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Ivanhoe

by Walter Scott

3.68 of 5 stars 3.68 · rating details · 35,452 ratings · 939 reviews

The epitome of the chivalric novel, Ivanhoe sweeps readers into Medieval England and the lives of a memorable cast of characters. Ivanhoe, a trusted ally of Richard-the-Lion-Hearted, returns from the Crusades to reclaim the inheritance his father denied him. Rebecca, a vibrant, beautiful Jewish woman is defended by Ivanhoe against a charge of witchcraft -- but it is Lady R...more

Paperback, 544 pages

Published October 1st 2000 by Penguin Classics (first published December 18th 1819)

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Apr 09, 2012 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, favorites

I love(d) this book and was torn between 4 and 5 stars. Can we call it 4.5? Heck, let's just say 5! I read it first long ago and it holds up well over the years (its and yours). A classic for a reason.

You'll find synopsis after synopsis here and elsewhere. But if you like adventure, heroism, romance, loyalty, betrayal...any or all of the above you won't go wrong here.

King Richard the Lion Heart...Robin Hood (Locksley)...Knights Templar...Saxons vs. Normans...Gentiles vs. Jews....Knights from the...more

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May 18, 2010 Miriam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure

In Ivanhoe, Scott skillfully undermines the alienating characteristics of the medieval gothic while taking advantage of its familiarity to and popularity with nineteenth-century audiences. Although containing elements reminiscent of the earlier gothic, such as the corruption and intrigue of religious orders, the madness of Ulrica and the burning alive of Front-de-Beouf in his castle, it also pokes fun at some of the wilder elements of this genre: the resurrected phantom of Athelstane, for instan...more In Ivanhoe, Scott skillfully undermines the alienating characteristics of the medieval gothic while taking advantage of its familiarity to and popularity with nineteenth-century audiences. Although containing elements reminiscent of the earlier gothic, such as the corruption and intrigue of religious orders, the madness of Ulrica and the burning alive of Front-de-Beouf in his castle, it also pokes fun at some of the wilder elements of this genre: the resurrected phantom of Athelstane, for instance, turns out to be quite alive and in search of a decent meal. Scott is clear in his rejection of supernatural devices, and rather than the scenes of emotional breakdown and overwhelming passion common in earlier gothics, his characters by and large behave with the rationality and self-control that would have been regarded as admirable by the author’s contemporaries. Throughout the story, Scott attempts to have his characters behave as modernly as they could without ahistoricism. By avoiding the distasteful areas of superstition, madness, and popery, Scott made it possible for nineteenth-century readers to sympathize more fully with the actors and to imagine themselves in the characters’ places without uneasiness or mental strain.

Ivanhoe was presented, in the overtly fictional voice of the translator Templeton, as a medieval account rendered into modern language. Historical anachronisms are thus not authorial errors but deliberate attempts to make the text more accessible to contemporary readers. Scott constructed a debate between Templeton and the likewise-fictional antiquary, Dr Dryasdust, who accuses the translator of “polluting the well of history with modern inventions.” Scott replies, in the person of Templeton: “I may have confused the manners of two or three centuries… It is my comfort, that errors of this kind escape the general class of readers, and that I may share in the ill-deserved applause of those architects who, in their modern Gothic, do not hesitate to introduce, without rule or method, ornaments proper to different styles and to different periods of art.” Scott this warns his audience that Ivanhoe should not be read as an attempt to recreate, nor to modernize as Leland did (and as Scott had done when he wrote in Middle English a Continuation of the poem Sir Tristem, which was intended to be a believable imitation of the medieval text), a medieval romance. Although Scott was widely read in medieval romances and often alluded to them, he did not model Ivanhoe on a particular medieval tale and makes no attempt to imitate an authentic medieval style. Neither his language, his plotting, nor his ideology are, or were intended to be, genuinely medieval.

The plot of Ivanhoe and other of Scott’s works likewise reveals less nostalgia than is often assumed. It is commonplace to state, as Alice Chandler does in her seminal work A Dream of Order: The Medieval Ideal in Nineteenth-Century English Literature, that Scott’s medievalism “brought to an increasingly urbanized, industrialized, and atomistic society, the vision of a more stable and harmonious social order, substituting the paternal benevolence of manor and guild for the harshness of city and factory and offering the clear air and open fields of the medieval past in place of the blackening skies of England.” While this was indeed a part of the appeal of Scott’s tales, it oversimplifies Scott’s complex attitudes toward the Middle Ages and ignores the conclusion with which several of his novels end.
Scott was far from giving unreserved approval to the medieval past. Even in regards to his most sympathetic characters he offers points of criticism. In describing the heroic Richard, for example, he remarked on the “wild spirit of chivalry” which urged the king to risk unreasonable dangers. “In the lion-hearted king, the brilliant, but useless, character of a knight of romance was in a great measure realized and revived… his feats of chivalry furnishing themes for bards and minstrels, but affording none of those solid benefits to his country on which history loves to pause, and hold up as an example to posterity.” Scott goes so far as to imply that the sullen fidelity of the serf Gurth is more admirable than the reckless courage and self-pleasing and licentious chivalry of the royal Richard; freedom and honor rest for Scott on responsibility and loyalty to the social covenant, not on personal glory.

Whereas in medieval tales the focus is almost always on individual heroism expressed through valor and strength of arms, these qualities play a large but ultimately superficial role in Ivanhoe. In the final anticlimactic duel at Rebecca’s trial, for example, Ivanhoe does not defeat the tempestuous villain by skill; in fact, the other characters all agree that Bois-Guilbert would certainly have won the contest were he not so conflicted in his feelings for Rebecca that he collapses on the field without being struck by his opponent. Beneath the exciting trappings of jousts, abductions, and political intrigues, the central motivating tension of Ivanhoe rests on the disruption of familial relationships and the struggle to restore those relationships to their proper order. Even the political struggle between King Richard and Prince John is a fraternal conflict; and Richard recognizes that his royal duties include reconciling Ivanhoe with his father. This reconciliation is, in fact, his most important success: insofar as Scott suggests that Richard is a good king, it is because he unites England in loyalty to his person as he unites the disrupted families he encounters on his adventures.

The emphasis on familial order gives a different role to women than would be found in a genuinely medieval tale. In medieval chivalric romances concerning male competition the female figures occur secondarily, as lesser prizes to be won in addition to glory or honor. The nineteenth-century ideal of domestic harmony, and its association with political order, gave women a more important role than did medieval political ideology. In the jousts and duels of Ivanhoe, Rowena is the primary object of the struggle between the main character and his opponent. Rowena’s genealogical importance to legitimate Saxon claims of rule is emphasized by Cedric, but in the end she encourages Saxon assimilation rather than independence by marrying Ivanhoe, who has cast his lot with Richard. Her rejection of Athelstane signals the end of Cedric’s plan for renewed Saxon dominance, a plan which Scott marks as backward-looking and unrealistic, if understandable.

If Scott in fact advocates a medieval revival, it is not of the feudal system or of Anglo-Saxonism, but of what he understood as medieval virtues: self-sacrifice, emotion rather than sentimentality, loyalty not only to one’s leaders but also to one’s followers. These attributes were based on an integrated system of personal relationships: between members of a clan or family, between lords and vassals or serfs, between subjects and ruler. Scott depicts these relationships as essentially personal and familial, rather than abstract and national or bureaucratic, which they were rapidly becoming in his own lifetime.

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May 11, 2007 Penny rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this for a college literature course, and I remember being one of the few people in the class who liked it. I remember my professor even admitted to not liking it very well.

I found it delightful, in the same way Robin Hood and King Arthur tales are delightful. You have to have an appreciation for the whimsical, though, and not take anything too seriously.

It's probably no coincidence that I liked this novel and I also still read YA fiction at my advanced age.

UPDATE: I just watched the A &...more

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Dec 23, 2010 Bill Kerwin rated it 4 of 5 stars

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

I believe Ivanhoe just misses being a great novel for two reasons. First of all, its characters, although not without subtlety, lack depth. (The exception to the rule is the “Jewess” Rebecca). Secondly, Scott’s style—at least as demonstrated here—suffers from a wordiness that continually dissipates the novel’s power. It is nevertheless an impressive achievement, original in conception, rich in themes, formidable in architecture, and powerful in its effects.

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Oct 27, 2007 Randyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

normally I don't like it when protagonists in books are anachronistically liberal and unprejudiced, but I would have made an exception for this story. In fact, I remember as a kid creating elaborate scenarios in my head where Ivanhoe runs off with the Jewish Rebecca instead of staying with the English Rowena. In fact, reading it this time around, I almost found myself liking the villain Brian du Bois-Guillbert. He might have been evil, but at least he was able to step outside of the prejudices o...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Valerie Kyriosity rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Four stars for adventure. One for characters and for a weird mix of stomach-churning anti-Semitism and no real grasp of the qualitative differences between Christianity and Judaism. I was almost going to give him an "it was the times" pass on some of that until we got to the character of Lucas de Beaumanoir, the grand master of the Templars. I thought maybe Scott was on to something when he was able to paint that evil hypocrite so well that other wicked characters looked positively sympathetic b...more Four stars for adventure. One for characters and for a weird mix of stomach-churning anti-Semitism and no real grasp of the qualitative differences between Christianity and Judaism. I was almost going to give him an "it was the times" pass on some of that until we got to the character of Lucas de Beaumanoir, the grand master of the Templars. I thought maybe Scott was on to something when he was able to paint that evil hypocrite so well that other wicked characters looked positively sympathetic by comparison. But then he asked me to sympathize with de Beaumanoir ("He wasn't really a bad guy at heart...it was just the asceticism that got to him"), and I realized that he didn't have a modicum of realistic understanding of human nature. On the other end of the moral spectrum we had Rowena and Rebecca who, though far more virtuous, were still about as three-dimensional as a pair of mud flap girls.

Chapters 1-19, nearly half of the book, were read by Kristin Le Moine, who has a pleasant voice and cadence, but mispronounces vast swaths of English vocabulary, including a lot of pretty common words. For some reason, perhaps just the sheer quantity of it, this distracted me more than in my previous experiences of her reading. The rest of the reading was varied, but generally pretty meh.

Since they were contemporaries, I was interested to find connections between Scott and Austen. He was at least wise enough to recognize her superiority: "That young lady had a talent for describing the involvement and feelings and characters of ordinary life which is to me the most wonderful I ever met with. The big Bow-wow strain I can do myself like any now going, but the exquisite touch which renders ordinary commonplace things and characters interesting from the truth of the description and the sentiment is denied to me." And she, tongue in cheek, had this to say of him: "Walter Scott has no business to write novels, especially good ones. It is not fair. He has fame and profit enough as a poet, and should not be taking the bread out of the mouths of other people. I do not like him, and do not mean to like 'Waverley' if I can help it, but fear I must." (less)

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Apr 03, 2013 Dan Winsky rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: spotlight

Reading the Classics : High Adventure in Merry Ol’ England

"Chivalry! Why, maiden, she is the nurse of pure and high affection, the stay of the oppressed, the redresser of grievances, the curb of the power of the tyrant. Nobility were but an empty name without her, and liberty finds the best protection in her lance and her sword."

Ah! This month’s Reading the Classics has been a breath of fresh air! Not that last month was too stuffy (though it was a bit stuffy). But this month, once again, I retu...more
Reading the Classics : High Adventure in Merry Ol’ England

"Chivalry! Why, maiden, she is the nurse of pure and high affection, the stay of the oppressed, the redresser of grievances, the curb of the power of the tyrant. Nobility were but an empty name without her, and liberty finds the best protection in her lance and her sword."

Ah! This month’s Reading the Classics has been a breath of fresh air! Not that last month was too stuffy (though it was a bit stuffy). But this month, once again, I return to a previously read, beloved classic from my days of youth. I really needed to get away from the feeling that I was being assigned work by a pretentious English professor so this time I chose something that I knew I loved…Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott. And though, as with last month, I will not be checking another classic off my To-Be-Read-List; I am experiencing one of my favorite novels in its new MP3 format. LPL also has a nifty illustrated edition if you’re into visuals. I AM into visuals! But with a book like Ivanhoe, my visuals tend toward things such as putting on my chainmail hauberk, strapping a sword on to my hip and admiring myself in the mirror. If I’m in a particularly natty mood, I’ll also put a crown on my head (yes I have a crown at home…as if owning chainmail isn’t bad enough!) and pretend that I am warming the throne for King Richard Cœur de Lion’s return home from the Crusades! Though as a monarch I’d never be as cruel as the nasty usurper, Prince John!

Phew! I was actually afraid that this blog post might force me to admit something embarrassing… like the fact that reading Ivanhoe puts me in the mood to return to my Dungeons & Dragons playing days. I fear THAT would have put me beyond the pale!

I did revisit this book with the goal of getting something new from it. I planned to see it with wise adult eyes. I hoped to glean something from the work itself rather than from the story…something, perhaps in the realm of appreciation for Scott and his writing style or for the novel’s place in history as a prototype for the Historical Novel. And, Yes. I did feel some of that. Having become an avid reader of historical fiction, I see that Sir Walter’s most famous novel is in fact the quintessential work in the genre…the Ur of Historical Fiction. But I was pleasantly surprised that a reread of Ivanhoe also took me back a bit! I had the same giddy feelings that I had in my early teens when reading this for the first time. I remember the elation of discovering Scott’s lyrical depiction of Chivalry and High Adventure…and then quickly digging deeply into as many renderings of The Adventures of Robin Hood and His Merry Men as I could find, the works of Malory, T.H. White and any other Arthurian tales I could lay my hands on. Wow! This has really struck a chord in me! I think next month’s classic might be in a similar vein…Some Homeric Epic Poetry perhaps?

“Tell me, O Muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy.” Not so fast! We’ll have to wait a month for that…
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Mar 28, 2011 Briynne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Thankfully, this second attempt at Walter Scott was better than my first. I’m still not won over exactly, but I think I can at least see the appeal now. I wish I could judge this book without the disadvantage of two centuries of imitation and parody clouding my view of things. To me, this book is basically a straight-laced, high-minded, and loquacious precursor to the paperback romance novel, but I imagine it came across rather differently when it was first published. I generally didn’t find muc...more Thankfully, this second attempt at Walter Scott was better than my first. I’m still not won over exactly, but I think I can at least see the appeal now. I wish I could judge this book without the disadvantage of two centuries of imitation and parody clouding my view of things. To me, this book is basically a straight-laced, high-minded, and loquacious precursor to the paperback romance novel, but I imagine it came across rather differently when it was first published. I generally didn’t find much of the romance all that romantic, nor much of the adventure all that adventurous, but there were some parts here and there that got to me. I don’t care much for the damsel in distress or knight in shining armor archetypes, and consequently Rowena and Ivanhoe struck me as being pretty vanilla. I did like Rebecca, though. She was dignified and passionate and refreshingly willful. There are an important couple of chapters where most of the good guys of the story are held prisoner by the evil Norman knights, and it perfectly demonstrates my point. Rowena collapses sobbing when faced with a Norman who wants to marry her, while Rebecca vehemently stands her ground against a Norman who plans to rape her. Also, she obviously falls head over heels for Ivanhoe while he is in her care, but handles his oblivion and occasional contempt with admirable grace. Personally, I think I would have wanted to smack his pretty blonde head for being so arrogant and mean, but I try to allow the heroines in the books I read their own tastes.

And that leads me to my next observations about this book. Ivanhoe plainly thought that Rebecca was beautiful, kind, and intelligent, and she in turn found him handsome and dashing. Usually, this in combination with the truckload of time they spent tête-à-tête would be more than enough to stir up a bit of proper romantic intrigue. However, Ivanhoe refuses to even think about it because, *gasp*, Rebecca is Jewish. The racism in this book is grating, even more so because it seems to hide behind the author’s sense that he’s being liberal-minded. Perhaps he seemed so in the nineteenth century, but I nearly choked reading parts of this today. Isaac is nothing more than a caricature; he’s compulsively greedy and spouts lines about Moses and Jacob at every turn. Being “the Jew” is the entire sum of his character and personality. Rebecca, at least, is allowed to be a person along with being Jewish, but the reader isn’t ever allowed to forget for a moment what she is. I doubt many people would argue that the Jewish people had a pretty horrible time of it in European history, so I don’t accuse Scott of exaggerating the level of hatred his characters direct at Isaac and Rebecca. But I honestly just don’t get it. Last I checked, Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the disciples, and just about everyone else in the Bible were Jews – seems like anti-Semitism would be in poor taste for Christians.

It wasn’t all bad, though. I admit that when I read the little hint from Ivanhoe that he knew “but one man in England that might do such a deed,” I elbowed my husband and said, “It’s Richard! The black knight – he’s King Richard!” like it was much more exciting than it probably was. Also, when Robin Hood split his competitor’s arrow at the archery competition, I may have shook him awake from dozing on the beach to tell him my book was turning out to be just like the animated version of Robin Hood (you know, the one with Sir Hiss and Lady Cluck) and wasn’t that cool. He’s very patient. So if you can let yourself get caught up in the action, such as there is, there are some fun moments when familiar faces show up and brave deeds are done.

My biggest problem with Scott remains his language. The flowery syntax is so distracting and so implausible to my modern eyes/ears, that it pulls me out of the story. Also, his word choice irritates and amuses me where it isn’t intended to. For instance, I dare you not to laugh when Friar Tuck is described as a “buxom hermit.” On the other side, there was so much annoying Renaissance Fair stuff that I wanted to shake the author; really, just say “horse” - it makes me want to slap you less than “steed.” I also find that I hate the word “lists” for some reason. I don’t think there is any other word to use for the area where jousts are conducted, but I hate it. I never claimed these reviews were logical, they just express what I feel :)

Overall, not a bad book, and I may have to re-watch the movie version in honor of Elizabeth Taylor even though that early, saturated Technicolor makes me feel nervous.
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Apr 06, 2012 Harold Ogle rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I've had this copy for years, passed to me by my friend Fred when he unloaded the bulk of his book collection in an effort to simplify his life, but it was only this week that I finally read it for the first time. It's an interesting book written at the beginning of the 19th century, not long after Jane Austen wrote her novels, but intended for a very different audience. This is an adventure novel, but it is interesting in that the title character, Ivanhoe, is the hero but not actually the prota...more I've had this copy for years, passed to me by my friend Fred when he unloaded the bulk of his book collection in an effort to simplify his life, but it was only this week that I finally read it for the first time. It's an interesting book written at the beginning of the 19th century, not long after Jane Austen wrote her novels, but intended for a very different audience. This is an adventure novel, but it is interesting in that the title character, Ivanhoe, is the hero but not actually the protagonist.

The book follows a number of different characters, chiefly Gurth, an indentured servant working as a swineherd, and Wamba, a fool (jester). They are both in the employ of Cedric, who is a Saxon noble within a generation or two of the Norman conquest. Saxons are treated as scum by their Norman (that is, French) conquerors, second-class citizens who are reviled and mistreated. So Cedric has a fierce hatred for all Normans, and he has disowned his son, Ivanhoe, for joining the hated Norman King Richard (the Lionheart) on his crusade to the Holy Land. Cedric's ward, the gorgeous Rowena, pines for her childhood friend Ivanhoe. Meanwhile, the villain Sir de Bois-Gilbert, a Knight Templar who cannot control his desires, is traveling in the country with a corrupt Abbott, looking for places to wench and carouse. The Abbott bets de Bois-Gilbert that he has never seen a beauty like Rowena, and they set out to Cedric's rude court to see the truth of the Abbott's claim.
Gurth and Wamba play a trick on de Bois-Gilbert to get him lost in the woods, but sadly the villain finds a mysterious Palmer also heading to Cedric's court, who leads them to the correct place.

The book is actually an interesting treatise on prejudice, because we first see how badly the Saxons are treated, and then we are introduced to the other primary characters, an elderly Jew named Isaac and his stunningly beautiful daughter Rebecca. These two are reviled everywhere they go, by Normans and Saxons alike, for being heathen in general and Jewish in particular. They are only tolerated for Isaac's great wealth, which he lends to various nobles to fund their enterprises. Before Cedric can slay him, Isaac is freed from Cedric's court by the mysterious Palmer, and Isaac thanks him for saving his life.

Meanwhile, Gurth and Wamba wander in the forest, having fled Cedric's court as they helped the Palmer and Isaac escape. In the forest, they encounter Robin Hood and have several interactions with him.

A tournament is held soon after, humorously called the Gentle Day of Bliss, for less than ten knights died outright, and only about 30 succumbed to the mortal wounds they received in the tourney (a similar number were maimed for life). The tournament is held between de Bois-Gilbert, four other valiant knights, and any challengers. Isaac is publicly humiliated by Prince John, who also publicly notes Rebecca's great beauty. de Bois-Gilbert's lust is stoked to a frenzy. But, after two days' battle, the champion of the tourney turns out to be the Palmer - actually Ivanhoe - recently returned from the Holy Land, and the only one able to unhorse de Bois-Gilbert. There was a hairy moment where it seemed he would be overwhelmed in the general melee by three opposing knights, but a mysterious Black Knight comes to his rescue, evening the odds somewhat by nonchalantly unhorsing one of the attackers and then retiring to let Ivanhoe settle the other two. However victorious, Ivanhoe received a grievous injury of a lance head piercing his side, and passes out before he can accept his victory prize from the hands of Rowena. Isaac and Rebecca whisk the wounded knight off in their baggage train before he can be captured by his father Cedric, and they head off into the woods. There they are captured by the lustful de Bois-Gilbert and his confederates and whisked away to a friend's castle. In parallel, Cedric and his companion, another rebel plotting to take the throne from the absent King Richard, are captured and imprisoned in the same castle. Isaac is tortured while de Bois-Gilbert puts the moves on Rebecca, who threatens to kill herself instead. Gurth and Wamba appeal to Robin's sense of justice to rescue their lord Cedric, and Robin begins to gather both his merry men and a host of Saxon sympathizers. They lay siege to the castle, and a great battle is fought with the Black Knight and Robin leading the charge. The Black Knight storms into the castle almost single-handedly, cutting down almost all the defenders while a crazed Saxon crone - the last survivor of the original noble family who owned the castle, kept and used as a wench when she was young and beautiful, then tossed aside when her beauty faded - sets fire to the castle. Cedric, Isaac, and Ivanhoe are all rescued but de Bois-Gilbert and some of his confederates escape with Rebecca while the castle comes crashing down in flames and smoke. de Bois_Gilbert unwisely seeks refuge with the Templars, but they are horrified that he should disgrace them with a woman, much less a Jewess (which in their eyes in synonymous with a sorceress). Rebecca is put on trial as a witch, and she sues to a trial by combat.

The book is very exciting, if understandably archaic in its prose style. It's very plot-driven, but it sympathetic to the Jews in the story, as well as to the humble swineherd and jester who are all the main characters. It is both critical of the Saxons and Normans, presenting them as abusive of their power over their lessers. In a way, "Ivanhoe" is a social justice story - the only people who are truly virtuous are the ones who use their power in defense of the disenfranchised and downtrodden. As I understand it, "Ivanhoe" is one of the first books to be written about Robin Hood, so that's appropriate. A number of the features that we've come to expect of the Robin Hood myth were introduced by Scott in this novel, so it's also interesting for Robin Hood fans, too.

The ending smacks a good deal of "what happened next", with a couple of pages devoted to resolving loose ends, but overall it was a very satisfying read.(less)

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Nov 08, 2010 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, historical-fiction

Ha! I finally finished it! Ivanhoe was great but it was definitely slow going for me. The author sometimes could get quite long winded while describing things which made it much too easy to put down. I've wanted to read this book ever since I saw the Ivanhoe episode of Wishbone as a kid. So, I have finally done it. I hesitate somewhat to mark this as historical fiction because it's definitely more fiction than historical but Sir Walter Scott is considered the "father of historical fiction".

Two...more

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Jan 23, 2010 Bruce rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a novel that, as I understand it, almost single-handedly revived the popularity of medieval chivalry and heroism in 19th century literature . . . and life. The culture of the American South profoundly admired Scott's world view. Stories like Ivanhoe were spiritual fuel to their sense of honor and privilege.

Also, with Scott, a major branch of literature was consolidated which in his time was beginning to be distinguished by the intelligentsia from "serious literature." His literary heirs...more

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Sep 17, 2008 Jessi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It took me a long time to read this despite being very diligent about it. I rented it from the library, and woe, I had to re-check it out after 2 weeks. It was frustrating because I originally started reading it in order to take up the time it would take for the library to get in the other books I wanted to read. The problem wasn't the story, it was the old-ish language used. The fact that the book was insanely thick with small print didn't help matters either. I do have to say I have grown very...more

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Jun 10, 2008 Elaine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Robin Hood and Sir Walter Scott lovers and anybody who likes a good classic.

Recommended to Elaine by: I read it for a book club

Review from 2006

Gallant knights, outlaws, suspense, reclaim of honor, love, burning castles, flying lances, strange French names, distressed Jews, Norman against Saxon, humor...all this makes Ivanhoe a fun and exciting story (I also found it a bit confusing at times). It's cool the way it's written with all of the thous and thees. One of my favorite lines is when Wilfred of Ivanhoe says, “If I could but drag myself to yonder window...” What happened to, “If I could walk over to that window”? I...more

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Jul 02, 2008 Werner rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of historical fiction in the Romantic style

Shelves: historical-fiction, classics

Obviously, this novel won't be every reader's cup of tea: the author's 19th-century diction will be too much of a hurdle for some, those who define novels of action and adventure as shallow will consider it beneath them, and those who want non- stop action will be bored by Scott's serious effort to depict the life and culture of his medieval setting. But those who appreciate adventure and romance in a well-realized setting, and aren't put off by big words and involved syntax, will find this a ge...more Obviously, this novel won't be every reader's cup of tea: the author's 19th-century diction will be too much of a hurdle for some, those who define novels of action and adventure as shallow will consider it beneath them, and those who want non- stop action will be bored by Scott's serious effort to depict the life and culture of his medieval setting. But those who appreciate adventure and romance in a well-realized setting, and aren't put off by big words and involved syntax, will find this a genuinely rewarding read.

Ivanhoe is a quintessentially Romantic novel, and that school stressed appeal to the reader's emotions rather than, or at least more so than, their intellects. But this does not mean it's devoid of a philosophical or moral point of view. Novels of action and combat appeal to emotions of fear and excitement, etc., but at their best, they often presuppose a code of conduct between humans that differentiates between good and evil, and cast the conflict in the story in those terms, with the writer on the side of good; and the various characters may model genuine virtues. This is definitely the case here. And the (small-r) romantic aspect of the plot in this book is not a simple tale of "boy falls for girl," either; the above description identifies Rowena as Ivanhoe's "true love," but in fact he comes to have very definite romantic feelings toward Rebecca as well, and the question of how how this triangle will be resolved contributes to the story's interest. Rebecca's character also brings an added depth to the novel --she's a strong, courageous lady who excels in a male-dominated profession in the midst of a sexist society (and the 19th-century culture of Scott's readers was scarcely less sexist than Rebecca's medieval world). Scott's treatment of her, as a Jewish character, also exemplifies genuine tolerance (in a much different sense than the inverted one popularized today, in which we simply proclaim ourselves as apostles of tolerance and hate and anathematize anyone who disagrees with us, because their different beliefs identify them as intolerant)
as an Anglican, he has honest differences with her religious beliefs, but he can enthusiastically affirm her as a person anyway, and, as an author, allow her to remain true to her own beliefs. So, there's a lot here for the discerning reader to appreciate!(less)

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Jan 01, 2009 Angie Bollard rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Jun 12, 2007 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novels

This book manages to be a pageturner in spite of the fact that no one says anything in less than a paragraph and it’s in very dense early 19th century prose, and the hero of the title is actually pretty boring…but I thought it was brilliant. It might be because it has tilting, Robin Hood, renegade Templars, race and religion problems, and a heroically brave woman. And I am a complete sucker for books with those things in them. Seriously, though, the story is vivid and gripping and the people (pr...more

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Jan 29, 2009 John Leavens rated it 3 of 5 stars

One book, one tent, 2 guys on Denali for 3 weeks. We would read this aloud to make it last longer. I turned out to be an excellent way to enjoy this book

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Nov 28, 2008 Ron rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-fiction

Ponderous Sir Walter style at its best.

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Mar 05, 2009 Kelley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So much fun! I LOVED this book! It was by no means a quick read for me - probably took about a month because I had to find time to really concentrate, not just skim it while multi-tasking ten other things as I usually do. Still, what a joy! The introduction of this particular edition says that Ivanhoe is probably Sir Walter Scott's worst-written novel. I can't imagine what the other ones were like because I thought Ivanhoe was perfect.

One thing I didn't love at first, or at least had to get us...more

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Mar 03, 2009 Christina marked it as to-read

The following is a description of an NSA student's thesis on this work:

"The Message of Scott: A Study of the Romanticism of Ivanhoe"
Father of the Historical Novel. Author of Waverly. The Wizard of the North. Sir Walter Scott is known for many things, but perhaps less well-known is his title "the savior of Scotland", given by Dr. George Grant. In my thesis, I discuss how Scott fits into history, and how he helped shape his own country's culture and history through his Romantic novels. The themes...more

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

“Ivanhoe” by Sir Walter Scott is an enjoyable read for those who enjoy tales of chivalry and of those villains who seek to thwart its code. It is written at the time the wicked Prince John was regent, and the valiant King Richard was thought to be on Crusade in the Holy Land, fighting against the rapacious Saracens. In England hostilities have intensified between the Normans and Saxons, the latter tired of repression and discrimination that has not diminished since 1066.

The eponymous hero, Ivan...more
“Ivanhoe” by Sir Walter Scott is an enjoyable read for those who enjoy tales of chivalry and of those villains who seek to thwart its code. It is written at the time the wicked Prince John was regent, and the valiant King Richard was thought to be on Crusade in the Holy Land, fighting against the rapacious Saracens. In England hostilities have intensified between the Normans and Saxons, the latter tired of repression and discrimination that has not diminished since 1066.

The eponymous hero, Ivanhoe, had joined King Richard on his Crusade after quarrelling with his father, the Saxon, Cedric, over the ward, Rowena. When Ivanhoe arrives at a jousting tournament Prince John becomes anxious that King Richard may be close at hand. The vile Templar knight, Maurice de Bracy, driven by a combination of ambition and lust for Rowena kidnaps her, her father Cedric, and the Jewish moneylender, Isaac, and his daughter Rebecca.
Luckily, all are freed by Robin Hood and the Black Knight except Rebecca, whom the Knight Templar Brian de Bois-Guilbert kidnapped, despite her un-Christian beliefs, has been unable to resist her charms. He is not concerned that Rebecca is not much taken with him. The naughty Templar intends to force his lust on Rebecca, despite his vow of chastity. It may be that Scott’s own Protestant dislike of priests causes him to colour de Bois-Guilbert as such a base scoundrel-he may well be the most evil of all fictional clerics.

Templar leaders, are sure Rebecca has bewitched de Bois-Guilbert, a staunch knight who would not, they are sure, break both his sacerdotal vows and offend chivalric practice. put her on trial for sorcery. But Ivanhoe sees through de Bois-Guilbert’s hypocrisy, bravely saves Rebecca. It is then idoneous for the Black Knight to reveal himself as King Richard, and in this role to urge Cedric to be reconciled with Ivanhoe, and permit him and Rowena to be married.

The story is gripping as well as historically gripping, combining events with geographical descriptions. There are also well-drawn portraits a mediaeval society, including abbots, knights, and serfs like the conceited coxcomb, Wamba and the surly, superstitious swineherd, Gurth.
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Mar 09, 2013 Don Wagner rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Like many other reviewers, I first read this book while young ... in my case, an abridged version in English Lit in high school I remember liking the story, but when I listened to it this time, I was surprised I remembered as little as I did, in fact, I remembered none of it!

There are some familiar themes, Robin Hood (Locksley) is a main character, as are King John, who is trying to usurp the throne of his brother, Richard Plantagenant, or Richard the Lionhearted. Richard is also one of the main...more Like many other reviewers, I first read this book while young ... in my case, an abridged version in English Lit in high school I remember liking the story, but when I listened to it this time, I was surprised I remembered as little as I did, in fact, I remembered none of it!

There are some familiar themes, Robin Hood (Locksley) is a main character, as are King John, who is trying to usurp the throne of his brother, Richard Plantagenant, or Richard the Lionhearted. Richard is also one of the main characters, along with various Saxons and Normans.

Sir Walter Scott wrote this book in 1820, but the time period he wrote about was in the late 1100's. I cannot say how "accurate" his portrayal of the time period was, but it was a rough life, and there were many instances of people being killed just because of who they were -- i.e., Saxons by Normans, Normans by Saxons. The theme that struck me most was the anti-Semitism of the time. While one of the major themes was the Crusades -- Richard was returning from the Crusades to his own country, the Saxon Wilfred of Ivanhoe also had been in the Crusades, and the Norman Brian, a Knight Templar, had also been successful in the Crusade -- they pretty much hated the people of the Holy Land. It reminded me of the treatment of blacks in the American South of the time of this book. The Jewish people were hated, despised, just because they were Jews, and killed for no other reason. The Jewish people often held power -- they were money brokers, lenders to the rich and powerful -- but despised because of that.

The story was well-developed, and the characters were interesting. One would like the heroes, and dislike the villans. Sir Walter certainly favored the Saxons, really disliked the Knights Templar as corrupt and falsely holding power, and pretty much the ruling Church, again because of corruption and falsely holding power.

I went back to this book, because I had recently re-listened to the Lord of the Rings series. I wanted to listen to what might have been some source material for Tolkein! A time of chivalry, heraldry, and royalty, more or less how it really happened in England, was interesting and certainly educational.(less)

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Mar 05, 2013 Zachary rated it 5 of 5 stars

During the early 19th century in Great Britain, the Scottish historian Walter Scott wrote this fascinating romance novel of his time. Scott's intention for the novel was in response to the recurring events and activities in Great Britain and to preserve his Scottish heritage and culture.

"Ivanhoe" revealed a story of a Saxon knight, Ivanhoe, who showed courage and heroism, and he became very loyal to the Norman king, Richard the Lionhearted, during the high civil unrest and hatred between the Sa...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Esdaile rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic-novels, historical-fiction, romance

This must be one ofhis best novels. The romance as it calls itself and it is a romance, reads well from beginning to end. Especially fascinating is his portrayal of Jews. On the one hand, Isaac is portrayed in the manner customary at the time, the connviing above all pusillanimous Jew, but his daughter Rebecca is the heroine of the novel, and Ivanhoe clearly loves her, but as Forster put it in Pasage to India the time and place forbade their union. A very interesting character is the Templar who...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Russell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sir Scott's tale of chivalry and Merry Old England stands as the epitome of Medieval Romances for a reason. It really has it all, knights, damsels in distress, glory and honor, castle siege, wicked villains, a joust, a King in disguise, estranged heir, last minute rescues, unrequited love, Robin Hood and his Merry Men, Knights Templar, crackling dialog, mercy, justice, villainous deeds, and all the pageantry of the era, and much more.

It's a decent length of a book, it moves along with surprising...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Stevedutch rated it 5 of 5 stars

In days of olde when knights were bold….

...sexist and racial and religious bigots, women and anyone not of the Christian faith had a pretty raw deal! Reading this again about forty years after the first time I encountered it these are the strongest impressions with which I am left. Of course, we receive these impressions through the filter of Scott's own presumptions and he is usually quick in drawing favourable distinctions between himself and his own time with regard to the prejudices that for...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Joe Toledo added it

si nos vamos a referir a cualquier novela que nos refleje un tipo de vida medieval, donde salgan cotas de malla y justas a caballo y los caballeros se midan por la longitud y el peso de su espada, tenemos que hablar también de Ivanhoe.

Ivanhoe nos cuenta la lucha de un hombre por salvar su nombre y el de la corona. Estamos en plenas cruzadas y hay fuertes luchas entre normandos y sajones. El rey Ricardo Corazón de León está en las Cruzadas luchando y el príncipe Juan sin Tierra pretende aprovecha...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Zohar - ManOfLaBook.com rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott is a popular fictional novel invoking England’s middle ages. The novel was released in 1820 and is credited with spiking the interest in credited Romanticism and Medievalism.

Wilfred of Ivanhoe, a Saxon knight who has just returned from the Crusades and is still loyal to Richard Plantagenet. Ivanhoe returns to a disapproving father who disinherited him because of his alliance to Richard and his love the Lady Rowena. But the protagonist doesn't...more Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott is a popular fictional novel invoking England’s middle ages. The novel was released in 1820 and is credited with spiking the interest in credited Romanticism and Medievalism.

Wilfred of Ivanhoe, a Saxon knight who has just returned from the Crusades and is still loyal to Richard Plantagenet. Ivanhoe returns to a disapproving father who disinherited him because of his alliance to Richard and his love the Lady Rowena. But the protagonist doesn't announce himself, and takes on the guise of Knight of Ivanhoe, The Black Knight, which causes many collisions.

Prince John’s plan to usurp his brother, Cedric wants a rebellions, Maurice de Bracy just wants Rowena and Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert wants Rebecca the Jewess. However all their plans are put on hold when they are all stuck together in a castle siege. Upon the return of King Richard, kaos ensues and The Black Knight is obliged to fight in order to save Rebecca from burning as a witch.

Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott, a magnificent novel which is just as exciting today as it was when it was written. A fun book of chivalry, love and adventure.

Scott peppered this adventure story with many colorful characters, some historic and some fictional, Richard Lion-Hearted and his brother John, Isaac of York and his beautiful gentle daughter Jewess Rebecca, the gorgeous Rowena, Cedric the Saxon, Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert the famous Knight Templar and Robin Hood and his Merry Men. All are depicted vividly , multidimensionally in an interesting and absorbing tale which engrossed me and was absorbed into my consciousness.

Ivanhoe, coming back from the crusades, is faced with a changing world. The ancient world the protagonist left is in conflict with the modern world (relatively speaking) which he came back to. Normans and Saxons, Jews and Christians, the acts of individuals and the granddaddy of all conflicts – good vs. evil.

The world Scott created, an ancient world still believing in fantasies and prejudices, is in conflict with itself, wanting to be modern but not being able to let go of its old self. The conflicts in the book range from the straightforward jousts to the conflict within ourselves (Ivanhoe’s and Rebecca’s relationship).

On many levels, Ivanhoe is a modern tale and probably just as relevant. Scott’s cynicism and humor are timeless, his conflicts of ancient vs. modern are still relevant today and probably in any day and age.

For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: http://www.ManOfLaBook.com (less)

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Sep 04, 2012 Morry Beatty rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: literature

Certainly one of my all time favorite books ip there with Robinson Crusoe. Ivanhoe is one of the few Sir Walter Scott novels that take place outside Scotland and also where the main character is not Scottish. There is a tremendous list of characters. Ivanhoe, Robin Hood. The Black Knight, Prince John and of course Richard the Lion Hearted. Ivanhoe was the most popular novel in America prior to the war between the states. It was especially popular among southern Presbyterians and southern baptist...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Robert rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ivanhoe is the story about Wilfrid of Ivanhoe who has Been disowned father . Ivanhoe is one of the last of the few.. Saxon noble families. takes place in the time of when Prince John ran England as his brother Richard I of England. is away fighting in the Third Crusade. The book has lots of Characters from other books , Robin of Locksley and his men AKA Robin Hood and his his 'merry men,' including Friar Tuck . Also the Black Knight .

The story start off with a tournament where the Black knight...more

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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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Quotes from Ivanhoe

“For he that does good, having the unlimited power to do evil, deserves praise not only for the good which he performs, but for the evil which he forbears.” — 27 people liked it

“Chivalry!---why, maiden, she is the nurse of pure and high affection---the stay of the oppressed, the redresser of grievances, the curb of the power of the tyrant ---Nobility were but an empty name without her, and liberty finds the best protection in her lance and her sword.” — 21 people liked it

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