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Ivanhoe

(Waverley Novels #5)

Walter Scott,

Graham Tulloch (Editor, Introduction),

Walter Brendel (Illustrations),

Richard Zoozmann (Translation)

3.75 · Rating details · 89,031 ratings · 2,481 reviews

For this novel, Scott moved far away from the setting of his own turbulent time. He went back to the late 12th century, and to England rather than the Scottish settings of all his previous novels. He connected his writing Ivanhoe with his concerns about contemporary events.
Scott drew together the apparently opposing themes of historical reality and chivalric romance, socia ...more

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Paperback, Revised edition with critical apparatus (1st edition in Penguin: 1998), 496 pages

Published March 30th 2000 by Penguin Books /Penguin Classics (first published 1819)

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Oct 12, 2009 Bill Kerwin rated it really liked it

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

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 20, 2010 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, literature, historical, british, 1001-book, scotland, 19th-century, fiction

(930 From 1001 Books) - Ivanhoe, Sir Walter Scott

Ivanhoe is a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, first published in 1820 in three volumes and subtitled A Romance. It has proved to be one of the best known and most influential of Scott's novels.

At the time it was written it represented a shift by Scott away from fairly realistic novels set in Scotland in the comparatively recent past, to a somewhat fanciful depiction of medieval England.

Ivanhoe is the story of one of the remaining Saxon nobl ...more

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Oct 11, 2009 Mike (the Paladin) rated it it was amazing · 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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Jul 01, 2008 Mir rated it really liked it

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 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.

...more

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Jun 14, 2016 Amalia Gkavea rated it it was amazing

Shelves: british-history, britain, british-literature, classics, medieval, england, favorites, scottish-literature, historical-fiction, european-history

"Glory?" continued Rebecca; "alas, is the rusted mail which hangs as a hatchment over the champion's dim and mouldering tomb – is the defaced sculpture of the inscription which the ignorant monk can hardly read to the enquiring pilgrim – are these sufficient rewards for the sacrifice of every kindly affection, for a life spent miserably that ye may make others miserable? Or is there such virtue in the rude rhymes of a wandering bard, that domestic love, kindly affection, peace and happiness, ...more

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Jan 21, 2017 Sara rated it really liked it

Shelves: catching-up-classics, classics, the-author-cards-list

It is hard to know what to say about Ivanhoe. It is part Robin Hood style adventure, part history and full of thematic richness. I was surprised that Ivanhoe himself figures into this tale somewhat sporadically. There are many characters who receive more in depth development, and the Jewess Rebecca is more fully developed than the heroine, Rowena.

The attitudes toward Jews in the novel make one uncomfortable in the same way that you feel when reading The Merchant of Venice. It is obvious that Sc ...more

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Feb 22, 2017 Helene Jeppesen rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I have decided to put down this book and not finish it 2/3 of the way in, the reason being that while it was interesting to read about the old times of knights, tournaments and great battles at castles, it wasn't in any way interesting enough for me to keep on reading. I feel like being this far in, I've already gotten out of the story what I possibly could, and I don't really care about how everything's going to end.
Funnily enough, I was originally under the impression that this was going to b ...more

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Feb 02, 2017 Apatt rated it liked it

Shelves: classics

“Hearken,” he (Brian de Bois-Guilbert) said, “Rebecca; I have hitherto spoken mildly to thee, but now my language shall be that of a conqueror. Thou art the captive of my bow and spear—subject to my will by the laws of all nations; nor will I abate an inch of my right, or abstain from taking by violence what thou refusest to entreaty or necessity.”
“Stand back,” said Rebecca—“which portion of “no” dost thou not comprehend? Kindly desist from thou crapulous Trumpery posthaste!”

Some of the above qu ...more

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Mar 05, 2008 Werner rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Fans of historical fiction in the Romantic style

Shelves: historical-fiction, classics

Note, March 17, 2014: I posted this review some time ago, but just finished tweaking the language in one sentence to clarify a thought.

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 wh Note, March 17, 2014: I posted this review some time ago, but just finished tweaking the language in one sentence to clarify a thought.

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," but then 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! ...more

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Mar 10, 2015 Alex rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2015, novel-a-biography, rth-lifetime

Sometimes I'm in the middle of complaining to Joanne that some book, which I told Joanne before I started was probably going to be boring and stupid, is indeed boring and stupid, and I plan to complain about it being boring and stupid for the next week because it's also long, and Joanne says silly things like "Why would you even start a book that you think will be boring and stupid?" Ivanhoe is why! Sometimes I'm wrong. I thought Ivanhoe would be boring and stupid, but it's a blast.

Flesh Wounds
H ...more

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Dec 29, 2020 Gary rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Ivanhoe by Walter Scott, is set in England during the reign of King Richard , who is away on the Crusades to the Holy Land , leaving the administration of the country to his scheming brother , John , and his corrupt court cronies like Waldemar Fitzurse , Malvoisin and Front-de-Bouef.
Meanwhile a mysterious Disinherited Knight, aided by another anonymous Knight in black amour (Le Noir Fainéant) defeats all of King John's favorite knights at the jousting tournament at Ashby.
The challenger is reveal Ivanhoe by Walter Scott, is set in England during the reign of King Richard , who is away on the Crusades to the Holy Land , leaving the administration of the country to his scheming brother , John , and his corrupt court cronies like Waldemar Fitzurse , Malvoisin and Front-de-Bouef.
Meanwhile a mysterious Disinherited Knight, aided by another anonymous Knight in black amour (Le Noir Fainéant) defeats all of King John's favorite knights at the jousting tournament at Ashby.
The challenger is revealed as Wilfred of Ivanhoe, the disinherited son of the Saxon nobleman, Cedric, who is the beloved of his father's charge, the comely Rowena.
The character who was for me, the most interesting, was the beautiful `black eyed' Jewish beauty, Rebecca, the daughter of the merchant Isaac of York. Compassionate and yet fiery, humble yet proud, sensual and yet modest, it is not hard to understand the passion for her felt by the Knight Templar, Brian De-Bois Gilbert. She and her father must try to survive in a violently anti-Semitic society, in which they are rendered defenseless, as members of a humbled nation. Rebecca, faced with a horrific fate, refuses to renounce her faith, right until the end.
Rebecca thus says during her trial by the order of Knights Templars: " ` To invoke your pity' said the lovely Jewess, with a voice tremulous with emotion `would I am be aware, , be as useless as I should hold it mean...Nor will I even vindicate myself at the expense of the oppressor which seem to convert the tyrant into the victim."

So you see how timeless words of wisdom can be.

Also thrown into the book are Robin Hood and his Merry Men, and the witty Jester Wamba . A quotable quote from Wamba from Wamba is " To restrain them by their sense of humanity is the same as to stop a runaway horse with a bridle of silk thread.

The book is a pleasure to read. As Herbert Strang wrote in an early 20th century edition of Ivanhoe: "In introducing this great story to a new generation of boys and girls, I find myself wishing that I too, where about to read Ivanhoe for the first time"

After having read Ivanhoe , I can understand exactly why he wrote that. ...more

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Jun 19, 2010 Brad rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: north-atlantic, scottish-lit, doing-the-dishes, classic, meta-review

Ivanhoe. Seriously?! Could there be a more arbitrary title to any famous book in the English language? It would be like naming Lost "Benjamin Linus," or naming the original Dragonlance Chronicles "Caramon Majere." This isn't a book about Ivanhoe, it's a book with Ivanhoe in it.

Sir Walter Scott must have been sitting around his room with his D&D dice to come up with Ivanhoe.

Random Title List for Unnamed Book I Just Finished Writing About King Richard's Return From the Crusades and the Defeat of ...more

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Mar 15, 2015 Jason rated it really liked it

Oh, this was very good. I'd read that Woolf loved Scott, and when I told an academic mentor that I was going to read it, she exclaimed, "I had SUCH a crush on Ivanhoe! I'll lend you my copy!" I went into it with high expectations and it delivered. Yes, it's full of lengthy description, but there is action and adventure, romance and politics, and is generally a thrill. I had to skim it, and ended up breezing through a lot of Scott's descriptions of clothing or setting, but as Allan Massie wrote i ...more

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Sep 12, 2014 John Anthony rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction

Set in the reign of Richard I; the Lionheart being on crusade much of the time, leaving England to the mercy (no chance!) of his brother, the odious Prince John and some rather nasty Norman barons. I found it quite a page turner. Of particular interest to me was Scott's portrayal of relations between the subjugated and resentful English and their Norman conquerors. English = liberty, Norman = tyranny.

The position of the Jews in England is fascinating too and two of them have an important part in ...more

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Jun 29, 2016 Ashwood (애쉬 우드). rated it liked it

This book took me a while to read, which is rare for me, so yea.

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Aug 23, 2009 Bruce rated it it was amazing · 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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Apr 29, 2011 April rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I can see now, after having read Ivanhoe, where most of our notions of the medieval ways and of Robin Hood originated. It seemed at once both familiar and foreign jumping into this book. I could see the beginnings of certain conventions — and the glaring lack, as well. It reminded me both of the Canterbury tales and of old Hollywood movies; it was actually kind of weird.

It begins with two minor characters, for instance, and not the main character, Ivanhoe. Ivanhoe is actually introduced somewhat I can see now, after having read Ivanhoe, where most of our notions of the medieval ways and of Robin Hood originated. It seemed at once both familiar and foreign jumping into this book. I could see the beginnings of certain conventions — and the glaring lack, as well. It reminded me both of the Canterbury tales and of old Hollywood movies; it was actually kind of weird.

It begins with two minor characters, for instance, and not the main character, Ivanhoe. Ivanhoe is actually introduced somewhat late, and he's mostly incognito in his first appearance, so you're kind of thrown into the story with little or no ties to anyone in particular. It's hard to care about the characters or the story that way, so I didn't have much emotion invested into the story and got easily bored. After a few chapters, I found myself watching the 1952 movie adaptation to get me jump started, the one starring Robert Taylor, which, notably, didn't start with the minor characters at all but started with Ivanhoe's back story, him coming back from the crusades, on a mission to raise enough money to free King Richard.

This is what the book lacked in the beginning. It lacked that motor, that thing that gives readers a reason to read through all the descriptive chapters in which nothing really happens just yet. As a result, the book seems a bit aimless and happenstance, and it's hard to figure out who to even care for, until you get deeper into the book and discover some of the whys and wherefores of the situations.

For instance, Ivanhoe and Rowena are childhood sweethearts, and you're supposed to root for them as a couple, but they are apart for most of the book, and you barely see them express their love for each other. There is, in fact, very little that happens in the span of the book that would lead anyone to think that Ivanhoe is better off with Rowena than with any other woman. And there IS another woman, Rebecca, in the book who through her actions seems a more deserving character than Rowena. There's another man as well, for Rowena, but the point is Rebecca is the one the reader would rather root for to win the heart of Ivanhoe. Rebecca actually, genuinely cares for Ivanhoe, not just in an emotional sense, partly out of gratitude for Ivanhoe's kind treatment of her father, but in a medical sense, when Ivanhoe gets mortally wounded in a tournament. She's the one who looks after him and with her exceptional healing skills helps him to get better. She's the one who generously funds him, too, using the jewelry she has inherited from her mother. Not only that, but when Rebecca needs saving, it's Ivanhoe alone who saves her. So Rebecca seems a more likely heroine than Rowena — at least in my eyes. The story revolves more around her than around Rowena.

But Rebecca is Jewish, and I guess that and the fact that Ivanhoe and Rowena were childhood sweethearts, make any relationship between Ivanhoe and Rebecca impossible. The way the book is written, it absolutely makes no sense to a modern reader of romance. If there was more interaction between Ivanhoe and Rowena, or if more of their back story was revealed, then I think it would have made more sense and been more gratifying to have them come together in the end; as it was, you have only the author's word that Ivanhoe and Rowena were already an item before any of the events in the book happened.

So for me, that romance story arc needed more of the usual conventions to make it work.

The action-adventure story, similarly, needed more of the usual conventions, or at least a proper back story to give it more reason to exist. I couldn't figure out, for instance, why Ivanhoe needed to enter the tournament at all. In the movie version, it was because he needed the prize money for King Richard's ransom, but the reason in the book is actually not that clear, and the tournament turns out to be a very big part of the story. The later two parts of the action-adventure makes a little more sense; there seems to be a clear mission, rescue the hostages from within the castle, and later, save Rebecca from a death sentence by being her champion and winning a fight. So I could more easily accept the plotting in those areas. The first third, though, seemed a bit senseless to me.

The language seems appropriate for the time, yet easy enough to read. The characters were nicely drawn, and some of them were actually very engaging. For a main character, though, Ivanhoe appeared only partly drawn — the other characters were better developed and more likable than he was. Also, as he was injured for much of the book, he was absent from a lot of the action and so seemed more like a prop than a main character.

Nutshell ... I can see why some people might laud this book, if it was one of the first of its kind, but at the same time it was kind of baffling and boring by the standards of today. I imagine books in this genre have come a long, long, LONG way since this first came out, and if this book were rewritten today, it would be a very, very different book indeed.

I wasn't wowed, but it wasn't TOO bad.

Finished reading March 25, 2011. ...more

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Jan 25, 2017 Paula W rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Although it took me quite a while to get used to the language and sentence structure, I really enjoyed this one. Ivanhoe is part adventure, part historical fiction, part romance, and all fun.

I can't help but wonder why the book is called Ivanhoe, though. The title character is certainly not the main character, nor even one of the better written characters. As a matter of fact, most of the characters didn't appear to be all that complex or interesting.

I vote we re-name this book Rebecca. Because ...more

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Jan 01, 2011 El rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-books-list, 19th-centurylit-early

Good gravy, I've had Ivanhoe on my literary back burner for longer than I can remember. I love a romping good adventure story, but when I say that I mean things like The Count of Monte Cristo, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again, The Odyssey or The Princess Bride. I like my adventure stories to have... adventure. I expected adventure in Ivanhoe since it often falls into the same category as a lot of other swashbuckling adventures, filled with exci ...more

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Oct 27, 2007 Randyn rated it it was amazing

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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Jul 03, 2017 Julie Davis rated it it was amazing

Yes, I know I just listened to this book. But I figure if Harriet Beecher Stowe could read Ivanhoe seven times in one month, then I can reread it right away. Am enjoying it immensely - again!

=========

I'm reading this for my book club (the adult equivalent of a high school reading assignment when it is for a book you've managed to avoid for years).

Consequently I listened to B.J. Harrison's excellent narration to help me get into the book. And it worked. I initially enjoyed it it on the level of ...more

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Jul 04, 2016 Sotiris Karaiskos rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, historical-fiction

The book that accounts for most of the writer's reputation. In this he attempts to make a turn towards the past by writing a story that had as its model the medieval romance, as it would be written in the 12th or the 13th century. A story full of noble - and not so noble - knights, beautiful damsels - often in distress -, non-strict priests, witty servants, charming thieves, and much more of the character cast that one finds in this genre. This story is, of course, adventurous and exciting, exce The book that accounts for most of the writer's reputation. In this he attempts to make a turn towards the past by writing a story that had as its model the medieval romance, as it would be written in the 12th or the 13th century. A story full of noble - and not so noble - knights, beautiful damsels - often in distress -, non-strict priests, witty servants, charming thieves, and much more of the character cast that one finds in this genre. This story is, of course, adventurous and exciting, excessive in some places, emotional and often funny, and revolves around brave deeds of nobles and commoners that try to defend their honour and the honour of the weak from the villains who have no moral reservations. The author is doing a great job in imitating the pompous style of these romances, using a pseudo-archaic language to render the language of the time.

These, of course, are the one side of this book. The author had, as I said, the medieval romance as a model when he was writing this book, but at the same time he did not seem to want to drift away from his personal style, so he created an ideal combination of this old genre with the historical novel of its time, preserving all the beauty and romance, adding realism and a critical look. So the story is full of nostalgia for a noble past, but at the same time the writer as a historian or in satirical mood criticises the conditions of life that prevailed at that time, the prejudices, especially those against the Jews, the injustice and the prevalence of the law of the strong, ending up even to question the concept of chivalry. In the context of this realism, there are many historical references that I imagine are part of the author's attempt to talk about things of his time. One of the main issues he deals is the conflict between the Saxons and their conquerors, the Normans, who had imposed a regime of violence and lawlessness. The writer, talks much about the effects of this division, the bitterness felt by the Saxons and their desire for revenge, but ends with the fact that in the end these two so different peoples eventually became one when equality and justice prevailed in their relationship. Of course, there are too many parallels with more periods of British history and it would be pointless to mention them in my brief review.

The result of all of these was, of course, the creation of a masterpiece that obviously its diachronicity and popularity over the years are better evidence of its value than my own positive opinion. A wonderful book that overflows with romance, offering us a beautiful story of bravery and heroism with a truly enjoyable narrative that takes us ideally into medieval England and passes messages to the reader that are precious in every place and every age.

Το βιβλίο στο οποίο οφείλεται το μεγαλύτερο μέρος της φήμης του συγγραφέα. Σε αυτό επιχειρεί να κάνει μία στροφή προς το παρελθόν γράφοντας μία ιστορία που είχε ως πρότυπο τα μεσαιωνικά ρομάντζα, όπως θα γράφονταν τον 12ο ή τον 13ο αιώνα. Μία ιστορία γεμάτη ευγενείς - και όχι τόσο ευγενείς - ιππότες, πανέμορφες - και πολλές φορές σε κίνδυνο - δεσποσύνες, ελάχιστα αυστηρούς ιερωμένους, πνευματώδεις υπηρέτες, γοητευτικούς κλέφτες και γενικότερα μεγάλο μέρος από το καστ των χαρακτήρων που συναντάει κανείς σε αυτό το είδος. Αυτή η ιστορία είναι φυσικά περιπετειώδης και συναρπαστική, υπερβολική σε κάποια σημεία, συναισθηματική και πολλές φορές αστεία και περιστρέφεται γύρω από τα κατορθώματα ευγενών και μη που προσπαθούν να υπερασπιστούν την τιμή τους και την τιμή των αδυνάτων από τους κακούς που δεν έχουν ηθικούς ενδοιασμούς. Ο συγγραφέας κάνει και πολύ καλή δουλειά στη μίμηση του πομπώδους ύφους αυτών των ρομάντζων, χρησιμοποιώντας μία ψευδο-αρχαϊκή γλώσσα για να αποδώσει τη γλώσσα της εποχής.

Αυτά, βέβαια, αποτελούν τη μία πλευρά αυτού του βιβλίου. Ο συγγραφέας είχε, όπως είπα, ως πρότυπο τα μεσαιωνικά ρομάντζα όταν έγραφε αυτό το βιβλίο, παράλληλα, όμως, φαίνεται ότι δεν ήθελε να ξεφύγει πολύ από το προσωπικό του ύφος, για αυτό δημιούργησε έναν ιδανικό συνδυασμό αυτού του παλιού του είδους με το ιστορικό μυθιστόρημα της εποχής του, διατηρώντας όλη την ομορφιά και το ρομαντισμό, προσθέτοντας ρεαλισμό και κριτική ματιά. Έτσι η ιστορία είναι γεμάτη από μία νοσταλγία για ένα ευγενές παρελθόν αλλά την ίδια ώρα ο συγγραφέας, πότε με το ύφος του ιστορικού, πότε με σατιρική διάθεση κάνει κριτική για τις συνθήκες ζωής που επικρατούσαν, για τις προκαταλήψεις, ειδικά αυτές εναντίον των Εβραίων, την αδικία και την επικράτηση του δίκιου του ισχυρού, καταλήγοντας να αμφισβητήσει ακόμα και την έννοια του ιπποτισμού. Στα πλαίσια αυτού του ρεαλισμού υπάρχουν πάρα πολλές ιστορικές αναφορές που φαντάζομαι ότι εντάσσονται σε μία προσπάθεια του συγγραφέα να μιλήσει για πράγματα της εποχής του. Ένα από τα κύρια θέματα με τα οποία ασχολείται είναι η διαμάχη ανάμεσα στους Σάξονες και τους κατακτητές τους, τους Νορμανδούς, που με το σκληρό καθεστώς που είχαν επιβάλει ένα καθεστώς βίας και ανομίας. Ο συγγραφέας πολύ για τα αποτελέσματα αυτού του διχασμού, για την πικρία που ένιωθαν οι Σάξονες και την επιθυμία τους για εκδίκηση, καταλήγει, όμως, στο γεγονός ότι στο τέλος αυτοί οι δύο τόσο διαφορετικοί λαοί μπόρεσαν στο τέλος να γίνουν ένας όταν επικράτησε η ισότητα και η δικαιοσύνη στη σχέση τους. Φυσικά υπάρχουν πάρα πολλοί παραλληλισμοί με περισσότερες περιόδους της βρετανικής ιστορίας και θα ήταν περιττό να τους αναφέρω στη σύντομη κριτική μου.

Η κατάληξη όλων αυτών ήταν φυσικά η δημιουργία ενός αριστουργήματος που προφανώς η διαχρονικότητα του και η δημοτικότητα του όλα αυτά τα χρόνια είναι καλύτερες αποδείξεις για την αξία του από την δική μου θετική γνώμη. Ένα υπέροχο βιβλίο που ξεχειλίζει από ρομαντισμό, προσφέροντας μας μία πανέμορφη ιστορία γενναιότητας και ηρωισμού με μία πραγματικά απολαυστική αφήγηση που μας μεταφέρει ιδανικά στη μεσαιωνική Αγγλία και περνάει μηνύματα στον αναγνώστη που είναι πολύτιμα σε κάθε τόπο και κάθε εποχή. ...more

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May 11, 2007 Penny rated it really liked it

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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Nov 02, 2019 Ivana Books Are Magic rated it liked it · review of another edition

Ivanhoe is a classic that is well worth reading for its historical significance alone. Personally, I have mixed feelings about the book itself, but I'm happy I read it. The writing isn't accessible and the characters lack dept, but Ivanhoe still proved an interesting read. I found Ivanhoe fascinating in many ways. First of all, the historical setting and the events it describes were quite completing. I understand that the novel isn't completely historically accurate, but I still think it can tea Ivanhoe is a classic that is well worth reading for its historical significance alone. Personally, I have mixed feelings about the book itself, but I'm happy I read it. The writing isn't accessible and the characters lack dept, but Ivanhoe still proved an interesting read. I found Ivanhoe fascinating in many ways. First of all, the historical setting and the events it describes were quite completing. I understand that the novel isn't completely historically accurate, but I still think it can teach us something about this period in English history. Moreover, not only is Ivanhoe a historical novel, it is also one that has historical significance. Published in 1819, it is often credited with popularizing medieval history and romance. The novel probably had a profound influence on literature set in medieval times. Moreover, it definitely influenced our modern perceptions of famous characters such as: Richard the Lionheart, King John, Robin Hood and his gang (the merry friar and so on).

As a novel, Ivanhoe failed to impress me. The plot isn't bad as such, but somehow the novel feels too long. The writing is at times beautiful and there were even some comic episodes, but on the overall the novel feels overwritten. The moralizing passages are often particularly long. While the novel somewhat explores the Jewish- English relations, it doesn't really go into depth. The position of Jews in medieval England is a subject I'm interested it. While I'm glad it was a part of the book, I was left hungry for more. Similarly, some other historical events were not really explored in detailed. A large part of the novel is devoted to the concept of chivalry and christian morality and quite frankly, most of it was quite boring.

More than anything, this novel lacks compelling characters. In terms of characterization, everything is black and white. Ivanhoe the protagonist is such a dull character that even minor characters seem more interesting. This 'good guy' is so annoyingly and unconvincingly perfect, that the cardboard villain seems more human. There is no character development to speak of in this novel, not when it comes to the protagonist and hardly any when it comes to others. In my opinion, Rebecca 'The Jewess' is the only character that came to life. She is absolutely the best character in the novel and the only thing that saves it from being mediocre. If only Ivanhoe had the sense to fall in love with her or express something else than 'platonic' feelings, maybe he wouldn't have seemed such a bore. He isn't much of a protagonist, I'm afraid. Indeed, this novel had its flaws. Nevertheless, I would still recommend it. ...more

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Jun 16, 2019 Lee (the Book Butcher) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Put down "lame of thrones" and pick up a true epic. ok, that was a little strong this book is not for everyone and hard for modern audiences to appreciate. once Considered one of the greatest novels ever printed in English. It's influence on the culture of the English speaking world is monumental. I might be true that the influences might have surpassed the masterwork in entertainment. Lord of the rings, Robin Hood, Princess Bride I could go on. Robin Hood for one is very popular in modern ente ...more

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Sep 30, 2016 Nicola rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, 1001-books

4 1/2 stars

I was a little chary of starting this one when I did as I'd recently finished The Mysteries of Udolpho and I wasn't all that keen on embarking on another long and sometimes boring read. This was meant to be set during the Age of Chivalry after all, I had great fears that there would be people declaiming right and left, maidenly honour being besmirched and people reading poetry as entertainment. In the fragile state I was in I wasn't sure I'd be able to cope. However I needed have worr 4 1/2 stars

I was a little chary of starting this one when I did as I'd recently finished The Mysteries of Udolpho and I wasn't all that keen on embarking on another long and sometimes boring read. This was meant to be set during the Age of Chivalry after all, I had great fears that there would be people declaiming right and left, maidenly honour being besmirched and people reading poetry as entertainment. In the fragile state I was in I wasn't sure I'd be able to cope. However I needed have worried, Ivanhoe was an absolute cracker. Not a dull moment from start to finish. In fact I don't think there was much breathing space from start to finish. There were also jokes from 'rude mechanicals' which were genuinely funny without needing anyone to explain the punchline.

The setting is England around the times of King Richard the Lionheart and the Holy Crusades. To make Ivanhoe the story it is, Walter Scott throws in a vast heaping of history, adds large chunks of realistic ambiance and spices everything up with more than a dash of mythical story telling (i.e. totally made up bullshit) and dishes us up a stew both tasty and hearty. King Richard is missing and rumours abound, the villainous Prince John plots and schemes for the throne and the greenwoods ring to the sound of Merry Men. Also back from the Crusades comes the brave young Ivanhoe, bosom friend of his majesty and estranged from his family for daring to love a lady of most noble Saxon birth who her guardian (Ivanhoes own father) wished to marry off to another great Saxon prince and so create yet another contender for the vacantish throne. And here we have the first of the clashes portrayed in the book - Saxon vs Norman. Shortly after another is introduced in the form of a cringing Jew who is despised and reviled by virtue of being suspected of growing rich off the blood of Christian men and for simply existing. Sir Walter Scott does make rather a caricature of Issac the moneylender but he does show the social conditions which lead to his devotion and love of money.

These aren't the only themes in the work but they are probably the most prominent and Walter Scott doesn't shy away from showing how even the best of men could be blinded by their society taught bigotry. Ivanhoe was a man of his time, a super man of his time to be sure, but still greatly flawed. Although refraining from actual physical abuse his contempt for even the virtuous Jewess Rebecca threatens to overshadow our opinion of him.

This determination to show reality rather than an entirely idealised picture of life is one of the great feature of the book. In tournaments knight die - lances splinter and impale the unlucky, swords don't just clang harmlessly off of armour, they sheer through blood and bone. You can almost hear the screams of agony coming from the pages during these 'friendly' entertainments.

The lands are practically lawless, only the powerful and extremely well connected had any real hope of getting 'justice'. Women who were abducted were very likely raped. Repeatedly. Knights were neither gentle nor kind. Torture was rife, religious bigotry was beyond endemic and might made right from King down.

Of course this was a fictional story so in the end the good guys are going to win; for all of Walter Scotts gritty realism this was never really not going to be the case. Still, even the ending gives pause for thought; there isn't quite the golden little ribbon neatly tying everything up in one happy package.

A wonderful story, it only loses half a star because, while entertaining, the people inside the covers never show any actual individuality. Baring the nuanced Rebecca they have a character and a section of society they are meant to represent and they don't step outside of these roles. Even the titular character Ivanhoe is no more than a cardboard cutout, although there is a slight suggestion of personal growth near the very end there isn't any more time for this to be developed. This lack of depth didn't really worry me, the story was great and I loved it. I'm definitely looking forward to reading what else he has on the list. ...more

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Feb 21, 2016 Douglas Wilson rated it really liked it

On my short list of books I am actively reading, I include a "bucket book," defined as a book I really should have read by this time in my life, but which for various reasons, I have not. In this category, I just finished Ivanhoe, which I found quite enjoyable. I think it was also my first Scott novel. Fun. ...more

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Apr 22, 2019 Milda rated it it was amazing

Be prepared. Sir Walter Scott will take you to an era with great detail and adventure. Ivanhoe contains a fascinating portrayal of the Saxon and Norman cultures and it has it all: magnificent battles, corrupt priests and abbots, estranged fathers and sons, Robin Hood, Richard the Lionhearted, Knights Templar... I love this book so much.

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Aug 21, 2017 Natalie rated it it was amazing

This. Was. Amazing.

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this book. Wamba is hysterical, Rebecca a true heroine, the writing style magnificent, and all the other characters admirable or detestable by turns. I really love this book. :)
...more

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Aug 19, 2017 Rosemarie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: guardian-1000, 19th-century-10-silver, guardian-2017

The book is entertaining, with lots of action and adventure. I found that the minor characters, like Gurth and Wamba, had more personality than the title character, Ivanhoe. In fact, the villains of the book were more interesting than the nominal hero.

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About Walter Scott

Walter Scott

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

Sir Walter Alva 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 people caught up in violent, dram ...more

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“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.” — 118 likes

“We are like the herb which flourisheth most when trampled upon” — 62 likes

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