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Tales of My Landlord #4 part 2
Castle Dangerous
The story is set in Ayrshire and Lanarkshire around 1306, shortly after the death of William Wallace during the Wars of Scottish Independence. From Scott's "The incidents on which the ensuing Novel mainly turns, are derived from the ancient Metrical Chronicle of The Bruce, by Archdeacon Barbour, and from the History of the Houses of Douglas and Angus, by David Hume of Godscroft; and are sustained by the immemorial tradition of the western parts of Scotland. They are so much in consonance with the spirit and manners of the troubled age to which they are referred, that I can see no reason for doubting their being founded in fact; the names, indeed, of numberless localities in the vicinity of Douglas Castle, appear to attest, beyond suspicion, many even of the smallest circumstances embraced in the story of Godscroft."
306 pages, Nook
First published January 1, 1832
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About the author
Walter Scott
9,138 books2,016 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.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 18, 2024
This is the last novel Sir Walter Scott wrote. It is set in 1306 shortly after Wallace was executed Robert the Bruce is fighting Edward the 1st and Castle Douglas is a strategic asset. During the Wars of Scottish Independence, the castle was captured by the English several times and retaken by Sir James "The Good" Douglas.
Sir John de Walton governs the castle and garrison with his second in command Sir Aymer de Valence. Lady Augusta de Berkely has promised her hand and fortune to Sir John de Walton, on condition that he holds the castle for a year and a day.
Here’s where it’s a bit disjointed she disguised as a boy with her minstrel Bertram secretly travel to the castle. For apparently the sole purpose to shorten the period of the promise and to see her fiancée who she has never seen. She ends up in a convent, escapes, taken by Douglas and in between the minstrel is taken to Castle Douglas and interrogated by Sir John for what purpose he is there. All a bit confusing. A possible ghost knight, threats of torture and a very long sword battle with the chivalry knight code playing a key role.
Still an interesting story and although based on a true story the ending substantially differs.
Sir John de Walton governs the castle and garrison with his second in command Sir Aymer de Valence. Lady Augusta de Berkely has promised her hand and fortune to Sir John de Walton, on condition that he holds the castle for a year and a day.
Here’s where it’s a bit disjointed she disguised as a boy with her minstrel Bertram secretly travel to the castle. For apparently the sole purpose to shorten the period of the promise and to see her fiancée who she has never seen. She ends up in a convent, escapes, taken by Douglas and in between the minstrel is taken to Castle Douglas and interrogated by Sir John for what purpose he is there. All a bit confusing. A possible ghost knight, threats of torture and a very long sword battle with the chivalry knight code playing a key role.
Still an interesting story and although based on a true story the ending substantially differs.
June 11, 2020
First paragraph: cursory summary; second, critical judgment.
A kind of weird Waverly novel, set at the time of Robert Bruce and his battle for Scottish independence from the England of Edward I (Edward Longshanks). Ostensibly a love story, it tells the tale of Lady Augusta, a fair maiden who has pledged to marry any English knight who can keep and hold the landmark of the title for a year. She has in mind John de Walton, a knight who is in possession of the castle at the beginning of the story, assisted by his lieutenant, the newly knighted Aymer de Valance. The latter allows a traveling minstrel to stay at the castle, thus occasioning a serious rift between the two English knights. Meanwhile, the minstrel's 'son', Augustine, is boarded at a nearby monastery, where English monks and nuns reside. In reality, Augustine is Augusta, come to see if de Walton is making good on his pledge. Sir James Douglas, who feels the castle, which once was held by his father, is in fact his, is a supporter of Bruce.
Eventually, it comes down to a climatic sword fight between Douglas and de Walton, which is inconclusive. Word arrives that Bruce's forces defeated those of the Earl of Pembroke at the Battle of Loudon Hill, thus implying that the looked for support from English reinforcements upon which de Walton had counted would not be coming. In fact, Pembroke orders de Walton to surrender the castle to Douglas. At this point, the latter passes the hand of Augusta to his recent foe, and despite his not having held the castle, the lovers are united.
Only about 300pp. in length, and only having about 20 pp. of the actual sword fight, the novel is more one of temperament than of action, particularly in the long drawn out hostility over nothing, (at least as far as it seemed to me) engaged in for more than half the novel by Valance and Walton. A nice subplot of a disfigured nun who had not yet taken her final vows, her tragic story love lost and eventual re-uniting with her long-lost lover can't really save one from wondering what Scott thought he was trying to do with this novel. A focusing on the ideal attributes of character of the good knight might be a possible lietmotif, but even this is relatively undeveloped with the rather peremptory actions of its principal characters.
Definitely a three-starrer
A kind of weird Waverly novel, set at the time of Robert Bruce and his battle for Scottish independence from the England of Edward I (Edward Longshanks). Ostensibly a love story, it tells the tale of Lady Augusta, a fair maiden who has pledged to marry any English knight who can keep and hold the landmark of the title for a year. She has in mind John de Walton, a knight who is in possession of the castle at the beginning of the story, assisted by his lieutenant, the newly knighted Aymer de Valance. The latter allows a traveling minstrel to stay at the castle, thus occasioning a serious rift between the two English knights. Meanwhile, the minstrel's 'son', Augustine, is boarded at a nearby monastery, where English monks and nuns reside. In reality, Augustine is Augusta, come to see if de Walton is making good on his pledge. Sir James Douglas, who feels the castle, which once was held by his father, is in fact his, is a supporter of Bruce.
Eventually, it comes down to a climatic sword fight between Douglas and de Walton, which is inconclusive. Word arrives that Bruce's forces defeated those of the Earl of Pembroke at the Battle of Loudon Hill, thus implying that the looked for support from English reinforcements upon which de Walton had counted would not be coming. In fact, Pembroke orders de Walton to surrender the castle to Douglas. At this point, the latter passes the hand of Augusta to his recent foe, and despite his not having held the castle, the lovers are united.
Only about 300pp. in length, and only having about 20 pp. of the actual sword fight, the novel is more one of temperament than of action, particularly in the long drawn out hostility over nothing, (at least as far as it seemed to me) engaged in for more than half the novel by Valance and Walton. A nice subplot of a disfigured nun who had not yet taken her final vows, her tragic story love lost and eventual re-uniting with her long-lost lover can't really save one from wondering what Scott thought he was trying to do with this novel. A focusing on the ideal attributes of character of the good knight might be a possible lietmotif, but even this is relatively undeveloped with the rather peremptory actions of its principal characters.
Definitely a three-starrer
January 31, 2018
*Castle Dangerous* was the last novel Sir Walter Scott wrote. It was published in 1831 when Scott was age 60. Set in the first decade of the fourteenth century, the story is set against the background of the Scottish Wars of Independence in the years following the death of England's King Edward I, known as the "Hammer of the Scots." Edward had taken Douglas Castle, the seat of the clan Douglas, and had established an English garrison there. The fictional governor of the castle is the Englishman Sir John de Walton, and the plot revolves around the promise of Lady Augusta of Berkely to marry the man who could hold the castle for England for a year and a day. Realizing the dangers surrounding Sir John, Augusta disguises herself as the son of a wandering minstrel and sets out to examine the situation, but traveling incognito in such times and circumstances, she and the minstrel both fall under suspicion as being spies. Scott has tried in this novel to have no real villain, showing both the English and the Scots as heroic people acting in their own national interests but bearing no personal venom toward the enemy. The tension in the play, therefore, results from suspicions and misunderstandings between the various characters. In some respects, the story bears similarities to Shakespeare's plays of disguise, but it lacks the complexities of most of Scott's novels. As a "swan song," however, it offers a pleasant reading experience.
September 23, 2025
Finally found a Waverley novel that isn’t 6 million pages long
November 15, 2016
Douglas Castle had long been the home of an ancient Scottish family of that same name. During the insurgency of Robert the Bruce the English sacked it, toom it, and turned it into a vital outpost in the Lowlands, albeit one they struggled to keep hold of.
The evicted proprietor, Sir James Douglas, had sworn allegiance to Bruce and become an outlaw on his former grounds, hiding in the thick forests and launching successful raids. The latest English knight to attempt to defend the castle is Sir John de Walton.
Surrounded by rebellious locals on all sides, the defenders of Castle Douglas unnecessarily quarrel amongst themselves, as de Walton and his principle knight, Sir Aymer de Valence, contrive an enmity towards each other from little cause:
'The mother of mischief, says a Scottish proverb, is no bigger than a midge's wing.'
Headed for the castle are a traveling minstrel and an English lady disguised as a sick boy. They clearly have an interest in the fortunes of Castle Douglas, but when questioned their answers are cryptic and unconvincing.
A short and final edition to the Waverley novels of Walter Scott, Castle Dangerous features many of the best elements of the series - the historical backdrop, characters in disguise, chapters headed by appropriate verse quotations - but it lacks for some too.
The colourful Scotch vernacular which enlivened the speech of many of the low born characters in the previous books is entirely lacking here, despite some suitable support players. The plot also hinges on pretty weak material.
But its brevity and an excellent climax on Palm Sunday just about save the day, with Scott, conscious of his advanced years and ailing health, addressing the reader directly at the end to officially sign off as an author.
The evicted proprietor, Sir James Douglas, had sworn allegiance to Bruce and become an outlaw on his former grounds, hiding in the thick forests and launching successful raids. The latest English knight to attempt to defend the castle is Sir John de Walton.
Surrounded by rebellious locals on all sides, the defenders of Castle Douglas unnecessarily quarrel amongst themselves, as de Walton and his principle knight, Sir Aymer de Valence, contrive an enmity towards each other from little cause:
'The mother of mischief, says a Scottish proverb, is no bigger than a midge's wing.'
Headed for the castle are a traveling minstrel and an English lady disguised as a sick boy. They clearly have an interest in the fortunes of Castle Douglas, but when questioned their answers are cryptic and unconvincing.
A short and final edition to the Waverley novels of Walter Scott, Castle Dangerous features many of the best elements of the series - the historical backdrop, characters in disguise, chapters headed by appropriate verse quotations - but it lacks for some too.
The colourful Scotch vernacular which enlivened the speech of many of the low born characters in the previous books is entirely lacking here, despite some suitable support players. The plot also hinges on pretty weak material.
But its brevity and an excellent climax on Palm Sunday just about save the day, with Scott, conscious of his advanced years and ailing health, addressing the reader directly at the end to officially sign off as an author.
July 29, 2017
Set in 1306 the Castle is actually Castle Douglas. Sir John de Walton has agreed to defend this castle of one year against Robert the Bruce and Sir James Douglas, known as the Black Douglas. Romance,intrigue, adventure and Scott's brand of characters round out this novel to a satisfying ending.
This was Sir Walter Scott last novel.
This was Sir Walter Scott last novel.
April 23, 2021
L' action du château périlleux ( ou château dangereux, selon les éditions) se déroule pendant la première guerre d'indépendance écossaise , au début du XIV e siècle. le château en question est celui de Douglas, au Sud de l'Ecosse : quand le roman débute, il est tenu par une garnison anglaise fidèle au roi anglais Édouard Ier, tandis que James Douglas, écossais partisan de Robert Bruce futur roi d'Ecosse, tente de reprendre son château et ses terres.
Voilà le contexte du roman, qui restitue donc le climat de ces années qui ont vu les Écossais se battre pour « bouter les Anglais » hors d'Ecosse et regagner leur indépendance. le récit est vu côté anglais et , dans ce paysage de landes brumeuses et de ruines, Walter Scott fait évoluer quelques personnages bien typés : de jeunes chevaliers pleins de vaillance, des fiers patriotes écossais, un vieil archer donneur de leçons, un abbé de monastère un peu sot, une soeur borgne et défigurée...Et puis il y a Bertram, ménestrel anglais, qui fait route vers le fameux château en compagnie de son « fils » Augustin , dont on apprend dès les premières pages que c'est une jeune fille déguisée . Si l'on sait assez vite qui elle est, il va falloir attendre les 3/4 du roman pour comprendre ce qu'elle fait là et pour que l'action s'accélère un peu..
S'il y a des descriptions intéressantes et une certaine ambiance, j'ai trouvé ce roman de chevalerie bien long et pas vraiment palpitant. Il m'a permis de revoir un peu l'histoire de l'Ecosse et des rivalités entre « croix de St André et croix de St Georges » et les codes de la chevalerie mais bon...
Les dernières pages sont toutefois surprenantes et assez émouvantes :
« Le bienveillant lecteur sait que ces contes sont, suivant toute probabilité , les derniers que l'auteur aura à soumettre au public. Il est maintenant à la veille de visiter des pays étrangers. Un vaisseau de guerre a été désigné par son royal maître pour conduire l'auteur de Waverley dans des climats où il recouvrira peut-être une santé qui lui permettra d'achever ensuite le fil de sa vie [•••] ; il peut lui être permis d'espérer que les facultés de son esprit, telles qu'elles sont, peuvent avoir une date différente de celles de son corps; et qu'il peut encore se présenter devant ses brillans amis, sinon exactement dans son ancien genre de littérature, du moins dans quelque branche qui ne donnera point lieu à la remarque que « Le vieillard trop long-temps est resté sur la scène »
Abbetsford, septembre 1831.
Walter Scott meurt en effet l'année suivante.
November 9, 2022
This isn't as good a book as most of Scott's novels, but it's still fun to read.
This was his last novel, written when he wasn't in good health and had trouble doing as much research as he usually liked to do. As a result, it's shorter and less complete, with an ending that could have been elaborated on to make it more satisfying. (I so often lament wordiness by 19th Century writers, but the ending of this was abrupt.) I'm sure, if he had had more energy, Scott would have given the ending of the novel much more attention, tying up more loose ends and giving us more time to savor the good parts.
Still, it's pretty fun. Intrigue in a Scottish castle under English occupation... patriots preparing for an attack... a beautiful young woman, an heiress, traveling in disguise... Lots to like. But it hurt the story, IMO, that the author couldn't account better for the main character putting herself into such danger, disguising her identity long after any good reason for it, running away from actual rescuers, when she could have at any time announced to her lover or his officers just who she was without any harm. The reason given was far too slight to account for it, making the plot unusually shaky.
If you enjoy the cadences of Sir Walter Scott's language or are a completist when it comes to this author (me... me, also...), you should go ahead and add this to your TBRpile bookcase library. Otherwise, make sure you've first looked into his more fully realized novels, because he's got plenty of 5-star books.
This was his last novel, written when he wasn't in good health and had trouble doing as much research as he usually liked to do. As a result, it's shorter and less complete, with an ending that could have been elaborated on to make it more satisfying. (I so often lament wordiness by 19th Century writers, but the ending of this was abrupt.) I'm sure, if he had had more energy, Scott would have given the ending of the novel much more attention, tying up more loose ends and giving us more time to savor the good parts.
Still, it's pretty fun. Intrigue in a Scottish castle under English occupation... patriots preparing for an attack... a beautiful young woman, an heiress, traveling in disguise... Lots to like. But it hurt the story, IMO, that the author couldn't account better for the main character putting herself into such danger, disguising her identity long after any good reason for it, running away from actual rescuers, when she could have at any time announced to her lover or his officers just who she was without any harm. The reason given was far too slight to account for it, making the plot unusually shaky.
If you enjoy the cadences of Sir Walter Scott's language or are a completist when it comes to this author (me... me, also...), you should go ahead and add this to your TBR
March 8, 2025
It's been one of my ambitions to read all of Sir Walter Scott's novels and with my finishing of this, his final book, I've now done so. It comes after I made a trip to Abbotsford late last year to visit his wonderful home by the Tweed, now preserved as a museum to his memory.
About Castle Dangerous, I was surprised after getting to Chapter 20 to see the book end, as the novels usually run to about double that length.
Nevertheless, I found the book an enjoyable read, set in the time of Robert the Bruce, William Wallace and Edward I, it contains the usual Scott themes of chivalry, courage and romance with that usual touch of mystery, bordering on the supernatural for added measure.
I don't detect much difference in style harking back all the way to "Waverley" but the man was such a good story-teller on every one of his books, I can easily forgive his lack of progression.
The closing lines to "Castle Dangerous" have a valedictory feel to them, written by a man who knew his race was nearly run. Although admittedly hard to read at times, overall I've thoroughly enjoyed getting to the end of my literary journey through his books.
About Castle Dangerous, I was surprised after getting to Chapter 20 to see the book end, as the novels usually run to about double that length.
Nevertheless, I found the book an enjoyable read, set in the time of Robert the Bruce, William Wallace and Edward I, it contains the usual Scott themes of chivalry, courage and romance with that usual touch of mystery, bordering on the supernatural for added measure.
I don't detect much difference in style harking back all the way to "Waverley" but the man was such a good story-teller on every one of his books, I can easily forgive his lack of progression.
The closing lines to "Castle Dangerous" have a valedictory feel to them, written by a man who knew his race was nearly run. Although admittedly hard to read at times, overall I've thoroughly enjoyed getting to the end of my literary journey through his books.
September 10, 2018
This is far from Scott's best work, but given he was dying when he wrote it I'll let him off. However, I'd strongly recommend checking out The Talisman, Ivanhoe and Rob Roy before investigating this novella, which lacks flavour and narrative punch.
June 28, 2019
Pretty gopd
I didn't like this as well as some of Scott's other novels, but it was still a grand adventure as are most of Scott's works. I was annoyed at the heroine for much of the book, so that influenced my enjoyment of it.
I didn't like this as well as some of Scott's other novels, but it was still a grand adventure as are most of Scott's works. I was annoyed at the heroine for much of the book, so that influenced my enjoyment of it.
December 20, 2022
Scott’s last novel – and not his worst – although definitely showing the signs of his now rapid decline. Sutherland, Scott’s finest modern biographer, said of this -
“There are interminably long looping sentences (up to 170 words in places) which veer all over the place, and forget where they started. There are dialogues which go on too long and ramble away from the plot. The plot itself gets lost, and subplots...are introduced, only to be dropped. ..(it) starts with one hero and heroine and ends with another…”
Why then bother to read it? Well, for one thing, it’s Scott: knightly duels, distressed maids, castles, and cold mist rising over the wintry heather – it’s all here a-plenty, and what’s not to love about all that? There’s plenty of cross dressing too (one of Scott’s favourite motifs). There’s also fun to be had trying to relate the themes to what else was happening in Scott’s life: the novel is entirely set in a bleak northern winter (Scott was dying and longing to escape to the sun before he did). And the Tories were routed and the Great Reform Act was ushering in a new age of plebeian barbarism and the death of chivalry –at least according to Scott. I think we can pick up echoes of his reactionary wistfulness about his own times projected back into this novel of the thirteenth century.
I write these words as outside night has fallen -though it is still only 4pm -and an icy wind is blowing through the bare trees in my garden. This book marks the end of the task I set myself over a year ago, to re-read all of Scott’s works in chronological order, about 25 years after I read them for the first time. The best conditions for reading Scott, I’ve found, are right now: when it’s dark and cold outside, a fire is blazing in the grate, and you are in a comfortable armchair with no demands on you and only the ticking of a clock or the purring of a cat for company. But, of course, endings, ticking clocks, and winter all encourage some more sombre thoughts. I may re-read all Scott’s novels for a third and final time, but I doubt it.
“There are interminably long looping sentences (up to 170 words in places) which veer all over the place, and forget where they started. There are dialogues which go on too long and ramble away from the plot. The plot itself gets lost, and subplots...are introduced, only to be dropped. ..(it) starts with one hero and heroine and ends with another…”
Why then bother to read it? Well, for one thing, it’s Scott: knightly duels, distressed maids, castles, and cold mist rising over the wintry heather – it’s all here a-plenty, and what’s not to love about all that? There’s plenty of cross dressing too (one of Scott’s favourite motifs). There’s also fun to be had trying to relate the themes to what else was happening in Scott’s life: the novel is entirely set in a bleak northern winter (Scott was dying and longing to escape to the sun before he did). And the Tories were routed and the Great Reform Act was ushering in a new age of plebeian barbarism and the death of chivalry –at least according to Scott. I think we can pick up echoes of his reactionary wistfulness about his own times projected back into this novel of the thirteenth century.
I write these words as outside night has fallen -though it is still only 4pm -and an icy wind is blowing through the bare trees in my garden. This book marks the end of the task I set myself over a year ago, to re-read all of Scott’s works in chronological order, about 25 years after I read them for the first time. The best conditions for reading Scott, I’ve found, are right now: when it’s dark and cold outside, a fire is blazing in the grate, and you are in a comfortable armchair with no demands on you and only the ticking of a clock or the purring of a cat for company. But, of course, endings, ticking clocks, and winter all encourage some more sombre thoughts. I may re-read all Scott’s novels for a third and final time, but I doubt it.
January 12, 2016
What do I do now? I've read all Scott's novels. Mostly chronologically, which means I am more generous towards this one, knowing it was his last and being so familiar with what went before. As so often with his historical novels set a long way back, the characters talk in a high-flown cod-medieval style, from the lowliest archer to the highest Scottish laird, but when you've read enough Scott that doesn't matter any more. It's not got a lot of plot, but I liked what there was, and unlike other reviewers I thought there was more characterisation than say in Quentin Durward. And the final paragraph, where he says he is going abroad to regain his health, is so poignant in hindsight - a sort of reverse of the ending of Pepys' diaries.
But if you are a Scott neophyte, don't start here. I'd recommend 'Heart of Midlothian' to begin with.
But if you are a Scott neophyte, don't start here. I'd recommend 'Heart of Midlothian' to begin with.
July 25, 2015
I was disappointed by this one. There were some really good descriptions, but no real characterization, and not much happens. The people all pretty much talked the same in their long speeches. Mostly there were just a lot of words, some of them very good, but not much in the way of story or characters.
September 15, 2012
I devoured all Scott's novels as a teenager, but later, after getting 'an education' I had a much more ambivalent reaction to them. Part of me said that this one was very bad, but it is a beautiful piece of romantic escapism. (Not as good as Kenilworth though.)
March 20, 2011
Even though based on an event in Scottish history, this was actually readable since the dialect was kept to a minimum...and oh, yeah, there was a plot in there, too.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews