Ivanhoe (Dover Thrift Editions: Classic Novels) - Softcover

Sir Walter Scott

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0486436772 ISBN 13: 9780486436777

Publisher: Dover Publications, 2004

Synopsis

"Take heed to yourself for the Devil is unchained!" the King of France warns his treacherous co-conspirator, Prince John of England. The "Devil" is none other than Richard the Lion-Hearted, headed home from the Third Crusade to reclaim his throne. Amid the heat of a tournament, King Richard comes to the aid of another Crusader who has returned in disguise. Wilfred of Ivanhoe also seeks to recover a lost heritage — and the hand of Lady Rowena, "a rose of loveliness, and a jewel of wealth; the fairest among a thousand."
Sir Walter Scott's historical romance was published in 1819 and has reigned supreme ever since as the epitome of chivalric novels. Set at the close of the 12th century, it unfolds in a kingdom torn asunder by the hatred between Saxons and Normans. Cedric the Saxon, a powerful lord attempting to restore the Saxon nobility, disinherits Ivanhoe because of his son's fealty to the Norman king. Prince John, assisted by the scheming knights of the Templar Order, clings to the crown by having his brother imprisoned. The dispossessed heroes, Ivanhoe and King Richard, face an uphill battle against firmly entrenched adversaries. The success of their fight rests upon the support of an unlikely crew of outsiders: Rebecca, a Jew accused of sorcery for her skill in the healing arts; Gurth, a swineherd slave; Wamba, a wise fool; and England's most famous outlaw, the legendary Robin Hood.
Ivanhoe crackles with adventure, from a hostage drama inside a besieged castle to a trial by combat to determine the fate of an innocent maiden. A master storyteller's greatest tale, it brings the Middle Ages to life.

About this title

About the Author:

Sir Walter Scott was born in Edinburgh in 1771. Educated for the law, he obtained the office of sheriff-depute of Selkirkshire in 1799 and in 1806 the office of clerk of session, a post whose duties he fulfilled for some twenty-five years. His lifelong interest in Scottish antiquity and the ballads which recorded Scottish history led him to try his hand at narrative poems of adventure and action. The Lay of the Last Minstrel (1805), Marmion (1808), and The Lady of the Lake (1810) made his reputation as one of the leading poets of his time. A novel, Waverley, which he had begun in 1805, was published anonymously in 1814. Subsequent novels appeared with the note “by the author of Waverley”; hence his novels often are called collectively “the Waverley novels.” Some of the most famous of these are Old Mortality (1816), Rob Roy (1817), Ivanhoe (1819), Kenilworth (1821), and Quentin Durward (1823). In recognition of his literary work Scott was made a baronet in 1819. During his last years he held various official positions and published biographies, editions of Swift and Dryden, tales, lyric poetry, and various studies of history and antiquity. He died in 1832.

About the Author:

Walter Scott was born in Edinburgh in 1771, and attended university there, following his father's footsteps and becoming a barrister. After publishing numerous works of poetry, he wrote his first novel in 1814. With Ivanhoe (1820), Scott moved from the Scottish settings he was known for, to writing about a variety of locales and time periods. He died, nearly penniless, at Abbotsford, Scotland, in 1832.

About this edition

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0486436772
• ISBN 13: 9780486436777
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 464