The Heart of Mid-Lothian

By Walter Scott

First published in 1818, "The Heart of Midlothian" concerns the Porteous Riots in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1736. After the Captain of the City Guards orders his men to fire into a crowd of people, a lynch mob hunts him down and kills him for his actions. It is famous for its graphic and gruesome descriptions of Captain John Porteous's death and is often referred to as Scott's finest novel. Contents include: "The Heart of Mid-Lothian", "Editor's Introduction to The Heart of Mid-Lothian", "Introduction to The Heart of Mid-Lothian-(1830)", "Postscript", "Introductory", "The Heart of Mid-Lothian", "Chapter First", "Chapter Second", "Chapter Third", etc. Sir Walter Scott (1771 - 1832) was a seminal Scottish playwright, poet, and historical novelist whose novels were and remain to be widely read and enjoyed the world over. Other notables works by this author include: Ivanhoe, "Rob Roy", "Old Mortality", "The Lady of the Lake", "Waverley", "The Heart of Midlothian", and "The Bride of Lammermoor". Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly rare and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.

• Language: English
• Publisher: White Press
• Release date: Jun 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9781473362864

Walter Scott

Sir Walter Scott was born in Scotland in 1771 and achieved international fame with his work. In 1813 he was offered the position of Poet Laureate, but turned it down. Scott mainly wrote poetry before trying his hand at novels. His first novel, Waverley, was published anonymously, as were many novels that he wrote later, despite the fact that his identity became widely known.

Reviews for The Heart of Mid-Lothian

[thorold_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

All sorts of critics describe this as Scott's masterpiece: I wouldn't argue with that. By taking a working class woman as his central character, he avoids the "vacuum at the centre" we get in more conventional adventure stories. The Scottish criminal law and the city of Edinburgh put Scott on his favourite ground; 1735, with the cement of the Act of Union still setting and the religious struggles of the last century still in living memory, is also pretty much the ideal historical moment for him.Of course, there is much a modern reader would quibble with: although the story gets going much faster than some of his others, we do have to put up with a certain amount of slow-moving (but vital) back-story in the early chapters, and the ending takes far longer to tie up all the threads than it might (and there's a shade too much poetic justice handed out). The Duke of Argyle and the sinister gypsy woman make rather one-dimensional good and bad fairy godmothers. Scott being Scott, the characters do occasionally forget themselves and start talking like books. We can put up with the little imperfections, though, because there is so much treasure in between. Jeanie and her old Covenanter father are simply wonderful characters; there are a couple of splendid comic lairds of the best sort; Scott guides us though the complicated legal and religious problems that drive the plot with unobtrusive expert knowledge. Reflecting on the book with hindsight, the really clever thing Scott has done is to tell the story mostly from Jeanie's point of view, sidelining Effie and her lover, who might have been the obvious central characters in a romantic adventure story. They have a passionate love affair, rob, murder, make thrilling clandestine journeys, disguise their identities, etc. - and it all happens offstage. We see their whole romantic career though the eyes of the people who have to clear up the mess. When Jeanie embarks on her epic journey to London, Scott makes us see that what is remarkable about her is the absolute conviction that she is doing the right thing and will succeed. We may think her naive; another writer might have treated the whole affair with a bit more irony and thrown more obstacles in her way; but Scott accomplishes the difficult task of making a wholly virtuous character three dimensional and interesting enough to carry a whole book without becoming either nauseating or tedious. Not a lot of people can do that.

[mbmackay · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The seventh of Walter Scott's historical novels, and one that he was especially proud of - not an opinion that I share.The book is uneven. The first half seems to lack narrative progress, and the history, such a good backdrop to his earlier novels, seems here to be too prominent and dry. Fortunately, the second half picks up the pace and is more in line with Scott at his best. The plot is based on actual events - a woman accused of child murder, and the actions of her sister. Scott adds some familiar features - a strong, slightly crazy woman, and a lost heir, giving the book a formulaic feel.Worth reading, but not my favourite.

[p_s_patrick · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Definitely above average for Scott. A gripping tale of crime, miscarriage of justice, heroism, madness, and memorable characters, all with a satisfying conclusion. Could perhaps have cut a hundred pages or so without losing its effect however.

[dinadansfriend · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A simple Scots lass journeys to London hoping to obtain a pardon for her sister, who has been falsely accused of infanticide. the novel has a large cast of conflicted characters revealing the complicated state of scot's law and society in 1736. It is sentimental but contrasts several differing attitudes according to the social status of the characters. the book was originally publish in 1818.

[antiquary_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The ending seems to me to set up a tidy hap[py ending and then deliberately ruin it, possible for a moral lesson. Aside from that, it is well done. The picture of Scottish church politics and laws regarding pregnancy is interesting.