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Sir Walter Scott
Scottish Novelist and Poet

1771 - 1832

Oh what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practise to deceive!

                                 —Marmion. Canto vi. Stanza 17.


Sir Walter Scott was born on August 15, 1771 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Scott created and popularized historical novels in a series called the Waverley Novels. In his novels Scott arranged the plots and characters so the reader enters into the lives of both great and ordinary people caught up in violent, dramatic changes in history.

Scott's work shows the influence of the 18th century enlightenment. He believed every human was basically decent regardless of class, religion, politics, or ancestry. Tolerance is a major theme in his historical works. The Waverley Novels express his belief in the need for social progress that does not reject the traditions of the past. He was the first novelist to portray peasant characters sympathetically and realistically, and was equally just to merchants, soldiers, and even kings.

Central themes of many of Scott's novels are about conflicts between opposing cultures. Ivanhoe (1819) is about war between Normans and Saxons. The Talisman (1825) is about conflict between Christians and Muslims. His novels about Scottish history deal with clashes between the new English culture and the old Scottish. Scott's other great novels include "Old Mortality" (1816), "The Heart of Midlothian" (1819), and "St Ronan's Well" (1824). His Waverley series includes "Rob Roy" (1817), "A Legend of Montrose" (1819), and "Quentin Dunward" (1823).

Scott's amiability, generosity, and modesty made him popular with his contemporaries. He was also famous for entertaining on a grand scale at his Scottish estate, Abbotsford.

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  Resources

•  Other Authors in the Lucidcafé Library
•  Books By Sir Walter Scott
•  Sir Walter Scott Videos
•  Sir Walter Scott Images
•  Related Websites
•  eTexts of Scott's Work

     

  Other Authors in the Lucidcafé Library


  Books By Sir Walter Scott

  • Ivanhoe: A Romance - Author: Sir Walter Scott

    Ivanhoe, first published in 1819, is a romantic tale of peril and rescue, chivalry and pageantry. It is the tale of Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe, a knight returning from the Crusades who finds himself disinherited and thwarted in the pursuit of the lady Rowena.

    CLICK HERE to purchase this Paperback edition of "Ivanhoe"


  • Rob Roy - Author: Sir Walter Scott

    This novel helped establish historical novels as a literary form. Rob Roy follows the adventures of a businessman's son, Frank Osbaldistone, who is sent to Scotland and finds himself drawn to the powerful, enigmatic figure of Rob Roy MacGregor, the romantic outlaw who fights for justice and dignity for the Scots.

    CLICK HERE to purchase this Paperback edition of "Rob Roy"


  • The Antiquary - Author: Sir Walter Scott

    The third novel in the Waverley series, and Scott's personal favorite, The Antiquary centers on a young man who meets a loquacious old antiquary, on a trip to Scotland. He falls in love with the daughter of a local landowner, however, with no wealth or title, his feelings go unrequited until an extraordinary act of courage.

    CLICK HERE to purchase this Paperback edition of "The Antiquary"


  • The Bride of Lammermoor - Author: Sir Walter Scott

    A novel of loss, love, and vengeance is the fourth in Scott's Scottish cycle, Tales of My Landlord. This new edition includes an account of the textual history of the novel, a list of verbal changes from the first-edition text, and a glossary.

    CLICK HERE to purchase this Paperback edition of "The Bride of Lammermoor"


  • The Heart of Midlothian - Author: Sir Walter Scott

    This novel, set between the two Jacobean insurrections in 1736 and during the Porteous Riots, is considered by many it to be Scott's national epic.

    CLICK HERE to purchase this Paperback edition of "The Heart of Midlothian"


  • The Complete Poetical Works Of Sir Walter Scott - Author: Sir Walter Scott

    Scott's complete poetical works are gathered in this re-print of a 1894 edition.

    CLICK HERE to purchase this Paperback edition of "The Complete Poetical Works"

  Sir Walter Scott Videos


  Related Websites


  eTexts of Scott's Work

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Copyright © 1995-2008 Robin Chew
Article written by Robin Chew - August 1995