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Waverley

3.4 of 5 stars 3.40 · rating details · 1,437 ratings · 87 reviews

Waverley is set during the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, which sought to restore the Stuart dynasty in the person of Charles Edward Stuart (or 'Bonnie Prince Charlie'). It relates the story of a young dreamer and English soldier, Edward Waverley, who was sent to Scotland in 1745. He journeys North from his aristocratic family home, Waverley-Honour, in the south of England (a...more

Paperback, 491 pages

Published February 23rd 1995 by Penguin Books (first published 1814)

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Dec 02, 2012 Nicholas rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: jacobitism

This was my first Scott novel and, aware as I was of its reputation as the first historical novel and having an interest in Jacobitism, I started it in high anticipation. However I was disappointed. Although there were a few passages which demonstrated a real talent for writing, Scott is not a great novelist. The main flaw in his writing is that he cannot do characterisation. He did not conjure up in me sympathy for the characters, especially the main character, which of course is the principle...more

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Jan 29, 2008 Katie rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: masochists and fans of the very dull

Shelves: class, fiction

From the get-go I wasn't a fan of the titular character. I found him to be quite insufferable and Scott to be a bit of a git when it comes to narration. He loves to hear himself talk (or narrate, as it were) and it it painfully obvious that this is so. The novel seemed to drag on and on, with such a seemingly abrupt neat-and-tidy ending that it's almost out of left-field. It may be one of the earliest Buildung-roman and historical novels, but I don't fancy I shall ever be able to hear the word "...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Greg Deane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley; or 'Tis Sixty Years Since was first published in 1814, inspired by tales from veterans of the '45 in which a clash of cultures, formed in his mind as a topic suitable for romance.

Waverley is set during the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, when there was a movement to restore the dynasty in the person of Charles Edward Stuart or 'Bonnie Prince Charlie'. The English protagonist, Edward Waverley has been raised by his Jacobite uncle, Sir Everard Waverley. Like Scott himself...more Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley; or 'Tis Sixty Years Since was first published in 1814, inspired by tales from veterans of the '45 in which a clash of cultures, formed in his mind as a topic suitable for romance.

Waverley is set during the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, when there was a movement to restore the dynasty in the person of Charles Edward Stuart or 'Bonnie Prince Charlie'. The English protagonist, Edward Waverley has been raised by his Jacobite uncle, Sir Everard Waverley. Like Scott himself, Edward enjoys poetry and romance, and develops a dreamy, idealistic temperament. Commissioned into the army, he finds his loyalties strained when he is sent to Scotland in 1745 when he visits his uncle's friend the Baron of Bradwardine at Tully-Veolan. His politics are coloured further as he develops an affection for the Baron’s daughter Rose, though these subside when he meets the lusty highland femme fatale, Flora.

He deviates from his Hanoverian loyalties on a visit to the Highland reaver, Donald Bean Lean, at Glennaquoich, where he is impressed by the apparent rough democratic but patriarchal society where chieftain and follower feast together, the clan cemented by ties of kinship. But this fraternisation with Jacobites compromises Edward with his regiment, so that he suffers dismissal and arrest. Rescued by Rose, Edward commits treason when he joins the Jacobites, though he grasps the improbability of the pretender’s success. Scott provides an example of an idealist who sacrifices himself to an ideal for the sake of love, rather than accept the benefits of pragmatic opportunity. When the Jacobites fail, Waverley becomes a fugitive; he is restored to the establishment because of the opportunity he had to save a grateful general at the Battle of Prestonpans. For his abandonment of the Jacobite cause, the firebrand Flora rejects him. Disappointed, he settles for second best and weds the less volatile Rose Bradwardine, who symbolises sensibility and pragmatic acceptance of the reality of a post-Union Scotland. Waverley must regretfully abandon the passionate romance of a lost cause represented by Flora.

Upon the book’s first publication, Francis Jeffrey in the Edinburgh Review observed that Scott’s powers of observation and fidelity to 'actual experience' enabled him to write 'an instructive exposition of human actions and energies' rather than 'a bewildering series of dreams and exaggerations'. Though the plot may be far-fetched and fanciful, the novel redeems itself by the plausibility of the characters’ interactions and contrasting humanities.
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Nov 25, 2012 Scott rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. The characters are annoying and flat, the situations are contrived beyond belief, and the boggy passages celebrating kitsch Scottish nationalism (arguably Scott's most long-lasting and regrettable contribution to world culture) tested my patience, but in spite of all that, there were diamonds in the rough. The earlier, more leisurely sections were stronger, where Scott gives himself time to paint domestic scenes, go into political discussions and histo...more I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. The characters are annoying and flat, the situations are contrived beyond belief, and the boggy passages celebrating kitsch Scottish nationalism (arguably Scott's most long-lasting and regrettable contribution to world culture) tested my patience, but in spite of all that, there were diamonds in the rough. The earlier, more leisurely sections were stronger, where Scott gives himself time to paint domestic scenes, go into political discussions and historical digressions, and generally fill in the picture of the time and place. The second half was weaker: Scott simply seems to be rushing to resolve all the complications he set up for Waverley -- only a few pages are spent on the actual battles and machinations of the rebellion in action, and most of the action hinted at in the beginning happens off-stage.

And Waverley himself is a doubtful character, despite Scott's efforts to make him sympathetic -- a self-absorbed passive naif whom things happen to, but demonstrates little or no volition of his own; yet a naif who somehow manages to be extricated from every difficulty with his honor and prospects intact, mostly due to his position and fortune by birth. He gets a better ending than he deserves.

What redeems the novel is Scott's sly humor, the subtle irony that underlies the novel and the whole enterprise of hagiographic historiography and the model of romantic literature Scott ostensibly followed. The most obvious example of Scott's irony is the chapter in which Waverley meets with Flora at the waterfall, where the toxic combination of the scenery and his romantic imagination push him over the abyss into infatuation. Scott milks the scene for all it's worth, and then some, with a broad wink to signal that the whole thing is written somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Once you tune into it, the irony peeks out everywhere, like granite outcroppings in a grassy pasture, from just below the surface: he takes his subject matter seriously, yet refuses to entirely buy into the self-serving myths he builds up with his right hand, and undermines with his left. Waverley's romantic, literary interpretations of his world, Fergus's petty self-aggrandizing political machinations, Flora's blind, fanatical, obsessive and ultimately destructive devotion to the cause, Brandawine's absurd pretensions, and even the Prince's optimistic, chimerical faith in his rag-tag and bickering band of partisans: the novel could be read as a farce lightly disguised as a tragedy, a parody of the romantic myths of heroism to which it purports to pay homage, a witty treatise on the effects delusions of grandeur can have in politics and history, in the best eighteenth-century satirical tradition. Scott may have infected the genre of historical fiction with nationalist kitsch, but he also provided the antidote.(less)

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Mar 20, 2012 Francis rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

twas a bit o trouble

I like classics. I am not afraid of a little bit of antiquated language. I enjoy a challenge. However reading dialogue in archaic Scottish brogue, liberally seasoned with Latin and French quotes, without translations, well it twas a wee bit much – if you kin me meaning.

Then there his Waverly lad, he is also a wee bit much. A proud Englishman, who has a couple of brews with the local lads while in Scotland, reads some poetry, falls for a pretty yet serious Scottish lass, then...more

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Jul 24, 2011 John rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Waverly" is the first of Sir Walter Scott's novels and tells the story of young Edward Waverly. Waverly is born into a landed family and is not particularly close to his father. His comforts are largely provided by an uncle, and Waverly grows and educates himself with the countless romantic volumes of the time. He is a dreamer, and his personal adventure begins when a commission is purchased for him and he enters the military life.

Waverly and his company are posted to Scotland, where Waverly is...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Perry Whitford rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Waverley is the first of Walter Scott's volumes blending romanticism and history and may lay claim to being the first historical novel as we understand it, where fictional characters mingle with actual figures from the past and act out dramas against the backdrop of seminal and pivotal events from the past. The sub-title is "Sixty Years Since" because, written in 1805, Waverley recounts the second Jacobite rebellion of 1745, which was the last desperate throw of the dice for the Stuart line of k...more

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Jul 04, 2009 Miriam rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: scotland

I particularly like Scott's introduction to the 1829 edition in which he gives "some account of the incidents on which the Novel of Waverley is founded. . . the mutual protection afforded by Waverley and Talbot to each other." The real life counterparts are Alexander Steward of Invernahyle and Colonel Whitefoord, an Ayrshire gentleman. p.286-7

"I will not slip my dog before the game's a-foot." (Now I understand; Sherlock was using hunting terminology.) p. 132

"Ah! if you Saxon Duinhe-wassal (Engli...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Andrew rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Andrew Hook opens his editor's introduction with this claim: "Waverley . . . may not be the best novel of the nineteenth century, but it may well be the most significant."

What strikes my fancy about Waverley is that it seems to me like a predecessor of some of the great English stories of the 1990s and 2000s, often told in film. I'm thinking, for instance, of Billy Elliott - a hilarious film which is also bleak and deeply affecting in its portrayal of the impact of the Thatcher years on northern...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Patrick rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The story thoroughly covers both sides of the last battle on English soil. Edward Waverly is a vessel to explore both sides of the issues that were at stake in civil conflict of 1745. Waverly bounces around southern Scotland to present a variety of interesting and fun characters, the Baron of Bradwardine being the most memorable. The author puts the reader in the throws of history by meeting Prince Charles II and following the internal friction within the rebellion. The account of Waverly as a f...more The story thoroughly covers both sides of the last battle on English soil. Edward Waverly is a vessel to explore both sides of the issues that were at stake in civil conflict of 1745. Waverly bounces around southern Scotland to present a variety of interesting and fun characters, the Baron of Bradwardine being the most memorable. The author puts the reader in the throws of history by meeting Prince Charles II and following the internal friction within the rebellion. The account of Waverly as a foot soldier about the charge the field has resonance to what is developed by Stephen Crane at the end of the century--what was it like to be there and about to charge?

The most interesting aspect of the novel is the consistently playful direct addresses to the reader. As though the author is trying to have a conversation with the reader. At the beginning of Volume II Mr. Scott teases the reader with "Shall this be a short or a long chapter." The humor in the story is rather dry and often addressed directly to the reader, but works well within the story.

The genesis of a new genre in literature is the mark of true genius. Sir Walter Scott belongs upon the rarest of artistic pedestals for introducing a new form. By combining contemporary history and fiction, the author reaches into the near past in order to present a slice of the culture of Scotland. Mr. Scott combines his art with his personal passion, which is to present and preserve aspects of Scottish culture, to create a distinct genre.

Branching off from poetry, Mr. Scott used prose to present a subject that was dear to him, the history of Scotland, and mixed it with a healthy dose of compelling story to create a novel in a category wholly unknown to literature. Sir Walter Scott opened the door for a new type of storyline with mix of part fiction, part history lesson drenched in dramatic irony. Literature will remain indebted to artists like Sir Walter Scott, who was able to mix his passion and his art to form to grow a branch of literature wholly new to storytelling.

p.19 Youth, he had always heard, was the season of learning.
p.78 He had now time to give himself up to the full romance of his situation.
p.237 I cannot tell what to make of you; you are blown about with every wind of doctrine.
p.253 Nobody dare laugh at him, so his absurdity goes for nothing.
p.296 Danger and misfortune are rapid though severe teachers.(less)

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Nov 24, 2008 Leigha rated it 1 of 5 stars

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Feb 05, 2013 George Tyson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Walter Scott continues to amaze me. The fact that he invented the genre of "historical fiction" isn't even his greatest accomplishment. The fact is, he was a best-selling author in his time - so much so that his books provided him with two separate fortunes. He lost his first one in an ill-fated publishing venture that left him with crushing debts. However, he refused to declare bankruptsy and stiff his many creditors. Instead, he doubled down on his writing in order to sell even more books. At...more Walter Scott continues to amaze me. The fact that he invented the genre of "historical fiction" isn't even his greatest accomplishment. The fact is, he was a best-selling author in his time - so much so that his books provided him with two separate fortunes. He lost his first one in an ill-fated publishing venture that left him with crushing debts. However, he refused to declare bankruptsy and stiff his many creditors. Instead, he doubled down on his writing in order to sell even more books. At the time of his death, he'd repaid every penny that he owed.

Although he is best known for his fiction, Scott also wrote books that pertained to Scottish folklore and, indeed, played in key role in preserving that portion of Scotland's cultural heritage. One of his works - an alleged transcription of a minister's account of his life with the fairies - is a classic of world folklore and is arguably the most celebrated work of folklore that came out of Scotland. (It's published today as "The Secret Commonwealth of Fairies" although that wasn't it's original title.) Another of his works is a treatise on the role of ghosts in Scottish criminal trials. (Scott himself was a lawyer.)

Scott was also a poet who accomplished the astonishing fete (at least by today's standards) of writing a poem ("The Lady of the Lake") that became a world-wide best seller. (Note that she isn't the Lady of the Lake from the Arthurian legend.)

"Waverly" was Scott's first novel and was literally an overnight success. It is typical of the novels that came after it: a romantic theme that is soaked in Scottish history; a strong plot; vivid characters; and a basic respect for human frailties and differences. It also showcases Scott's command of the English language - his descriptions of people and places can be very evocative. I might add that he uses a lot of big words that we don't use today even though most of them are still in the dictionary. (I suspect that, although literacy back then was less common than it is today, it probably attained a higher average level.)

"Waverly" is a good place to begin if you want to test the waters with Scott. It is set against one of the most romantic and tragic periods of Scottish history - the Jacobite rebellion of 1745 that attempted to restore a Stuart king to the English throne. That "lost cause" resulted in the destruction of the native Scottish aristocracy and many of the highland clans. And if you get hooked on Scott, there's some very good news: he wrote enough great novels to keep you reading for years.(less)

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Feb 08, 2013 Angus Mcfarlane rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic, historical-fiction

A novel written 200 years ago, set 60 years earlier again in the months before the return of the Bonnie Prince. As might be expected, the pace is slow, especially at the beginning where Walter Scott is at pains to describe the character and circumstances of the 'hero' of the tale, Edward. Eventually after time serving in the army, Edward takes leave of absence and journeys the highlands meeting warriors and maidens as he, and we, become acquainted with the unspoiled wilderness of Scotland.
Slowl...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Bill Kerwin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 19th-c-brit, historical-fiction

Waverly, or 'tis Sixty Years Since can be an infuriating book. Even those accustomed to the leisurely movement of 19th century prose will find its style not only wordy but also infelicitous, its plot not only meandering but also digressive. It takes at least a quarter of the book—-perhaps a third—-to get the plot going, and I must admit that one comic character in particular--the Baron Bradwardine, who continually spouts Latin tags, lecturing all and sundry on the minutiae of family history and...more
Waverly, or 'tis Sixty Years Since can be an infuriating book. Even those accustomed to the leisurely movement of 19th century prose will find its style not only wordy but also infelicitous, its plot not only meandering but also digressive. It takes at least a quarter of the book—-perhaps a third—-to get the plot going, and I must admit that one comic character in particular--the Baron Bradwardine, who continually spouts Latin tags, lecturing all and sundry on the minutiae of family history and heraldry—was almost enough, all by his aristocraic self, to make me abandon the book.

And yet . . . when we get to the Highlands, things start to open up. The scenery and tableaux vivants—from Donald Bean Lean lowering in his robber cavern, to the bonny Flora MacIvor harping and singing on a height near a highland waterfall--are thrillingly gothic, delightfully romantic; yet, as our young hero Edward Waverly—a bit of a Quixote—encounters the people of this magnificent landscape, the reader discovers—as Waverly also discovers--that even the best of them are deeply affected by politics, and that most of them are incapable of making a decision without considerable political calculation.

It is this political consciousness that makes Waverly--and all the Scott novels that came after--a unique contribution to the development of the form. He is commonly considered the first historical novelist because--unlike Mrs. Radcliffe, "Monk" Lewis and others--he uses the past for more than exotic locales, and establishes his narratives firmly in time, with characters who exhibit contemporary manners and participate in historical events. All of this is true, although I think it could be argued that a few earlier novels--Clara Reeve's The Old English Barron, Godwin's St. Leon, and, most particularly, Edgeworth's Castle Rackrent (set "eighteen years since," before Ireland's Constitution of 1782)--make good attempts in this direction. But it is Scott's profound understanding of politics--particularly Scottish politics--and his precisely delineation of how those politics often inform and sometimes determine even the simplest actions, that enabled him to combine a lawyer's realism with a romantic's love of atmosphere, creating from their union a distinctly new kind of novel.

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Jul 29, 2012 Julianne rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Often regarded as the English language's first historical novel; and that's the only reason to read it. If you're the sort of person who loves firsts for their own sake, if you get all nostalgic and teary over the original Apple computer or "the first instance of a post-modern epic poem by a Jewish Native American" then by all means, go right ahead. Personally, I like to give new concepts some time to get perfected. In other words, early bicycles = not for me. Early motion pictures...nah, I'll h...more

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Jun 05, 2011 ·Karen· rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 19th-century, brits

Wily Walter may have been engaged on his first prose narrative, but he knew what he was doing: "I must remind my reader of the progress of a stone rolled down a hill by an idle truant boy (a pastime at which I was myself expert in my more juvenile years:) it moveth at first slowly, avoiding, by inflection, every obstacle of the least importance; but when it has attained its full impulse, and draws near the conclusion of its career, it smokes and thunders down, taking a rood at every spring, clea...more Wily Walter may have been engaged on his first prose narrative, but he knew what he was doing: "I must remind my reader of the progress of a stone rolled down a hill by an idle truant boy (a pastime at which I was myself expert in my more juvenile years:) it moveth at first slowly, avoiding, by inflection, every obstacle of the least importance; but when it has attained its full impulse, and draws near the conclusion of its career, it smokes and thunders down, taking a rood at every spring, clearing hedge and ditch like a Yorkshire huntsman, and becoming most furiously rapid in its course when it is nearest to being consigned to rest for ever. Even such is the course of a narrative, like that which you are perusing; the earlier events are studiously dwelt upon, that you, kind reader, may be introduced to the character rather by narrative, than by the duller medium of direct description; but when the story draws near its close, we hurry over the circumstances, however important, which your imagination must have forestalled, and leave you to suppose those things, which it would be abusing your patience to narrate at length." (page 331). Indeed, in the second and third volumes the narrative does smoke and thunder. Once Waverley is in Scotland and in the midst of the action, the pace picks up, and when in the final volume there is the added interest of the ladies and whether Waverley will at last realise which lady holds his best interests at heart, and all the intrigue is at last uncovered, and the rebels must be punished or pardoned, well, then it takes on a spanking pace that hardly allows you to draw breath. The contrast is made all the greater by the slow, slow drag of those infamous first seven chapters. I'm not the first to bemoan their dullness, and I daresay I won't be the last.

Nor is it particularly original of me to point out that this is considered the prototype of the historical novel, especially in the use of a 'middling' character as the main protagonist, one who could enter both the higher echelons of society and yet still be at home with the ordinary foot soldier. Scott claims in his preface of 1829 that the story was put together "with so little care that I cannot boast of having sketched any distinct plan of the work.", but that claim must surely be disingenuous, as this middling character, Waverley, is involved in what can only have been seen by his sovereign as a treasonous uprising, but is exculpated and pardoned as he was duped and tricked into joining the rebels in a plot that is carefully laid down and swiftly, nay even perfunctorily explained in the last few chapters.

So with this carping how come I still give it four stars? Well, for one thing I find the portrayal of that period fascinating, to gain a glimpse of those Highland clans and their quite different culture. It must be remembered that the Highlands of Scotland really were remote in the middle of the 18th century, their loyalties were based on the structure of the clan, it was in no sense a modern society. In fact that was an interesting aspect: in our time we tend to think only in terms of ideology when taking sides in any kind of political conflict, but here the idea of personal fealty is still the strongest factor, homage given in return for favour expected. And the attitude to the ladies also shows up the demarcation between an archaic and a more modern society: Waverley's friend Vich Ian Vohr thinks nothing of deciding for his sister who she is to marry, since he is her legal guardian, whereas Waverley cannot consider taking a wife who does not give her hand freely.

A tough read, but rewarding for those interested in British history or the development of the historical novel.

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Nov 09, 2010 heather rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, fiction, school

the writing style is difficult for sure, especially if you aren't someone who regularly reads 18th or 19th century English fiction. but for all that, this book is a truly fascinating cultural document. can be read in so many different ways, shedding light on so many different aspects of British society: imperialism, feminism, politics, travel, education, class... the list is too long to detail in full. highly recommended for anyone who has an interest in the development of fiction - this book is...more

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Jun 26, 2010 Susan Carpenter rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is commonly thought of as the first historical novel, and people have followed Scott's pattern ever since. It was also a best-seller of the first order. Published in 1814, it sold out the first printing (several thousand copies) within a month and had to have a second printing right away. The setting is Scotland during Bonnie Prince Charlie's rising of 1745; the main character, Edward Waverley, falls hard for the Scottish Cause, and has many adventures but ends up on the winning (Engli...more

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May 07, 2013 Bettie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic, published-1815, re-visit-2013, britain-scotland, historical-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 25, 2008 Boris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, it's actually the Edinburgh edition that I've read.

This is Scott's first novel, and one of the best of his I've read. I won't add much with this review to a book that's been exhaustively discussed for almost two hundred years. Scott was a sort of romantic rationalist -- he admired the Scottish traditions of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but knew that the future of his country lay in the modern and "English" ways that were established by the early nineteenth century, and saw the...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Hannah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic

A beautiful historical fiction (the first!) surrounding the 1745 Jacobite Uprising. A likeable protagonist, Edward Waverley, finds himself siding with the Scottish Highlanders and Bonnie Prince Charlie against the current English monarchy. Through meeting the MacIvor clan and traveling to the Highlands, Waverley experiences the Romantic sublime and learns to make decisions. Scott's incredible imagery throughout the novel provides the reader with spectacular visuals, even in the midst of battle.

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Feb 10, 2009 Bentley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics

Tragically under-paced relevant to a modern audience: if not for this, I think Sir Walter Scott would still be one of the most popular authors today. The depth of access Scott's cultural presentation provides enriches the novel while the characters and storyline compel your entry. I'd read it again but I'd rather read another one (and it is a tad bit long). There are nuggets of thoughts and beautifully portrayed moments that will long remain with me, however; I was impressed.

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Jan 27, 2010 David rated it 5 of 5 stars

Scott's first novel, came out around 1812 I think, the first of the Waverley Novels. Caused a sensation at the time, young girls fainting, everybody grabbing the next instalment, author's identity concealed, etc etc. Can't imagine it happening now over a book. Gripping story, drenched in historical atmosphere. Better spend a few hours with Scott than waste them on some rubbish like Avatar. My 3D glasses kept sliding off, but fortunately the seats were comfortable so I could get a kip.

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Feb 23, 2013 Charles Grimm rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: assigned-reading

I read Scott's Waverley for a theory of the Novel class, where Scott was presented as the only author ever successfully to write true historical fiction, meaning that the main character is history itself as Scott weaves his story of "sixty years since" to show the fall of the aristocracy through the Scottish clans and the rise of the domesticated subject through Waverley. Because this is clearly known now, this novel has much less relevance and is thus not popularly read.

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Jul 25, 2012 Jessi rated it 1 of 5 stars

The biggest shit sandwich I've ever read. Longwinded, boring, and next to impossible to finish. I even listened to the audio book while I was reading to try to shove it up my brain, and it was still terrible. Never mind that Scott got "golden" reviews on it and it became a bestseller. He wrote the fucking reviews himself, and that's no lie. This book and its sequels are proof that people will claim to like anything if it's what everyone else is doing. Boo.

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Mar 30, 2008 Kathryn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book took me forever to get into--mostly because of the style. I never realized people were making fun of Scott when they talked about "our hero," but if he said that once more in reference to Waverly, I would probably have gone insane.

Once they got to the rebellion itself and Waverly's part in that, the pace seemed to pick up. All of the wandering around gathering local Scottish color bogged me down (read: the first 300 pages).

By the last few chapters outlining the respective ends of Fergu...more

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May 30, 2011 Becca rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

This book is often credited with being the reason for the popularity of the novel in the 19th century. Written in the mid 1800s, this paints a picture of the world "60 years since", with the civil unrest in Scotland and the Stewart dynasty. This is a fascinating, historically accurate, literarily excellent novel that is certainly worth your while. Meet the Highland chiefs in a romanticized adventure and such unique, witty, and well-rounded characters. It is partly a mystery story which is intrig...more

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Apr 04, 2012 Joseph rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: re-read

I read this book for a class while I was an undergraduate and while I enjoyed it then, I didn't really "read" the book, I *read* the book for class purposes, for the point of passing a test and writing a paper. So I've added it to the Re-read shelf, figuring that I will gain a greater appreciation of the novel when I read it for my own enjoyment.

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Dec 14, 2009 Todd Wells rated it 3 of 5 stars

The book started extremely slow and the Gaelic was a difficult to understand at times. Waverly's character was not terribly likable however, he seemed to gain in complexity as the novel progressed. The book gave me good insight into the Highland/Scottish cultures (260 years since) and was immensely entertaining once the insurrections began.

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Oct 09, 2009 Nathalie Nelson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I learned a lot about the culture of the Scottish Highlands. More than I had ever known before. I found some of it hard to follow and I was annoyed with it for that reason. Once I got past that I did enjoy the story and it was well written, some spots better than others.

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About Walter Scott

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Sir Walter Scott was born on August 15, 1771 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Scott created and popularized historical novels in a series called the Waverley Novels. In his novels Scott arranged the plots and characters so the reader enters into the lives of both great and ordinary...more

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Trivia About Waverley

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Quotes from Waverley

“Once upon a time there lived an old woman, called Janet Gellatley, who was suspected to be a witch, on the infallible grounds that she was very old, very ugly, very poor, and had two sons, one of whom was a poet, and the other a fool, which visitation, all the neighbourhood agreed, had come upon her for the sin of witchcraft.” — 3 people liked it

“Nothing perhaps increases by indulgence more than a desultory habit of reading, especially under such opportunities of gratifying it.” — 1 person liked it

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avg rating	preview: Waverley Goodreads rating: 3.40 (1437 ratings)
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Waverley

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