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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This is a great romance and a story that feeds our collective imagination of medieval England. Rather like retellings of the Arthurian legend, it sits history-adjacent and creates a world that is more like an oil painting than a snapshot.
Worth noting that Scott really tries to emphasize how ignorant his medieval characters are by being quite liberal with anti semitic & other racial slurs. Can make for awkward reading aloud etc.
Worth noting that Scott really tries to emphasize how ignorant his medieval characters are by being quite liberal with anti semitic & other racial slurs. Can make for awkward reading aloud etc.
This was supposed to be my summer "slow-read" novel. And yes, it definitely was a slow read. (Here I am finishing it on September 4. TECHNICALLY, still summer, right?)
I can see why it's considered a classic but I found myself never reaching for this if I had anything else to read, anything at all. (And considering how many books I own...well, there's always something else to read.)
Sir Walter Scott and Jane Austen were contemporaries, but I infinitely prefer our Immortal Jane's style. I think part of the difficulty is Scott was apparently inventing (or nearly) the historical novel. And I certainly appreciate that he did so, since that's one of my favorite genres even if Ivanhoe is not my favorite example.
The footnotes in the Barnes and Noble edition were helpful. (I found it fairly enlightening that when Scott was running short on time he made up many of the epigrams.)
Before I started this I had no idea that this is the book that gives us many of our contemporary ideas of Robin Hood and Richard the Lionheart. Those were fun reveals in the midst of generally humorless (excepting Wamba and Friar Tuck, I suppose) and archaically written prose.
So. Not sorry I've read it. But probably won't be reading it again any time soon (or ever). But maybe I'll watch Anthony Andrews' miniseries. That would be a good reward, if his Ivanhoe is as good as his Percy Blakeney.
I can see why it's considered a classic but I found myself never reaching for this if I had anything else to read, anything at all. (And considering how many books I own...well, there's always something else to read.)
Sir Walter Scott and Jane Austen were contemporaries, but I infinitely prefer our Immortal Jane's style. I think part of the difficulty is Scott was apparently inventing (or nearly) the historical novel. And I certainly appreciate that he did so, since that's one of my favorite genres even if Ivanhoe is not my favorite example.
The footnotes in the Barnes and Noble edition were helpful. (I found it fairly enlightening that when Scott was running short on time he made up many of the epigrams.)
Before I started this I had no idea that this is the book that gives us many of our contemporary ideas of Robin Hood and Richard the Lionheart. Those were fun reveals in the midst of generally humorless (excepting Wamba and Friar Tuck, I suppose) and archaically written prose.
So. Not sorry I've read it. But probably won't be reading it again any time soon (or ever). But maybe I'll watch Anthony Andrews' miniseries. That would be a good reward, if his Ivanhoe is as good as his Percy Blakeney.
Una novela clásica que gira en torno a elementos históricos que rodean la figura de Ricardo Corazón de León y su hermano, Juan sin Tierra. Trata los conflictos entre sajones y normandos, en una Bretaña medieval llena de problemas políticos. Pero Scott introduce no solo sus propios personajes ficticios, como el propio Wilfredo de Ivanhoe, sino también algunos del folclore popular como Robin Hood, su banda y el mismísimo fraile Tuck.
La obra abusa en muchas de las ocasiones, especialmente al principio, de descripciones exageradamente detallistas o diálogos demasiado pomposos. Pero el conjunto no es demasiado pesado para la cantidad de personajes y escenas que narra de todo tipo. Es una épica de estilo clásico, que mezcla el género histórico, épico y de aventuras que no ha envejecido demasiado mal.
La obra abusa en muchas de las ocasiones, especialmente al principio, de descripciones exageradamente detallistas o diálogos demasiado pomposos. Pero el conjunto no es demasiado pesado para la cantidad de personajes y escenas que narra de todo tipo. Es una épica de estilo clásico, que mezcla el género histórico, épico y de aventuras que no ha envejecido demasiado mal.
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Fantastic story! Incredible reading by Michael Page! He showcases every one of Walter Scott's characters, especially Rebecca. The dialog is complex, but completely understandable. Over the week or so of listening, I looked forward to getting into the car to hear what was going to happen next, and I regretted having to get out when I reached my destinations. This story was much better now, possibly 40 years since my first reading.
An excellent piece of classic literature and a charming example of the age of chivalry
Loved it! It was so much fun to read because of the old english. (Ha! What a dork. I read Ivanhoe for fun, can you tell I'm homeschooled?) It may have not been deeply moving and spiritual and brought me to tears(I laughed, though! and sighed over a few sweet parts. wait, maybe I did cry?), but I would definitely read it again. :)