Product Description

The plans of Edgar, Master of Ravenswood to regain his ancient family estate from the corrupt Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland are frustrated by the complexities of the legal and political situations following the 1707 Act of Union, and by his passion for his enemy's beautiful daughter Lucy. First published in 1819, this intricate and searching romantic tragedy offers challenging insights into emotional and sexual politics, and demonstrates the shrewd way in which Scott presented his work as historical document, entertainment, and work of art.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #234332 in Books
• Published on: 2009-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 512 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780199552504
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Library Journal
Published in 1819 and 1824, respectively, these titles are typical of Scott's historical soap operas involving revenge, kidnapping, love, political turmoil, and what have you. To help readers understand the Scottish dialect in Scott's writing, these include glossaries as well as scholarly introductions. Both books are based on Scott's original texts.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
The Edinburgh Edition respects Scott the artist by 'restoring' versions of the novels that are not quite what his first readers saw. Indeed, it returns to manuscripts that the printers never handled, as Scott's fiction before 1827 was transcribed before it reached the printshop. Each volume of the Edinburgh edition presents an uncluttered text of one work, followed by an Essay on the Text by the editor of the work, a list of the emendations that have been made to the first edition, explanatory notes and a glossary ! The editorial essays are histories of the respective texts. Some of them are almost 100 pages long; when they are put together they constitute a fascinating and lucid account of Scott's methods of compostion and his financial manoeuvres. This edition is for anyone who takes Scott seriously. Times Literary Supplement The Edinburgh Edition respects Scott the artist by 'restoring' versions of the novels that are not quite what his first readers saw. Indeed, it returns to manuscripts that the printers never handled, as Scott's fiction before 1827 was transcribed before it reached the printshop. Each volume of the Edinburgh edition presents an uncluttered text of one work, followed by an Essay on the Text by the editor of the work, a list of the emendations that have been made to the first edition, explanatory notes and a glossary ! The editorial essays are histories of the respective texts. Some of them are almost 100 pages long; when they are put together they constitute a fascinating and lucid account of Scott's methods of compostion and his financial manoeuvres. This edition is for anyone who takes Scott seriously.

From the Publisher
Founded in 1906 by J.M. Dent, the Everyman Library has always tried to make the best books ever written available to the greatest number of people at the lowest possible price. Unique editorial features that help Everyman Paperback Classics stand out from the crowd include: a leading scholar or literary critic's introduction to the text, a biography of the author, a chronology of her or his life and times, a historical selection of criticism, and a concise plot summary. All books published since 1993 have also been completely restyled: all type has been reset, to offer a clarity and ease of reading unique among editions of the classics; a vibrant, full-color cover design now complements these great texts with beautiful contemporary works of art. But the best feature must be Everyman's uniquely low price. Each Everyman title offers these extensive materials at a price that competes with the most inexpensive editions on the market-but Everyman Paperbacks have durable binding, quality paper, and the highest editorial and scholarly standards.

Customer Reviews

A good one to start with
Sir Walter Scott was once considered the equal of Shakespeare by some. His influence on 19th century literature was immense. What's more, he still offers good reading. You might not know it from the typical undergraduate British literature survey text, though, where he is likely to be neglected in favor of writers more fashionable today.

I had to read Scott on my own -- fired by the enthusiasm of C. S. Lewis, whose essay on Scott in SELECTED LITERARY ESSAYS is warmly recommended. The first one I read, Kenilworth, wasn't all that good. Better were The Antiquary, Redgauntlet, Rob Roy, The Heart of Midlothian, and Waverley. This novel, The Bride of Lammermoor, is a good one to start with -- being not as long as many of his masterpieces. I suggest the first-time reader skip to the second chapter and start there. Be independent! Find out for yourself why your great-great-great grandparents loved this guy. If you like a warm-hearted storyteller, you should look into Sir Walter.

Gothic chills and local flavour
A rather weird novel that does not lack local flavour and even comical characters is the result of Scott's excursion into gothic style of writing. The atmosphere of the novel is perfectly eerie. Falling down residences, a mad old woman, the shadow of death on Lammermoor from the beginning. A feud between to families in which the Ashtons, have taken over all the possessions of the Ravenswoods, forces Edgar, the only offspring of that ill-fated house, to live in the decaying Wolf's Crag. A grim prophecy foretells his end, if he ever should ride to Ravenswood (now inhabited by the Ashton's, among others the gentle Lucy). And, last but not least, he himself senses that he will never by happy. It is no surprise that the dreamer Lucy falls in love with this dark hero after he has saved her and her father from an angry bull. It is clear from the very beginning that this love can only end in despair, madness and death. Which is, in my opinion, not a flaw of the book, but one of the things that make it special. - Even Lucy and Edgar must know that their love will never come to a good end, but yet they follow the path of their destiny; they can not help themselves. It is that sense of doom that makes the instants at the fountain so precious and moving, or the moment where the lightening illuminates the profiles of the lovers in Edgar's derelict castle. The characters try to act, but in one way or the other are manipulated by Lady Ashton. She IS fate, or much more nemesis. Her "victims" don't have a chance. But the book has more to offer than just a tale of stark tragedy. Scott draws vivid pictures of his characters, for example Caleb (Edgar's faithful old servant) - and plays with the his rough humour against the sombre background. Or the strange people of the village and the weird women in the graveyard who must have been characteristic for rural Scotland in Scott's day. All in all it is a capturing book one is not likely to forget so soon.

Love's Course
I read the biography of Anna Cora Mowatt, "Lady of Fashion." As the brightest theatre star of the 1840s-1850s, she starred in a stage version of "The Bride of Lammermoor." In addition to the opera, there were two stage adaptations of Scott's novel. I haven't been able to locate either of the stage versions, but I did check out Scott's book to read the story.

This is a tale that keeps your interest throughout. I found the Scottish dialect a bit hard to wade through although I "ken" understand it for the most part. Oddly, the first chapter starts with the tale of Dick Tinto who apparently relates this story to our narrator. Tinto is referred to in one other place in the novel. However, his story appears attached and unrelated to what comes after.

The tale of Lord Ravenswood and the demise of his family's fortune is an interesting one. Lucy Ashton's attachment to him happens quickly and seems as if it were enchanted. Alice, the old blind woman who foretells the lovers' fate, is a rich and vibrant character. The servant Caleb is hilarious as he manufactures excuses why the best food and accommodations cannot be given to Ravenswood's guests, even to the point of breaking empty bottles as he enters a room and then using that as an excuse for not having wine to serve. Lady Ashton seems to be more controlling than alert, missing all of the signals of her daughter's mental state nor particularly caring about them. The story's outworking after the wedding with Ravenswood's disappearance into the mist is likewise strange, with both he and his horse forever gone. I enjoyed this book, its gothic castles, the hunt, the commonfolk and the political alliances.

The novel written in 1819 holds up remarkably well 188 years later. Scott paces the unfolding of the adventure well, keeping the reader wanting to reach for one more chapter to uncover the next incident. While we never stop rooting for the lovers, we know that love's course never did run smooth! Enjoy!