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A review by bioniclib
Ivanhoe by Walter Scott
3.0
You'd think the eponymous character would play a large role in the the book, but Ivanhoe really wasn't a big part of the story. That said, the story was pretty entertaining. The story takes place in England after 1066 and thus a big theme is Saxon vs. Norman people in England. Then there's the Jew vs Christian theme. It always makes me uncomfortable how horrible Jews are treated in classical literature. Mr. Scott, though, seems to imply how ridiculous it is that Jews are treated as 2nd rate citizens. He goes back and forth between insulting the Jews and insulting Christians. It's a complex tale, more so than I would have guessed.
The prose is quite poetic, too, and Wamba is a fool in the grand trickster tradition who spins many a pretty turn of phrase. Oh, and Robin Hood and his Merry Men are part of the story, too. Knights a-plenty give the reader some good battle scenes. Finally, in another unexpected bit of enlightenment, women, specifically the "Jewess" Rebecca, aren't always treated as dainty daft dames. While not completely able to shake off the shackles of misogyny, Mr. Scott does include at least one strong woman character. All in all, it is a pretty progressive work with a great writing style. Not the easiest read, it's definitely worth a shot, though.
The prose is quite poetic, too, and Wamba is a fool in the grand trickster tradition who spins many a pretty turn of phrase. Oh, and Robin Hood and his Merry Men are part of the story, too. Knights a-plenty give the reader some good battle scenes. Finally, in another unexpected bit of enlightenment, women, specifically the "Jewess" Rebecca, aren't always treated as dainty daft dames. While not completely able to shake off the shackles of misogyny, Mr. Scott does include at least one strong woman character. All in all, it is a pretty progressive work with a great writing style. Not the easiest read, it's definitely worth a shot, though.