a Saxon knight in the twelfth century. Ivanhoe was disinherited by his father, Cedric of Rotherwood, for supporting the Norman King Richard Cœur-de-Lion and falling in love with Rowena, Cedric’s ward. Cedric had hoped to wed Rowena to Athelstane, the descendant of the great Saxon kings, in order to restore the Saxon nobility.King John holds a tournament at Ashby-de-la-Zouch Castle, at which a disguised Ivanhoe bests the Norman champion and Templar knight, Brian de Bois-Guilbert, and where Robin of Locksley splits a willow reed with his arrow as well as his competitor’s arrow, a scene that first entered the Robin Hood legend in this novel. A Black Knight also performs admirably, but departs when besieged during the melee. A major subplot focuses on the place of Isaac of York and his daughter, Rebecca, as Jews in Norman-conquered England. Scott describes how Isaac’s wealth allows him to interact with Norman society, though, as a non-Christian, the Normans hold him in the same contempt with which they view the conquered Saxons. Rebecca’s intelligence and beauty, however, attract would-be Norman suitors.After the tournament, Bois-Guilbert and Reginald Front-de-Bœuf, a fellow Norman Templar, capture Cedric and his party along with Isaac and Rebecca. In his fortress Torquilstone, Front-de-Bœuf demands an impossible ransom from Isaac in exchange for his daughter. Meanwhile, the Black Knight meets the Holy Clerk of Copmanhurst, Friar Tuck, and joins in the siege of Torquilstone with Locksley’s men. Front-de-Bœuf dies during the siege along with Athelstane, though Bois-Guilbert escapes with Rebecca as a prisoner. The Black Knight rescues Ivanhoe from the burning castle and reveals himself to be King Richard.While Locksley hosts Richard Cœur-de-Lion, Bois-Guilbert’s Templar master, the zealot Lucas de Beaumanoir, believes that Rebecca has ensorcelled his knight and plans to execute her as a witch. She demands trial by combat and a call is sent for a champion. At Coningsburgh, while Cedric plans Athelstane’s funeral, the Saxon lord is discovered to have survived his wounds. Though Cedric still hopes to wed Athelstane to Rowena, Athelstane demurs and frees her to marry Ivanhoe. Rebecca’s message arrives, and Ivanhoe, Richard, and Cedric depart for the Templar Preceptory. There, Ivanhoe fights Bois-Guilbert, who dies of natural causes in the saddle. Rebecca, now free, makes plans for she and her father to leave England for Al-Andalus (Muslim Spain), where she believes they will be free from persecution. Before departing, Rebecca visits Rowena and gives her a gift on her wedding day to Ivanhoe.Scott wrote a fictionalized history, though he sought to give it verisimilitude with references to historical sources, including those he invented such as the Norman Wardour Manuscript, which first appeared in Scott’s 1816 novel, The Antiquary. Though Robin Hood is not the main character of Ivanhoe, Scott’s portrayal of the outlaw left a lasting mark on the character’s history. Future retellings of Robin Hood included the arrow-splitting and transposed elements of Ivanhoe’s narrative on to Robin. According to Hector Hugh Munro, Scott misspelled “Cerdic,” creating the name Cedric in the English language. Further, Scott helped popularize Robin Hood as Robin of Locksley. In addition to this, while Scott’s portrayal of Jewish characters was likely progressive and sympathetic for 1820 (much like Shakespeare’s portrayal of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice was for its time), his focus on Isaac’s avaricious nature resembles the worst stereotyping of the twentieth century and has not aged particularly well. Rebecca fares better, but only in comparison to Isaac. That said, the work is a must-read for those studying English literature or who enjoy historical fiction or fantasy. This Heritage Press edition contains illustrations from Edward A. Wilson, who brilliantly captures the spirit of Scott’s text.

[sammylinn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

this is my fav book

[infantinanivetha · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A real page turner.

[doingdewey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For the modern reader, there are many complaints that could lodged against the writing in Ivanhoe (first published in the early 1800′s). Both the beginning of the book and every new character or location inspire several paragraphs of exposition. At first, I found these very detailed descriptions made it harder for me to picture the whole person or scene being described. The language was a little hard to deal with at first, with an archaic feel that reminded me most of Shakespeare out of anything I’ve read. The footnotes never explained anything of use and phrases of Latin or French were rarely translated. Finally, the author frequently breaks the fourth wall to explain to readers his choice of historical details and so on.All of that said, this book also reminded me of Shakespeare in that I got used to all of those quirks that bothered me originally. Even at the beginning it was possible to follow the archaic language and appreciate the author’s use of word-play in jests (also reminiscent of Shakespeare). In fact, as time passed and I became involved in the story, I liked the atmosphere of the archaic language. It almost felt like a bard could be reciting this story of epic chivalry and adventure. I loved how excessively honorable the good guys were and how excessively unscrupulous the bad guys were. I’m not sure how to describe it better than by referring you to any experience you have with the story of Robin Hood, because Ivanhoe is clearly the inspiration for that light-hearted approach to an adventure story. So, while this was neither the most historically accurate nor the best written historical fiction I’ve ever read, it was definitely some of the most fun.

[joe73-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great story......epic in fact. The cultural, ideological and racial tensions come together for a well written story that boils down to trust, love and friendship.

[electrascaife · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Knights errant, jousting tournaments, a king in disguise and a plot against said king, fair damosels and their various distresses, a fool who is touchingly loyal to his gruff master, naughty templars and Robin of Locksley. What else could one possibly want or need in a story? Well, maybe just a smidge less anti-Semitism, to be honest. But otherwise, this one is a hoot.(Seriously, the way Isaac of York is treated across the board by 'good' and 'bad' guys alike bothered me enough to knock me right out of the story on several occasions. Product of the times and all, I suppose, but the cavalier nature of it all sets my teeth on edge.)

[kirstie3m · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An exciting rollicking adventure, expertly written. Highly recommended.

[jaygheiser · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyable rollicking adventure with damsels in distress, Robin Hood & Merry Men, Richard Lionheart

[bkinetic_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's full of intrigue, adventure, and romance. The two women speak thoughtfully and articulately at various points, while the men speak with their swords and lances.

[sirk.bronstad · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Surprised that I liked it, with the Knights and such and so forth, and then not surprised at all.

[hobbitprincess · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The iconic novel of knights in shining armor and damsels in distress, honor and glory in early Norman England. The language is a bit stilted but today's standard, but the book is good as the classic that it is.

[nx74defiant · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Slow, difficult read.

[john5918 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I find myself re-reading this classic story again and again. It strikes a chord deep down in the emotions, although I'm not sure where and why. I love the "disinherited knight", and I suppose it's reassuring to see justice triumph in the end. Yet it is not simplistic and there are lots of strands in the story. The motif of local people living under a foreign invader is still topical in so many parts of the world.

[gmomaj · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Leather-bound edition badly worn and repaired by me. Wonderful classic story of romance and adventure.

[eyejaybee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sir Walter Scott is credited with having invented the historical novel, and his Waverley series of books were the first critical and commercially successful stories to feature fictional characters alongside historical figures, and participating in actual events.In Ivanhoe he revisited that formula, featuring a vivid cast of fictional characters interacting with King John and his Norman barons in England in 1194. The basic story is fairly straightforward, almost to the point of being predictable (though that might not have been the case in 1820): having been disowned and disinherited by his ferociously Saxon father for pledging loyalty to the Norman king, Richard I (of Lionheart fame), Wilfred of Ivanhoe leaves England to join the ill-fated Third Crusade where he covers himself in glory, battling valiantly against the Saracen. He returns to England, travelling in disguise to a major tournament in Ashby de la Zouch where, fighting incognito under the alias The Disinherited Knight, he emerges victorious on the first day after humiliating a host of proud but ineffectual Norman Barons. On the second day he fares almost as well, though the show is stolen by another anonymous knight clad in black armour who, having vanquished more Norman barons, disappears into the crowd, rather like the Lone Rnager leaving confusion in his wake as people ask, 'Who was that masked man?'There are, however, a host of other complications to the plot, and Scott manages to keep the reader's attention firmly riveted to the book. He captures the feel of the Middle Ages, and even the plethora of details about the technicalities of armour, horseback warfare and estate management in the twelfth century fail to deflect the reader's interest. Given that this was published very early on in the history of the novel as a popular art form it seems surprisingly up to date. I had started reading it with a certain trepidation, and perhaps more from a sense of duty than with the expectation of much enjoyment, but it proved to be most entertaining.

[writercity · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorite periods of time is when King Arthur ruled in England, so it wasn't hard for me to admire this tale of chivalry and valiant characters. And the characters that held those qualities, I thought, were more the outlaws than some of the knights in the story. With the humor of Wamba and the uncertain love triangles, Ivanhoe was a wonderfully fanciful story to step into.

[jvioland_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another wonderful work by Scott. Ivanhoe, the last of a Saxon noble family splits with his father by his allegiance to the Norman Richard the Lion Hearted. The events take place after Ivanhoe's return to England where he confronts a conspiracy keeping Richard prisoner in Europe. This work is considered not only the revitalization of England's love of things medieval but of the modern rendition of Robin Hood. The characters are believable and the story captivating. Too bad it is often considered a young adult novel.

[john257hopper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This classic historical romance (pretty much the inspiration for the whole genre of medieval historical fiction) is extremely well written and, from a linguistic point of view, an excellent example of the complex sentence structure often used in 19th century novels and not often today, demanding much of the reader; it is as a consequence, a challenge to read, and it took me a fortnight to get through, though this edition was only some 350 pages, and it did get a bit dull and somewhat confusing in places. Ivanhoe himself is actually a fairly minor character throughout most of the novel, and is overshadowed by a number of other characters. For much of it, the novel is actually about oppression - the oppression suffered by the Jewish characters, Isaac of York and his daughter Rebecca at the hands and tongues of Norman and Saxon alike (though the author clearly disapproves of this anti-Semitism, an opposition which is a refreshing attitude for an author of this period, it does get quite dispiriting to read when this prejudice is displayed even by characters with whom the reader is supposed to sympathise); and the oppression suffered by Saxons at the hands of their Norman conquerors (though, given that the events take place some 130 years after the Norman Conquest, the starkness of this conflict was much less clear in reality than depicted in the novel). The novel is also famous, of course, for popularising the legend of Robin Hood and coining the epithet, Robin of Locksley. Good stuff, though it drags in places.

[zumbanista · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An interesting read for me as Ivanhoe is often credited as the progenitor of the historical fiction genre, which I enjoy. I didn't love it, but was happy to have read it. Some of the issues I had were:Some, but not all, parts of the story were a little tame. I think this might be because in our era we've become inured to violence which is much more graphic and widely accepted in books, TV, movies and video games.I was glad to read this on my Kindle so I had instant access to a dictionary and Google. Many of the words I looked up were not found. I wasn't sure if this was because of the language during Scott's era or if he tried to use medieval language. My Googling ended up slowing down my reading as I became sidetracked learning about the Normans, Crusades, the Plantagents and many other interesting bits of research.The anti-semetism and role of women was very thought provoking and quite a contrast from our current era.I was unsure Scott's narrative method entirely worked for me:Example 1: using a third party to describe action (Rebecca's retelling of the assault on the castle)Example 2: slowing down the progress of the story to go back and fill in parts of prior events of some of the characters.I didn't think the "Merry Men" were adequately identified and Richard the Lion Heart was too saintly.On the plus side:The Tournament and battle scenes were very well written and engaging.The twisty resurrection was innovative.It's quite a complex plot, and understandable in spite of the archaic language.All in all, it deserves its place in classic literature, but perhaps not a "wow" for me.

[laurie.schultz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Who wouldn't love the story of the Disinherited Knight? I love adventure stories that are also about love. This one is great!

[rainpebble_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ivanhoe by Sir Walter ScottI have been wanting to reread this book about medieval knights, damsels in distress, honor, chivalry, strange heroes, etc. Ivanhoe, with the dialogue written in Old English, does not disappoint. Although the characters never spoke in less than a paragraph and the author describes every single person, setting, and event to the Nth degree, these carefully fabricated words serve to make the reader feel as though they are right there cheering in the lists alongside the populace. Ivanhoe is & has been since I first read it in 2nd grade, one of my favorite historical novels. Though Ivanhoe does not even seem to have a major role, he is worthy of the heroism we place upon his head. I loved Wamba. What a funny & odd little hero this village idiot turns out to be. The Lady Rowena as the love interest of Ivanhoe is a bit disappointing and the fact that she seems a rather flat character is probably my only complaint about this book. Rebecca is a much broader player and as such is more interesting as a lead female character. I am very happy that I read this again but do wish I had not waited so very long. Highly recommended for those who do not tire of the 'old English' language.

[meredy_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When I was a youngster, one of our favorite family activities was to play the then-familiar card game called Authors, which was basically "Go Fish" with the likes of Hawthorne, Tennyson, Longfellow, and Dickens in sets of four instead of numeric rank within suit. (Where else would you find James Fenimore Cooper on a peer footing with William Shakespeare?) Thus the face of Sir Walter Scott was more familiar to me than that of my own deceased grandmother.Scott was, in fact, an icon of classic entertainment, an author whose works were among the staples of childhood and young adult reading, with their jousting knights in armor, their chivalrous deeds and dark intrigues, their acts of high valor and foul treachery, their political allegiances and divided loyalties, their spirited damsels and their swashbuckling heroes.In ninth grade, when my classmates and I were assigned to read Ivanhoe, I met Scott like an old family friend. The affectionate greeting, however, was not returned with equal warmth. In fact, the language and substance of this novel were both so alien to me that I honestly don't know how I managed to read it at all.In those days, meaning the end of the Eisenhower administration, Ivanhoe was required reading in public schools across the U.S. I can't imagine why. I didn't hate it--I never hated anything we read in school. I was a straight-A English student throughout my scholastic career and later made language the basis of my profession. But the necessary knowledge of British history and traditional social structure, command of an archaic vocabulary, and ability to parse the convoluted style and grammar of the early nineteenth century in another culture all seem like formidable obstacles to comprehension for young teenagers, even without the adult themes and conflicts, the violence, and the very disturbing vein of institutionalized antisemitism that prevail throughout the novel.How many 14-year-olds could have been expected to get much of anything out of this? All else aside, how much knowledge of medieval England and its politics was any American highschooler expected to have? I'm amazed that there weren't dozens of more recent, more generally readable, and more culturally apt choices that were considered to be essential to the education of American young people. I got through it somehow, along with the rest of my ninth-grade class, but I missed all the adventure in a sea of confusing language, lost context, and bewildering names. What a shame that curriculum requirements, both then and now, should serve to foster lifelong antipathy toward certain works and toward reading in general when, now more than ever, literacy is an essential skill and severely weakened cultural bonds could use reinforcement.In intervening years I have read quantities of British literature and older literature and older British literature, and I feel very much at home with it. I'm comfortable with both a nineteenth-century prose style and a medieval setting. Archaic vocabulary does not trip me up, and I don't mind protracted descriptions, windy commentary, or so-called author intrusion. Still, it took me a long while to come back around to Scott.A couple of years ago I enjoyed The Bride of Lammermoor, followed by The Heart of Midlothian. After that it seemed to be time to revisit Ivanhoe. I finished it a week ago.From my present perspective, Ivanhoe is a relic, not so much of the historical period of its setting (with which Scott admitted to having taken considerable liberties) or even of the literary era in which it was written (early nineteenth century) as of a period in our European-American cultural and educational history in which youngsters read romances such as Ivanhoe voluntarily and for pleasure. Those same audiences these days would be viewing action movies for which you don't actually need a vocabulary at all.Or maybe those aren't the kids avidly watching car chases and explosions and splattering pixels of gore in first-person-shooter video games. Maybe they're among the considerably smaller number who play chess and Magic: The Gathering and Sodoku: a relatively privileged, nerdy set (privileged if only with the motive, means, and opportunity to do those things) who don't gravitate toward the lowest common denominator. In any event, their path to imaginative excitement and adventure is not via such printed words as these:=====(Excerpt begins)"I am indeed bound to vengeance," murmured Cedric; "Saint Withold knows my heart." Front-de-Boeuf, in the meanwhile, led the way to a postern, where, passing the moat on a single plank, they reached a small barbican, or exterior defence, which communicated with the open field by a well-fortified sallyport. "Begone, then; and if thou wilt do mine errand, and if thou return hither when it is done, thou shalt see Saxon flesh cheap as ever was hog's in the shambles of Sheffield. And, hark thee, thou seemest to be a jolly confessor---come hither after the onslaught, and thou shalt have as much Malvoisie as would drench thy whole convent." "Assuredly we shall meet again," answered Cedric. "Something in hand the whilst," continued the Norman; and, as they parted at the postern door, he thrust into Cedric's reluctant hand a gold byzant, adding, "Remember, I will flay off both cowl and skin, if thou failest in thy purpose." "And full leave will I give thee to do both," answered Cedric, leaving the postern, and striding forth over the free field with a joyful step, "if, when we meet next, I deserve not better at thine hand."---Turning then back towards the castle, he threw the piece of gold towards the donor, exclaiming at the same time, "False Norman, thy money perish with thee!" Front-de-Boeuf heard the words imperfectly, but the action was suspicious---"Archers," he called to the warders on the outward battlements, "send me an arrow through yon monk's frock!---yet stay," he said, as his retainers were bending their bows, "it avails not--we must thus far trust him since we have no better shift. I think he dares not betray me---at the worst I can but treat with these Saxon dogs whom I have safe in kennel. Ho! Giles gaoler, let them bring Cedric of Rotherwood before me, and the other churl, his companion---him I mean of Coningsburgh ---Athelstane there, or what call they him? Their very names are an encumbrance to a Norman knight's mouth, and have, as it were, a flavour of bacon. Give me a stoup of wine, as jolly Prince John said, that I may wash away the relish---place it in the armoury, and thither lead the prisoners." His commands were obeyed; and, upon entering that Gothic apartment, hung with many spoils won by his own valour and that of his father, he found a flagon of wine on the massive oaken table, and the two Saxon captives under the guard of four of his dependents. Front-de-Boeuf took a long drought of wine, and then addressed his prisoners---for the manner in which Wamba drew the cap over his face, the change of dress, the gloomy and broken light, and the Baron's imperfect acquaintance with the features of Cedric (who avoided his Norman neighbours, and seldom stirred beyond his own domains) prevented him from discovering that the most important of his captives had made his escape.=====(Excerpt ends)That lengthy and randomly chosen passage depicting a tense, suspenseful escape is adequately representative of the flavor of the whole. I would be willing to wager that no reader in 2013, no matter how widely read and how well versed in older literature, would have difficulty understanding how daunting four hundred pages of the same would be to today's young reader.Did I enjoy the book? I did. I was sorry when it ended. And naturally it is no fault of the author and no criticism of his literary tradition to anticipate that the present generation of readers will have little appetite for this work. Whether that should be so is irrelevant; the truth is that it is.I wonder how much longer there will be readers outside of academe who can read it at all.

[thornton37814 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In this novel we see warriors returning from the Crusades, a love story, and the trial of a young Jewess for witchcraft. This book's dated wording does not make it a particularly fun read for 21st century readers. Lady Rowena is supposed to be the leading lady of the book, but Rebecca, the Jewess, is a far more interesting character. Richard the Lionhearted plays a role in the book as well. I wanted to abandon this lengthy tome in many places, but I forced myself to keep plugging along.

[reneh-2 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book was far too slow for me. The story is good, but the language is too old for me. I had trouble finishing it. Eventually I did.

[helenliz_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you let yourself go with the flow and read this as a romance, not a history, it works really well. Scott has some scintillating characters in here: Rebecca with her grand ideals and moral stance, Brian de Bois-Guilbert who is so conflicted that he knows what he'd doing makes no sense - but continues to do it anyway, Ulrica and her troubled past, emeshed with Front-du-Boeuf and faithful fool Wamba - was ever a fool so wise? Compared to this multi-faceted cast, the romantic lead of Ivanhoe & Rowena are, to be honest, a bit wet. Ivanhoe is so terribly good, loyal, honest, caring etc that he doesn't seem to have any colour at all, while Rowena has one moment of crisis which she starts OK with defiance, but then goes entirely to pieces when she's not treated as the little princess. It all gets a little odd when we have King Richard meeting Robin Hood, (clearly the source of numerous film ideas - it really didn't happen!) and the disguises are of the literary "lets put glasses on & hide in plain sight" style - they somehow fool the occupants of the novel, but the reader has a pretty good idea who they really are.There's a lot to complain of in this - the way that history is slightly distorted to make a good tale (the joust described is later than setting, the clothing earlier), but somehow it does all work together to make a vivid scene. It's got enough action and interesting happenings to keep you reading on and I had a whale of a time reading it.

[chris_el-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gurth and Wamba son of Witless. How can one forget adventures with characters like these. Add in a few damsels in distress, saving England from a tyrant, knights that will not compromise right, and some cool jousting make this a rousing and fun medieval tale.

[miguelnunonave · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A youth novel, a heroic knight, romanticised Middle-Ages (a favourite theme in the 1800's). A classic, though you should have "outread" it in your early 20's at the latest. Otherwise, go on and stick to comic books and video games.

[wisewoman_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ah, Ivanhoe. You have it all: beautiful ladies, brave and desperate knights, daring feats in the lists, breaking lances and shattered spears, courtesy and gentility and even Robin Hood. You have all the beauty of the chivalric age... and all its ugliness, too. The bigotry of the Norman toward the Saxon is eclipsed only by the virulent anti-Semitism of the period, when reviling and even killing Jews was considered praiseworthy service to God. The story is well known: Ivanhoe, a young Saxon knight, has been disinherited by his father Cedric for daring to love his ward Rowena, whom Cedric desires to marry Athelstane, descendant of the last Saxon kings in England. In his brother Richard's absence in the Holy Land, Prince John is scheming to take the throne. Three of his strongest supporters, Bois-Guilbert, De Bracy, and Front-de-Boeuf, become involved in a kidnapping scheme to carry off Rowena as well as a young and beautiful Jewess, Rebecca, whose father Isaac of York is John's moneylender. My favorite character is Rebecca, hands down. She is supposed to be secondary to the lovely and regal Rowena, but even Scott admits that Rebecca is more interesting. Poor Rowena... she has a great moment in her defiance of De Bracy, so imperious and dignified and unbending. I was even thinking of using that passage to argue for her not being such a wimp as she is usually colored, but then Scott completely undermines her courage by saying that she only exercises it because she is so used to getting her own way in Cedric's household and couldn't imagine anyone not giving way to her wishes. When De Bracy proves a firmer man than her guardian, Rowena takes refuge in her only remaining defense: a flood of tears that routs him from the room, if not from his purpose. After that collapse, Scott mercifully does not allow her to be further tested... because she might just crumple under the pressure — !But not so with Rebecca. She is made of sterner stuff, and the scenes of her defiance toward Bois-Guilbert are thrilling to read. Who can read of her courage and not root for her, even while wishing she would bend just a little so she could survive? But then she wouldn't be Rebecca, would she? I thought the minor character of Ulrica was fascinating... a sort of precursor to the mad Bertha of Jane Eyre. There are several striking likenesses: a woman used for her beauty, insane, who sets fire to the castle of her imprisonment for revenge and perishes the night of the conflagration. Although, Ulrica wasn't locked in the attic and she is perhaps a shade more complex than the simply insane Bertha, because of her willing compliance in her degradation. In any case, it's masterful what Scott is able to do with even the minor characters. Speaking of whom, how about Wamba? Is he not the best fool ever? I don't understand why people think classic novels are dry. Scott evinces quite a wit and sense of humor with the humble jester of Cedric's household. Athelstane is another character who amuses me, with his stolid passion for food and drink while Cedric is trying to urge him to think on higher things. Haha!Ivanhoe himself is not much characterized in the story. He is very honorable and mighty in battle, faithful to a fault but not entirely free of the prejudices of his time and rank. He shows mercy to the despised Jew Isaac of York, but there is contempt mixed with his care. And I didn't much like how after his marriage to Rowena, his thoughts wandered to Rebecca "more frequently than the fair descendant of Alfred might altogether have approved." I guess that's fairly realistic though. And the villains... they don't make them like this nowadays! They are mighty men, competent, strong, honorable according to their code, and not easily thrown off. There is almost something admirable about them... and that's what makes them such splendid villains. Selfish, proud, and wrongheaded as he is, Brian Bois-Guilbert nevertheless retains a vestige of attraction and fascination. He does nothing halfheartedly. Maurice De Bracy is another villain I couldn't quite hate; he's foolish, but there is something warm and pleasant about him. At least he escaped the heavier fate of his two partners in crime, Bois-Guilbert and Front-de-Boeuf. Overall, Ivanhoe is a thrilling read, for all its intricate language and sentence structure. The characters, the romance, the humor... it's the complete package. Literary fun in the world of chivalry doesn't get much better. Recommended!

[lisamaria_c · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There was a time when Walter Scott was seen as the great novelist of his age--far superior to Jane Austen. Donizetti used one of Scott's novels for the basis of Lucia de Lammermoor. Mark Twain decried Scott's influence on Southern American culture with his "sham chivalries" Twain blamed for the American Civil War. Well, these days while Austen is triumphant, hardly anyone reads Scott anymore. Ivanhoe is the novel you'd most likely still find on shelves, its readership possibly kept alive by the film adaptations. While I wouldn't reverse the judgement of history--Austen is one of my favorite authors and in comparison Scott feels shallow--I did find this great fun when I discovered this in my teens. The history part of the historical fiction? Well, there are lots of ahistorical and anachronistic touches. By the time of King Richard I, I doubt the Anglo Saxons still kept a distinctive culture or dreamed of ever ousting the Normans, or even thought of the Plantagenets as a foreign dynasty. (Even if Richard the Lionheart didn't speak English or spend much of his reign in England.) And Robin Hood is legend, not history. I'd also say that the main characters we're supposed to be most enamored with--Ivanhoe and Rowena--seem rather bland to me. But ah, then there's Rebecca! Although one could see some anti-Semitic stereotypes in her father Isaac, if for nothing else, Scott should be given credit for creating such a strong, appealing Jewish heroine at a time when Anti-semitism was still rampant in English fiction. And I love the villain, Brian Bois-Guilbert, who isn't painted completely black but has, shall we say, some interesting qualities. And well, it's simply fun to read this--not in my opinion dry at all. It's a fun romp through history--as long as you don't ask it to be too historical.