By turns thrilling and comic, Rob Roy contains Scott's most sophisticated treatment of the Scottish Highlands as an imaginary space where... read full description
reviews
Oct 06, 2011
Henry
rated it: 
The protagonist in Rob Roy is Francis Osbaldistone not the title character!(Makes a better name,Roy)Francis a spoiled son of a rich London businessman,who would rather write poetry than work for his father.Sent to his uncle's estate as punishment in northern England,bordering simmering Scotland.He soon becomes involved in a feud with his cousin Rashleigh(youngest and smartest of six brothers!).A woman Diana is the main reason(isn't it always?).This being 1715 a revolt soon brakes out, Rashleigh
More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Aug 31, 2011
Maria Grazia
rated it: 
Modern historical fiction is quite well-appreciated and well-sold both among male and female readers. There's been a huge spreading of best- selling authors and series in the latest years. But where does this genre come from, actually? The Father of the Historical Novel was Sir Walter Scott ( 1771 - 1832 ) who started the publication of a long series of successful volumes to pay back his debts with Waverley (1814). The story takes place between Scotland and England in the years of the second
More...
Oct 29, 2011
I will without a doubt be the only person to check this book out of the Guabuliga Public Library. After all, I could not understand a good portion of the book, given all the Scottish slang and odd accents, as well as the mass of historical details on which I wasn't all that clear. Now I know a little more about the conflict between the two kings, George and James (I think) and the failed Jacobite uprising in Scotland.
The English that wasn't Scottishly distorted was of great elegance More...
The English that wasn't Scottishly distorted was of great elegance More...
2 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Aug 05, 2011
Vicky
rated it:
Not at all what I expected. For one thing, the book is not really about the Rob Roy character at all, but about the Narrator Frank & his relationship with his father, where that takes him & his affection for Diana. We didn't really find out who Rob Roy was until more than half-way through the book - he stayed mysterious. However, for me, the real mystery was what was going on with Cousin Rahleigh and with Diana and her mysterious man-friend.
I liked how our hero grows up during the More...
I liked how our hero grows up during the More...
Jun 16, 2010
Vicki
rated it:
This was one of the only books I had ever not finished, so I decided to pick it up again and I was determined to get through it. So I got it from the library on audiobook, thinking that I had to commute to work anyway, and that would effectively trap me into getting all the way through this book. Besides, I remembered how confusing Scott's written form of the Scottish accent was the first time I tried to get through it, and thought that it might be easier to understand if I listened to it. I'm s
More...
Dec 28, 2011
Angrygrizz
rated it: 
I pretty much love this book on every level. It's hilarious, I love that Rob Roy is introduced as a peripheral character (keeps the author from speculating on what actually was his mentality too much...). I really enjoyed the view it gave of Scotland during that time period. The characters were all extremely well developed and distinct from one another, and they complimented each other exceptionally well in the overall plot. I saw that some people complained that they couldn't understand the
More...
Oct 08, 2011
Nerida
rated it:
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 t
More...
Aug 06, 2011
Nerida
rated it:
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 t
More...
Sep 28, 2011
Perry
rated it: 
Rob Roy was a kind of Scottish Robin Hood in the late 17th/early 18th century, who defied the protestant English hegemony yet lived to tell the tale when the Jacobites were crushed. A stirring figure, he certainly enlivens this novel - when he actually appears in it, which is not often.
The narrator of the novel is Frank Olbaldistone, the romantic son of an English money speculator and the central weakness of the story. He is clearly a romantic figure who an early 19th century audience may More...
The narrator of the novel is Frank Olbaldistone, the romantic son of an English money speculator and the central weakness of the story. He is clearly a romantic figure who an early 19th century audience may More...
Aug 23, 2009
Chad
rated it:
"Rob Roy" is my first Walter Scott novel, but I became a quick fan as I was entangled in his writing style, which focuses more on verbose and intricate language than it does on a straight-forward plot. I'm sure this style would be a turn-off to many readers, but it was right up my alley. The descriptions are lush when they need to be, the character development is spelled out rather bluntly, and much of the dialogue requires far more effort to decipher than I'm used to (making out the
More...
Dec 12, 2010
Adi
rated it:
Getting back to it, after abandoning it for a few years.
The book is totally worthy of its reputation.
The book is totally worthy of its reputation.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jun 07, 2011
Jeff
rated it:
The first half of the book drags a little bit. Okay, it drags a lot in places. But you can definitely see where that episodic style of literature that was to become so popular in the Victorian Age originated. Scott's prose is meaty...sometimes rambling. And the Scottish dialects are at times hard to decipher. But his characters are vibrant, and the plot is interesting (in places). A word of warning: if you've seen the Liam Neeson version of the tale on the big screen, don't expect the nove
More...
Jul 31, 2011
Phil
rated it:
I didn't actually read the Penguin Classics version, my edition is actually from 1829, so I wanted to get that out of the way first.
I didn't care much for this book. I was expecting something more like the movie with Liam Neeson, but most of this novel (as I recall) didn't have Rob Roy in it at all. I was surprised and not a bit displeased that Roy had such a comparatively minor part in his own novel. That was probably what put me off the most. But also, I am not a big fan of the romantic style More...
I didn't care much for this book. I was expecting something more like the movie with Liam Neeson, but most of this novel (as I recall) didn't have Rob Roy in it at all. I was surprised and not a bit displeased that Roy had such a comparatively minor part in his own novel. That was probably what put me off the most. But also, I am not a big fan of the romantic style More...
Aug 27, 2010
Suzanne
rated it:
There were some interesting parts here, but overall, I did not enjoy the book. I admit I listened to it on audio rather than reading it. I actually listened to the entire book twice to pick up on the confusing parts a second time in hopes of understanding it better. The book was read in a heavy Scottish accent. At one point a character was mentioned that sounded like "Billy Graham." I thought what a coincidence! This book has the same name as the famous evangelist. Later I disc
More...
Oct 25, 2008
Howard
rated it:
First a warning: the movie “Rob Roy” has little to do with the novel “Rob Roy,” except that they share the titular character. I was 250 pages into this book before I finally realized this was the case. I wouldn’t want the rest of you to make a similar error.
The story is a bit complicated. The book jacket says this is a tale set in the Jacobite Uprising of 1715, which sounds exciting, but is true only to the extent necessary to sell this book to you. The plot is much more subtle than More...
The story is a bit complicated. The book jacket says this is a tale set in the Jacobite Uprising of 1715, which sounds exciting, but is true only to the extent necessary to sell this book to you. The plot is much more subtle than More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Sep 20, 2008
Cory
rated it: 
This book was death. And it wouldn't end. I just could not get past the language in two ways:
(1) Get to the point. Sir Walter Scott apparently decided that there is no reason to use one word when five will suffice. For instance, rather than saying that a character was hungry because he ate lunch earlier than usual Scott notes instead that the character was hungry because "he had ante-dated his meridian repast, having dined at twelve instead of one o'clock, then the general More...
(1) Get to the point. Sir Walter Scott apparently decided that there is no reason to use one word when five will suffice. For instance, rather than saying that a character was hungry because he ate lunch earlier than usual Scott notes instead that the character was hungry because "he had ante-dated his meridian repast, having dined at twelve instead of one o'clock, then the general More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Aug 08, 2008
Galen
rated it:
It has been a while since I have thought about British history, so it took me a while to remember the background to this story (Jacobitism and all). However, the majority of the story follows Francis Osbaldistone, a young man who does not want to follow in his father's footsteps in accounting and is thus disowned and sent off to live with his uncle in the North of England. Here, he is tangentially introduced to some of the characters involved in the Scottish uprisings, but more centrally meets
More...
Dec 09, 2007
Silvana
rated it:
It is one of those books that (after reading it) makes you wonder what's really happened and why all the fuss about it. At the end of the first half, the titular character only appeared twice! This book's should be titled "The Adventure of Francis Osbaldistone in Scotland."
Francis was the son of a wealthy merchant, who denounced him because he refused to follow his father's footstep and sent him to live with his uncle in the border between England and Scotland. There he met More...
Francis was the son of a wealthy merchant, who denounced him because he refused to follow his father's footstep and sent him to live with his uncle in the border between England and Scotland. There he met More...
Nov 16, 2011
Craig
rated it:
One of the best written books I have yet to read. Scott enveloped me in the world of northern England and the highlands of Scotland. Roy is not even present for most of the novel, but the other characters, Francis Osbaldistone, Die Vernon, Andrew Fairservice, and Bailie Jarvie all convincingly lead us through this tale of adventure and romance (read more action/adventure romance, less Austenish romance). Also fun to read for the thick Scottish accents well scribed by Scott, which add to the e
More...
Jan 16, 2009
Laura
rated it:
I'm a fan of Scott after reading Ivanhoe and Kenilworth. However, I found this one very heavy going. The story starts well but, once Francis goes to Scotland, most of the dialogue descends into early 18th Century Scottish dialect which makes it very heavy reading. It becomes difficult to follow who's who let alone what's happening.
Although I hate leaving books before the end, I don't know if I'll finish this.
Although I hate leaving books before the end, I don't know if I'll finish this.
Jan 18, 2011
Kari
rated it:
I liked The Talisman better because I actually read all the words. :) There's Scottish stuff in here, which I understand, but after a while you get tired of thinking through how all you've read means that so-and-so said something to someone else, and you think maybe it would be okay to skip to the next paragraph, and the next. So whilk I ken there's mair to the tale, I dinna read ilka syllable, and next thing I know, the characters have gone 50 scots miles and I've missed it.
Jan 02, 2012
Philip
rated it:
Not an easy read - not so much because of the length or the subject matter but because of the language. A lot of Scottish dialect is used which makes much of it slow going and some parts unintelligible. An intriguing insight into the politics of Scottish/English relations in the late 18th century it also shows how personal relationships and ambitions can play a significant role in international politics. Only for the determined reader.
Oct 24, 2011
Dennis
rated it:
This didn't have as much excitement for me as I would have hoped, sort of a dampened-down adventure story with few twists and turns and a fairly predictable outcome. (I'm also unmoved by Jacobite rebellions; just can't relate, sorry, alñthough I'm aware of all the problems they caused.) Still, it was well-written and enjoyable for me.
Jun 15, 2009
Donna Jo
rated it:
I'm certainly glad that writing styles have changed since 1817 when this was printed. Some of his paragraphs were like picking through a minefield to find the meanings. And it took him the first two and a half pages to say "I'm going to write a memoir of an interesting incident in my youth, and a whacking good story it is."
10.2
10.2
Aug 21, 2011
Kailey
rated it:
Absolutely marvelous! Full of non-stop adventure and intrigue. Pure genius! There's more humor than Scott usually adds in, and the characters are deep and colorful. It exceeded my expectations in every respect.
I just laughed, and ached, and nearly cried, and sat on the edge of my seat. I gasped in surprise, and exclaimed, "I knew it!" sometimes. I recoiled in horror and bit my lip with frustration. I was so immersed in the whole world of Rob Roy and Frank Osbaldistone, that I forgo More...
I just laughed, and ached, and nearly cried, and sat on the edge of my seat. I gasped in surprise, and exclaimed, "I knew it!" sometimes. I recoiled in horror and bit my lip with frustration. I was so immersed in the whole world of Rob Roy and Frank Osbaldistone, that I forgo More...
Jan 21, 2009
Tracy
rated it:
It was written in 1817 which for me made the historical description more authentic. The movie ( which was good in its own right) was not based on the book which took place during the coarse of a few days in 1715, a few years after he was evicted from his homestead. He is not even the main character. -a fairly easy read and very entertaining.
Mar 02, 2009
Roxanne
rated it:
I always try to challenge myself to expand my list of classics. This wasn't my favorite. The convenient appearance of the hero in the book at just the opportune moment became laughable at times and the credibility of the story fell apart for me.
May 04, 2011
Sarahlynn
rated it:
I really wanted to like this one. The novel's a classic and relates to Scotland and my family history, but I couldn't make it through. I even bought a Scots/English dictionary but I just couldn't stick it out long enough for the plot to grab me.
Jun 05, 2008
Evan
rated it:
Re-read this classic from Scott earlier this term before teaching it (for the 2nd time) in my 400-level Romanticism class. What a terrific book! Sure, it drags a little in parts (especially when Frank is stuck at Osbaldistone Hall for what seems like an interminable amount of time), and the Scots dialect that some of the characters speak can be hard to read at times. Oh, and the plot is slightly incomprehensible -- or, at best, slightly unbelievable. No matter. This is Scott's only novel written
More...
Jan 03, 2011
Pretty good so far, but not really that much around Rob Roy but about Francis Osbaldistone, Diana Vernon & their cousin Rashleigh Osbaldistone. Francis (Frank) is shown as a bit effeminate and Diana is a bit tom boyish.
