Reviews

This was interesting. On the one hand you have Scott's commentary on societal conditions in the early 1800s on the conflicts between various groups in England that are tearing the country apart and then you have the early 1200s when the crusade is ending and the conflict in England is between the Saxons, Normans, and more peripherally, the Jews trying to find a place to live. Scott's language takes a lot from Shakespeare, as well as his characters, so it feels like an old friend once you get into the rhythm of Scott's older language. An interesting tale that intersects with the tale of Robin Hood and Richard the Lionheart. The descriptive language falls a bit tediously on the ears, however, and interferes with the pacing of the novel. It bogs down quite a bit throughout. Also, the main love interest hardly appears on the page. The Lady Rowena is mentioned a few times but rarely appears in person. Instead, the Jewess Rebecca is the true heroine of this tale with her foil Ulrica appearing much more detailed a character than Lady Rowena. I understand what Scott was trying to work around, but it was a definite detriment to the coherence of the plot. Plus, the narrative that women who do not kill themselves or cause themselves to be murdered rather than be raped are sinners and a stumbling block to brave knights who are tempted to rape them is rather heavy handed. If one ever wondered where this idea took hold in our culture---look no further. However, it is engaging once you get into the rhythm of the language. A fun story if somewhat baffling to modern ears.

khadigaadel's review against another edition

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5.0

اعتز بهذه الروايه جدا حيث انها بالنسبه احلي ما كتب.تتكلم الرواية عن ايفانهو الفارس الانجليزي النبيل المغضوب عليه من قبل والده و الذي يحارب في القدس في جيش ريتشارد قلب الاسد،هذا بالاضافة الي استعاراض الكاتب سير والتر سكوت لجو المؤامرات التي كانت تحاك ضد الملك ريتشارد من قبل اخيه للاستيلاء علي الحكم.

megancortez's review against another edition

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5.0

The words of praise I could string together regarding this immensely entertaining and provocative tale of romance, adventure, politics, and all other things chivalry may offer, pales frightfully in comparison to the writings themselves. This was a real emotional rollercoaster and I am honestly quite glad that I had the chance to read it.

I can understand why some might find this boring or too long winded, but if the 19th century writing style is your cup of tea (as it is mine) and you enjoy tales of swashbuckling or morally interesting characters, then this is the book for you!

**There are references to (but no occurrences of) sexual assault.

Pro tip: read it in chunks like a periodical. The suspense enhances the enjoyment, and the older style of writing is easier digested in smaller sets.

kebreads's review against another edition

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4.0

I really enjoyed this novel. It took me a year to read as I periodically picked it up to read, but I always enjoyed it when I did.

content: clean

kittykels's review against another edition

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I couldn't do it. I liked some of the writing and some of what was happening, but overall it was EXTREMELY boring. I might revisit it eventually, possibly in a different format. I think physically reading it would be better than listening to it.

vibeke_hiatt's review against another edition

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3.0

As an introduction to Walter Scott, this is a great book. Ivanhoe doesn't play as large a role as I expected, but the attitudes and prejudices of the characters were strong and compelling. It's a fun read, though somewhat predictable.

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