Ivanhoe (Abridged)

By Sir Walter Scott

Book Overview

Ivanhoe: A Romance by Sir Walter Scott is a timeless tale of chivalry, honor, and adventure set in medieval England. Featuring knights, noble quests, and historic rivalries, the novel follows the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Unknown Binding
• ISBN: B00CMH8HVS
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Harcourt, Brace and Company
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.

Customer Reviews

How Walter Scott transcended his time

Each reader brings to a book a set of expectations and experience. Giving my particular background and interests, I was startled at how perceptive and understanding Scott was of his Jewish characters.Having read Ivanhoe in high school, begrudingly, I was bemused that I got so enraptured with the story, however off to a slow start it was at the beginning.But by the time I got to Rebecca's prayer, I was utterly taken. An argument could be made that that chapter, a prayer that could be read as a distillation of the medieval Jewish world view, is perhaps the intellectual center of the novel. Scott's awareness of how Jews saw themselves, and how they experienced the world, and his sympathy for a group, who, in early 19th century England were few and despised, is stunning. One could perhaps even read his treatment of Isaac, Rebeca's father and a money-lender, as a counter-play on The Merchant of Venice, a character who starts off cold and avaricious, and ends loving, caring and humane. All in all, a highly commendable novel.

The Immortally Disinherited

I have been notoriously shy of Sir Walter Scott's novels these many years - afeared my imagination would fatefully be swallowed in the fog of the misty dawn - the ominous steps pacing stoically and relentlessly toward my doom - a duel with the spirit of "That old War Horse."But I was quite mistaken: ~ This story is alive - or rather, so very lively! Human fallibilities, such as greed, pride, and bigotry are unabashedly exploited and made ridiculous with as ever a brilliant wit that novelists Jane Austen or Charles Dickens have ever displayed! Scott lights a flame that gives his readers a warm, glowing glance into a dark and murky age. Legends - King Richard the Lionheart and even Robin Hood - embodiment of the spirit of the age - are given eloquent voice and movement through vistas and airs that touch my - the reader's - every sense! Nobility in IVANHOE is not written on the charters or conquests of the characters peopling this novel - but within their hearts and in their actions. No, this is not old and out of sync with everything that we, in the 21st century, know. Scott shows us that humans cannot be bound by time or mortality - but only by the restraints of our own imaginations - our own reticent hearts. I tell you this - IVANHOE may very well induce your imaginations to throw far from your mortal boundaries every conceivable stipulation that would endeavor to restrain them!

The Mother of All Historical Novels!

Not to put too fine a point on it, but this book, by Sir Walter Scott, was the progenitor of what was to become a venerable tradition in English letters (and in other European literatures as well): the historical romance. There have been many after IVANHOE, and frequently with a finer eye to the period in which the tale is set (for IVANHOE contains quite a number of anachronisms -- even Scott acknowledged it), but few have done it quite as well as Scott. He uses an archaic English to give voice to his characters, but one which is readily absorbed because of the speed & quality of the tale. So, though these people certainly wouldn't really have spoken as he has them speaking, they yet sound as though they should have. Peopled by many 'stock' characters and situations, this tale was fresh in its time & still reads well today -- a testament to Scott's skills as a teller of tales and a sketcher of marvelously wrought characters. In this tale of the 'disinherited knight' returning home to find the world he left turned upside down, young Ivanhoe, after a stint with King Richard in the Holy Land, must fight the enemies of his king and kinsmen anew. Yet the hero is oddly sidelined for much of the tale as events swirl around him and the brilliantly evoked villain, Sir Brian de Bois Gilbert, in the pay of Prince John, struggles to win treasure and the beautiful Rebeccah, who yet has eyes only for Ivanhoe, a knight she can never hope to win herself. There's lots of action and coincidences galore here and Robin Hood makes more than a cameo appearance, as does the noble Richard. In sum, this one's great fun, a great tale, and the progenitor of a whole genre. All those which came after owe their form to it. Worth the price and the read.

20 years ago I hated this book. Now......

20 years later (much evolved from my brain dead, high school student period ) I had a blast reading Ivanhoe. The descriptions are rich, the dialog snappy and often very witty (not to mention sarcastic and snide)......the story held my interest from the get go. Wamba the Jester is my hero! Highly recommended for more mature audiences, but I can see how a younger person (for example: average brain dead, high schoolers) would be completely bemused by the book.

I LOVE IVANHOE!!!

Ivanhoe is one of my favorite works. I can't stand to read some of these disparaging reviews. First of all I need to clear something up: Ivanhoe is NOT by any means BORING. It is full of ACTION and EXCITEMENT. What leads some to call it "BOOORING" is really the result of Sir Walter's careful eye for detail. The reader must also keep in mind that Scott was a Romantic, and works of that genre tend to be wordy. Ivanhoe is not a quick read- if you choose to read it, be prepared to spend some quality time with the characters. The only complaint that I have of Scott are the numerous anachronisms- however, they are usually rather slight and should not upset the story's credibility for the reader. On a brighter note, Scott paints realistic, though not three-dimensional, characters who always stay true to themselves. This work is a must-read for those who wish to enhance their literary backgrounds. Having read it, I have come across numerous references and allusions to the story, which I can now fully appreciate.