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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
Between the high-falutin' language, the somewhat unfocused plot, and the sometimes rambling stretches of dialog, this book was a bit of a slog to finish. I am giving it 2.5 stars instead of 2 because of the knight action (though that was too infrequent) and the inclusion of not one, but *two* fair maidens. Also because I got a little flavor of English life in the 12th century and learned some history and the meaning of a lot of archaic words.
Recommended, but only if you're really interested in this troubled time in English history.
Recommended, but only if you're really interested in this troubled time in English history.
Very exciting. Plenty of swords and romance and lances and intrigue.
I just found this so tedious and offensive. Even though a big part of the point is that bias against Jewish people is wrong, the way it was presented was just really disturbing to me.
quite tricky but a fun old read after looking at a chapter summary once in a while
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I didn't know much going into this book beyond when it was published and that it was about medieval knights. I was surprised how easy a read it was and can see how it's stood the test of time, despite being slightly dated the style of writing is simple yet descriptive.
Whilst some characters have layers some are a bit flat, the plot itself has a nice level of complexity being simple enough to follow easily without being predictable and boring. The cameos of other famous literary figures were a pleasant surprise as well.
I'm not sure why the book is called Ivanhoe given he spends the vast majority of the book recovering from an injury and arguably is the person being saved a lot more than the hero doing the saving... The biggest characters in this, who aren't villainous, would be the lower-class characters, who are brilliantly entertaining.
Since I will visit friends who live near his estate many times in the future, I think I'll read a book of his each time I go to work my way through his collective works.
Whilst some characters have layers some are a bit flat, the plot itself has a nice level of complexity being simple enough to follow easily without being predictable and boring. The cameos of other famous literary figures were a pleasant surprise as well.
I'm not sure why the book is called Ivanhoe given he spends the vast majority of the book recovering from an injury and arguably is the person being saved a lot more than the hero doing the saving... The biggest characters in this, who aren't villainous, would be the lower-class characters, who are brilliantly entertaining.
Since I will visit friends who live near his estate many times in the future, I think I'll read a book of his each time I go to work my way through his collective works.
I enjoyed this much more than I initially thought I would. But, honestly, how can you not enjoy a tale of a badass gallant knight standing up for powerless against a bunch of evil guys? Plus, Robin Hood et all cameo. And you get all of JK Rowling’s references to Rowena in the Harry Potter series.
This is a classic of the adventure story genre. The plot is all you can expect from a story full of knights, nobility, treason, chivalry, and love. The plot is well-developed, Scott’s style of writing is very clear and well suited for this kind of story. 5 out of 5 stars.
I liked it better upon re-reading it! Knowing that it was written in the early 1800s and helped start Medievalism does make it more interesting. It is further interesting that while the few female main characters are somewhat objectified and passive, the titular character spends most of the book as an unconscious object that people are vying for custody of!
I'm a huge fan of medieval literature, knights, Arthurian legend and the like. While I enjoyed the story I didn't like Scott's style as well as other, similar books (Mallory for example).
The story is grand, but the delivery less so. All those words....!! And I thought Dickens was wordy. Regardless, I enjoyed the adventure and romance in spite of the verbosity.