Ivanhoe

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......more

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......more

One of my favorite novels in junior high. This began a life long affection for the work of Sir Walter Scott, even those whose language was difficult to read. I found the rewards to be worth the effort. Here is a very good quote from the Goodreads description of the book: "The gripping narrative is s......more

Narration by David Rintoul: 5 stars Story by Walter Scott: 3 stars-ish Had so many conflicting feelings while re-reading this book after more than 30 years. And even after considering this carefully, I am still confused and would really like to be able to pick Scott's mind while he was writing this. A......more

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......more