What do you think?
Rate this book
Ivanoe
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (1771-1832) was a prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet popular throughout Europe during his time. In some ways Scott was the first author to have a truly international career in his lifetime, with many contemporary readers all over Europe, Australia, and North America. His novels and poetry are still read, and many of his works remain classics of both English-language literature and specifically Scottish literature. Famous titles Ivanhoe, The Lady of the Lake and Waverley. At the age of 25 he began dabbling in writing, translating works from German, his first publication being rhymed versions of ballads by Brger in 1796. He then published a three-volume set of collected Scottish ballads, The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border. This was the first sign of his interest in Scottish history from a literary standpoint. Amongst his other works are Marmion (1808), The Heart of Mid-Lothian (1818), Rob Roy (1818), The Bride of Lammermoor (1819), The Fortunes of Nigel (1822), St. Ronan's Well (1823), The Betrothed (1825), Kenilworth (1821), The Mirror and Quentin Durward.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1817
101 people are currently reading
201 people want to read
About the author
Walter Scott
8,557 books2,035 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Sir Walter Scott was a Scottish novelist, poet, historian, and biographer, widely recognized as the founder and master of the historical novel. His most celebrated works, including Waverley, Rob Roy, and Ivanhoe, helped shape not only the genre of historical fiction but also modern perceptions of Scottish culture and identity.
Born in Edinburgh in 1771, Scott was the son of a solicitor and a mother with a strong interest in literature and history. At the age of two, he contracted polio, which left him with a permanent limp. He spent much of his childhood in the Scottish Borders, where he developed a deep fascination with the region's folklore, ballads, and history. He studied at Edinburgh High School and later at the University of Edinburgh, qualifying as a lawyer in 1792. Though he worked in law for some time, his literary ambitions soon took precedence.
Scott began his literary career with translations and collections of traditional ballads, notably in his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border. He gained early fame with narrative poems such as The Lay of the Last Minstrel and The Lady of the Lake. As the popularity of poetic storytelling declined, especially with the rise of Lord Byron, Scott turned to prose. His first novel, Waverley, published anonymously in 1814, was set during the Jacobite rising of 1745 and is considered the first true historical novel. The success of Waverley led to a long series of novels, known collectively as the Waverley Novels, which blended historical events with compelling fictional narratives.
Over the following years, Scott produced a remarkable number of novels, including Old Mortality, The Heart of Midlothian, and The Bride of Lammermoor, each contributing to the romantic image of Scotland that became popular throughout Europe. With Ivanhoe, published in 1819, he turned his attention to medieval England, broadening his appeal and confirming his status as a major literary figure. His works were not only popular in his own time but also laid the groundwork for historical fiction as a respected literary form.
Scott married Charlotte Genevieve Charpentier in 1797, and they had five children. In 1820, he was granted a baronetcy and became Sir Walter Scott. He built a grand home, Abbotsford House, near Melrose, which reflected his passion for history and the Scottish past. However, in 1825, financial disaster struck when his publishers went bankrupt. Rather than declare bankruptcy himself, Scott chose to work tirelessly to pay off the debts through his writing. He continued to produce novels and non-fiction works at a staggering pace despite declining health.
Walter Scott died in 1832, leaving behind a literary legacy that influenced generations of writers and readers. His works remain widely read and studied, and he is credited with helping to revive interest in Scottish history and culture. Abbotsford House, now a museum, stands as a monument to his life and achievements.
Sir Walter Scott was a Scottish novelist, poet, historian, and biographer, widely recognized as the founder and master of the historical novel. His most celebrated works, including Waverley, Rob Roy, and Ivanhoe, helped shape not only the genre of historical fiction but also modern perceptions of Scottish culture and identity.
Born in Edinburgh in 1771, Scott was the son of a solicitor and a mother with a strong interest in literature and history. At the age of two, he contracted polio, which left him with a permanent limp. He spent much of his childhood in the Scottish Borders, where he developed a deep fascination with the region's folklore, ballads, and history. He studied at Edinburgh High School and later at the University of Edinburgh, qualifying as a lawyer in 1792. Though he worked in law for some time, his literary ambitions soon took precedence.
Scott began his literary career with translations and collections of traditional ballads, notably in his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border. He gained early fame with narrative poems such as The Lay of the Last Minstrel and The Lady of the Lake. As the popularity of poetic storytelling declined, especially with the rise of Lord Byron, Scott turned to prose. His first novel, Waverley, published anonymously in 1814, was set during the Jacobite rising of 1745 and is considered the first true historical novel. The success of Waverley led to a long series of novels, known collectively as the Waverley Novels, which blended historical events with compelling fictional narratives.
Over the following years, Scott produced a remarkable number of novels, including Old Mortality, The Heart of Midlothian, and The Bride of Lammermoor, each contributing to the romantic image of Scotland that became popular throughout Europe. With Ivanhoe, published in 1819, he turned his attention to medieval England, broadening his appeal and confirming his status as a major literary figure. His works were not only popular in his own time but also laid the groundwork for historical fiction as a respected literary form.
Scott married Charlotte Genevieve Charpentier in 1797, and they had five children. In 1820, he was granted a baronetcy and became Sir Walter Scott. He built a grand home, Abbotsford House, near Melrose, which reflected his passion for history and the Scottish past. However, in 1825, financial disaster struck when his publishers went bankrupt. Rather than declare bankruptcy himself, Scott chose to work tirelessly to pay off the debts through his writing. He continued to produce novels and non-fiction works at a staggering pace despite declining health.
Walter Scott died in 1832, leaving behind a literary legacy that influenced generations of writers and readers. His works remain widely read and studied, and he is credited with helping to revive interest in Scottish history and culture. Abbotsford House, now a museum, stands as a monument to his life and achievements.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 24, 2020
In 1901, writers on the Daily Telegraph included this in their list of the 100 best novels of the previous century but they haven't all aged equally well. This is one of the underperformers. In addition to being largely incomprehensible in large parts as a result of trying to reproduce various Scottish dialects of yesteryear, the plot is both thin and implausible and the title character underused. I didn't find reading it a pleasurable experience.
May 24, 2012
London 1715. Der zweiundzwanzigjährige Frank Osbaldistone soll in die Fußstapfen seines Vaters treten und das Handelshaus Osbaldistone und Tresham übernehmen. Nach seinem Lehraufenthalt in Paris jedoch hat Frank Zweifel, ob er diesem Beruf wirklich ergreifen will. Seine Liebe gehört der Literatur, er übersetzt gerne Gedichte und der dröge Alltag eines Kaufmanns widert ihn an. Sein Vater ist davon alles andere als angetan und setzt ihm ein Ultimatum von einem Monat. Bis dahin muss Frank sich entscheiden, ob er in die Firma eintreten will oder nicht. Auch wenn Frank nicht das kaufmännische Geschick seines Vaters geerbt hat, so hat er doch dessen Stolz und Sturheit ererbt und weigert sich, den Beruf eines Kaufmanns zu ergreifen.
Sein Vater schickt Frank daher zu seinem Onkel Sir Hildebrand Osbaldistone nach Northumberland, damit einer der Söhne seines Bruders die Nachfolge im Hause Osbaldistone und Tresham statt Frank antritt. Die Wahl fällt auch Franks Cousin Rashleigh, der sehr intelligent und gebildet ist, aber ein geborener Intrigant, der alle in der Familie auf die eine oder andere Art in der Hand zu haben scheint und dunkle Ziele verfolgt. Frank und Rashleigh sind sich sofort unsympathisch. Auch mit den restlichen Cousins hat Frank wenig gemeinsam. Keiner von ihnen ist mit Intelligenz gesegnet, dafür sind alle umso trinkfester und ungehobelter, während Frank so gut wie keinen Alkohol anrührt. Das Einzige was Frank auf dem Gut seines Onkels hält ist die achtzehnjährige Diana Vernon, Sir Hildebrand's Nichte, die jedoch von einem dunklen Geheimnis umgeben ist. Regelmäßig konferiert sie mit einem mysteriösen Priester und es scheint einen geheimen Vertrag zu geben, der Dianas Schicksal schon in der Wiege besiegelte. Zu spät erkennt Frank, welches Spiel sein Cousin Rashleigh spielt und welche Rolle Franks Vater darin spielt.
Der Titel Rob Roy ist ein wenig irreführend, zumindest im ersten Band. Nachdem man sich zunächst durch ca. 60 Seiten historische Belege zu Rob Roy gelesen hat, die der Autor minutiös zusammengetragen hat, begegnet einem der Schottische Robin Hood gerade mal in zwei kurzen Szenen, in denen man ihn nicht einmal als Rob Roy erkennt, wenn man das Vorwort nicht gelesen haben sollte, denn er tritt unter seinem bürgerlichen Namen Robert (Roy) MacGregor Campbell, meist Robert Campbell auf. Zu Scotts Ehrenrettung muss man sagen, er war gegen den Titel Rob Roy: „and Scott was at first wisely reluctant to "write up to a title." Names like Rob Roy, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, Cleopatra, and so forth, tell the reader too much, and, Scott imagined, often excite hopes which cannot be fulfilled.” Und genau das passiert in diesem ersten Band. Kein Rob Roy. Wer also glaubt, dass dieses Buch die Vorlage zum gleichnamigen Film ist, der irrt und wird enttäuscht sein. Das Einzige, was für den Film verwendet wurde ist wohl der historische sechzigseitige Abriss über die historischen Hintergründe und tatsächlichen Belege über die Taten von Robert (Roy) MacGregor Campbell und seiner Söhne. Die Hauptperson dieses Romans sind Frank Osbaldistone und Diana Vernon. Scott hat mit Diana Vernon eine für die damalige Zeit außergewöhnliche weibliche Figur geschaffen. Wäre das Buch nicht bereits so alt, würde man einem heutigen Autor, der über jene Zeit schreibt wohl vorwerfen, Diana verhalte sich anachronistisch, die Frauen damals hätten sich ganz anders benommen. Diana Vernon ist hoch gebildet, intelligent, sehr direkt und verhält sich eher wie ein Mann. Sie sagt was sie denkt ohne die üblichen typisch weiblichen Relativierungen. Sie spricht Probleme sehr direkt an und lässt ihren Gesprächspartner nicht ausweichen, sie nagelt ihn regelrecht fest und das mit einer Menge psychologischem Gespür. Sie verhält sich wie eine heutige Frau und Scott spricht sogar das Problem der Rechte der Frau in der Figur der Diana Vernon an: "Well, it is very seducing to be pitied, after all; so here are my three grievances: In the first place, I am a girl, and not a young fellow, and would be shut up in a mad-house if I did half the things that I have a mind to;—and that, if I had your happy prerogative of acting as you list, would make all the world mad with imitating and applauding me."
Frank kann darauf nur antworten "the misfortune is so general, that it belongs to one half of the species; and the other half"—
Das Buch war damals sofort ein Bestseller und die Leser waren so ungeduldig, dass die Bücher vor dem Verschiffen im Zollhaus gesichert werden mussten: "It is an event unprecedented in the annals either of literature or of the custom-house that the entire cargo of a packet, or smack, bound from Leith to London, should be the impression of a novel, for which the public curiosity was so much upon the alert as to require this immense importation to satisfy."
Fazit: Der erste Teil hat nur wenig Rob Roy, dafür viele Geheimnisse und unerfüllte Liebe zu bieten.
Zur Kindle Ausgabe: Die Ausgabe basiert zwar auf dem Datensatz vom Gutenberg Projekt, leider fehlen jedoch die Illustrationen. Ich empfehle daher, das Buch direkt beim Gutenbergprojekt herunterzuladen.
Sein Vater schickt Frank daher zu seinem Onkel Sir Hildebrand Osbaldistone nach Northumberland, damit einer der Söhne seines Bruders die Nachfolge im Hause Osbaldistone und Tresham statt Frank antritt. Die Wahl fällt auch Franks Cousin Rashleigh, der sehr intelligent und gebildet ist, aber ein geborener Intrigant, der alle in der Familie auf die eine oder andere Art in der Hand zu haben scheint und dunkle Ziele verfolgt. Frank und Rashleigh sind sich sofort unsympathisch. Auch mit den restlichen Cousins hat Frank wenig gemeinsam. Keiner von ihnen ist mit Intelligenz gesegnet, dafür sind alle umso trinkfester und ungehobelter, während Frank so gut wie keinen Alkohol anrührt. Das Einzige was Frank auf dem Gut seines Onkels hält ist die achtzehnjährige Diana Vernon, Sir Hildebrand's Nichte, die jedoch von einem dunklen Geheimnis umgeben ist. Regelmäßig konferiert sie mit einem mysteriösen Priester und es scheint einen geheimen Vertrag zu geben, der Dianas Schicksal schon in der Wiege besiegelte. Zu spät erkennt Frank, welches Spiel sein Cousin Rashleigh spielt und welche Rolle Franks Vater darin spielt.
Der Titel Rob Roy ist ein wenig irreführend, zumindest im ersten Band. Nachdem man sich zunächst durch ca. 60 Seiten historische Belege zu Rob Roy gelesen hat, die der Autor minutiös zusammengetragen hat, begegnet einem der Schottische Robin Hood gerade mal in zwei kurzen Szenen, in denen man ihn nicht einmal als Rob Roy erkennt, wenn man das Vorwort nicht gelesen haben sollte, denn er tritt unter seinem bürgerlichen Namen Robert (Roy) MacGregor Campbell, meist Robert Campbell auf. Zu Scotts Ehrenrettung muss man sagen, er war gegen den Titel Rob Roy: „and Scott was at first wisely reluctant to "write up to a title." Names like Rob Roy, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, Cleopatra, and so forth, tell the reader too much, and, Scott imagined, often excite hopes which cannot be fulfilled.” Und genau das passiert in diesem ersten Band. Kein Rob Roy. Wer also glaubt, dass dieses Buch die Vorlage zum gleichnamigen Film ist, der irrt und wird enttäuscht sein. Das Einzige, was für den Film verwendet wurde ist wohl der historische sechzigseitige Abriss über die historischen Hintergründe und tatsächlichen Belege über die Taten von Robert (Roy) MacGregor Campbell und seiner Söhne. Die Hauptperson dieses Romans sind Frank Osbaldistone und Diana Vernon. Scott hat mit Diana Vernon eine für die damalige Zeit außergewöhnliche weibliche Figur geschaffen. Wäre das Buch nicht bereits so alt, würde man einem heutigen Autor, der über jene Zeit schreibt wohl vorwerfen, Diana verhalte sich anachronistisch, die Frauen damals hätten sich ganz anders benommen. Diana Vernon ist hoch gebildet, intelligent, sehr direkt und verhält sich eher wie ein Mann. Sie sagt was sie denkt ohne die üblichen typisch weiblichen Relativierungen. Sie spricht Probleme sehr direkt an und lässt ihren Gesprächspartner nicht ausweichen, sie nagelt ihn regelrecht fest und das mit einer Menge psychologischem Gespür. Sie verhält sich wie eine heutige Frau und Scott spricht sogar das Problem der Rechte der Frau in der Figur der Diana Vernon an: "Well, it is very seducing to be pitied, after all; so here are my three grievances: In the first place, I am a girl, and not a young fellow, and would be shut up in a mad-house if I did half the things that I have a mind to;—and that, if I had your happy prerogative of acting as you list, would make all the world mad with imitating and applauding me."
Frank kann darauf nur antworten "the misfortune is so general, that it belongs to one half of the species; and the other half"—
Das Buch war damals sofort ein Bestseller und die Leser waren so ungeduldig, dass die Bücher vor dem Verschiffen im Zollhaus gesichert werden mussten: "It is an event unprecedented in the annals either of literature or of the custom-house that the entire cargo of a packet, or smack, bound from Leith to London, should be the impression of a novel, for which the public curiosity was so much upon the alert as to require this immense importation to satisfy."
Fazit: Der erste Teil hat nur wenig Rob Roy, dafür viele Geheimnisse und unerfüllte Liebe zu bieten.
Zur Kindle Ausgabe: Die Ausgabe basiert zwar auf dem Datensatz vom Gutenberg Projekt, leider fehlen jedoch die Illustrationen. Ich empfehle daher, das Buch direkt beim Gutenbergprojekt herunterzuladen.
January 8, 2019
The eponymous hero barely features in this first of two volumes making for quite a distraction, although the characters are well rendered.
September 25, 2019
I'm not sure this book should have been counted as a "read" book since it's the first half of a two-part Kindle version. Francis doesn't want to go to work in his father's business. He wants to write poetry. Father ships him off to his uncle's and, in turn, gets a nephew to replace his errant son.
The next book recounts the mischief said nephew stirs up for the father's business and how Francis helps (this is what I'm assuming). Halfway through the second half of the second part of this book.
I think this book, as a whole, could have been shorter.
The next book recounts the mischief said nephew stirs up for the father's business and how Francis helps (this is what I'm assuming). Halfway through the second half of the second part of this book.
I think this book, as a whole, could have been shorter.
January 17, 2016
This book is a classic. It has lost nothing in appeal. It begins with a son who has spent several years abroad writing bad poetry instead of learning the family business as he was supposed to do. He comes home and his father is immediately disappointed. Instead of some sort explanation about why, he tells his dear old dad that he intends to continue writing bad poetry, the worse the better, even if it has no possibility of supporting him or his rather wealthy lifestyle. The father is less than impressed and threatens to cut his son off. His son declares it is the father's duty to support him as he has in the past and still refuses to get a job. The father then immediately sends the son to relatives in the country, either to get an education in work or to be exchanged for a suitable heir to the family business.
June 5, 2016
Great to be reading while in Scotland. The Scottish dialect was rough but I enjoyed it very much.
Read
January 16, 2017Very well written and historically factual.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews