About this title: Scott's most revered novel, written in 1791, is a love story set in the Middle Ages. The hero is a Saxon knight, Wilfred of Ivanhoe, whose personal chivalric code comes into conflict with the corruption of his arch-rival, the Knight Templar Brian de Bois-Guilbert. Ivanhoe is also torn between the woman to whom he is betrothed, Rowena, and a saintly young Jewish woman, Rebecca, who loves him. The cast of characters also includes Richard the Lionhearted, Robin Hood, and the fabled Black Knight.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Airmont Publishing Company, Inc., New York
Date Published: 1964
Description: Good. No Jacket. 12mo-over 6¾"-7¾" tall. The book is very solid with lightly browned pages. A stamp is on the fifth end paper. The cover is aging with minor shelf wear & moderate edge wear. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Signet Classics
Date Published: 1962
ISBN-13:9780451521941ISBN:0451521943
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. VG-reading copy. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 512 p. Signet Classic. Audience: Young adult. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Bantam Classics
Date Published: 1988
ISBN-13:9780553213263ISBN:0553213261
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Cover has very minor wear, pages are unmarked. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 544 p. Bantam Classic. Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Bantam Classics
Date Published: 1988
ISBN-13:9780553213263ISBN:0553213261
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Cover has very minor wear, pages are unmarked. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 544 p. Bantam Classic. Audience: General/trade. read more
Description: Penguin Popular Classics 1994 2nd printing paperback CONDITION: VERY GOOD, edges somewhat age toned & a trace of corner wear o/w an excellent copy, near fine condition. read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Washington Square, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Date Published: 1961
Description: Poor. 16mo-over 5¾"-6¾" tall. Binding is weak, allowing a section of pages to loosen. Edgewear to cover and creasing to hinge. Pages tanned. SYNOPSIS: A story of chivalry, knighthood, tyranny, romance...set in medieval England, it features Ivanhoe, the gentle Rowena, Isaac of York, Rebecca, Robin Hood... read more
Description: Fine. 0866119868 Excellent condition Illustrated Hard cover book, clean pages, corners crisp, this book is Near NEW! Shop & Save With US. read more
Description: Poor. No dust jacket as issued. Cover very worn w/clear tape repairs; Book is straight & fairly tight; no loose pages; First 60 pages are dog-eared at upper right corner/fewer on lower right; pages are unmarked; Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 508 p.; Bibliography; Signet Classic. Audience: General/trade. This obviously very worn book is an excellent reading copy of a great classic; "Sir Walter Scott gathered a popular audience as no other writer had done before him; a great ... read more
"I'm not sure if it was the neglected corner of our tiny library with it's vintage bound classic literature, or the old, worn cover of the pocket size edition that fit perfectly in my hands, or my need for depth after a summer of easy read, YA fiction, that initially drew me to it's 800+ pages, but whatever it was, Ivanhoe sunk it's claws in and I couldn't escape. I had to renew the book three times and use all kinds of self discipline to ignore the other books that kept beckoning me during my three month trudge to the finish line. I complained continuously and then picked it back up every night, rarely making it through an entire chapter before I fell asleep. Why!!!?
The story is summarized as a chivalrous romance set against the historical backdrop of the Norman/ Saxon conflict, when in reality it is a Norman/ Saxon conflict, interspersed with chivalry gone awry, set against the minor,overly objective, sketchy relationships of people who we assume must have passion and depth of character, but which we can only surmise until their personalities finally start to develop somewhere around page 600! The last 200 pages I actually enjoyed.
I will admit that hidden within the lengthy history is a fantastical story of virtue and selflessness and unrequited love, but as disloyal and unintellectual as this may sound, and at the risk of being ejected from all circles of classical literature enthusiasts, I think it has been portrayed, notwithstanding it's definite flaws, with more emotional depth on screen than in print. Maybe the abridged versions would do the story better justice. I am glad that I read it; the journey has been informative and left me with enlightening things to ponder, but my recommendations would be hesitant and selective."
"I picked up an ancient, dusty, red card bound edition in a thrift/junk/antique shop somewhere on the other side of australia a few years ago... I was entranced by the romance of reading pages with over 100 years of age, (which started me on my love affair with old, ooold books:)) and getting stuck into it i equally fell in love with the old english language & words like "......." & "......" However the actual book content, was not to me, brilliant, and damn it Ivanhoe, you ended up with the wrong girl!!:((( So although the generic work "ivanhoe" gets just two stars, my particular personal copy gets pride of place in my bookshelf & memory:)
oh & I was also enlightened as to who the 'Normans' & 'Saxons' actually were:).. I had a vague, vague idea, but Ivanhoe pushed my to do some background research & find out who the hell they even are, & I found this really interesting:)"
"This is a novel that, as I understand it, almost single-handedly revived the popularity of medieval chivalry and heroism in 19th century literature . . . and life. The culture of the American South profoundly admired Scott's world view. Stories like Ivanhoe were spiritual fuel to their sense of honor and privilege.
Also, with Scott, a major branch of literature was consolidated which in his time was separating from the branch of what was thought of as "serious literature." His literary heirs were James Fenimore Cooper, Alexander Dumas pere, and Robert Louis Stevenson. Jane Austen headed up the other major branch which led to writers like George Eliot, Henry James and Joseph Conrad. This is, of course, a gross simplification, but a useful classification for some purposes. I call Scott's branch "romantic," and Austen's branch, "realistic" and/or "naturalistic."
Ivanhoe is top-notch romantic adventure. Just get past the first couple of chapters and you'll be hooked."
"So much fun! I LOVED this book! It was by no means a quick read for me - probably took about a month because I had to find time to really concentrate, not just skim it while multi-tasking ten other things as I usually do. Still, what a joy! The introduction of this particular edition says that Ivanhoe is probably Sir Walter Scott's worst-written novel. I can't imagine what the other ones were like because I thought Ivanhoe was perfect.
One thing I didn't love at first, or at least had to get used to, was the detail Scott uses to describe everyone's clothes, the layout of rooms, the types of trees in the forest, etc. After the first 60-75 pages, I was so involved in the story that it didn't bother me anymore. In fact, I loved his descriptions and appreciated the fact that he took his time telling the story. It gave me the chance to feel more involved in the novel - the characters were truly a part of my life for a month. Speaking of which - I LOVE REBECCA!!!! And King Richard!!! And Gurth!!!"
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