Sir Walter Scott Appreciation discussion

What did you think of the book?

It's not my favorite book by Scott, but I greatly enjoyed it. I found the characters to be weaker than some of his others, but I loved it for the sheer adventure of it. If you liked it for the same reason, you might also like Quentin Durward. Or the Talisman - lots of implausible plot points in that book, but full of adventure.

I loved it because of being able to relate to it (being staged near to my home ground) and for the heroine Rebecca. How many of us wish Ivanhoe had loved Rebecca? However Scott wisely knew that such a thing would have been unthinkable back then. The trial by tournament at the end was disappointing; how much better would it have been if Bois-Guilbert had allowed Ivanhoe the upper hand and thus done the most noble thing, dying to save Rebecca who he had put in this position in the first place.
The resurrection of Athelstane was done according to Scott because a 'fan' was upset at his death. It was a bit of nonsense and I felt the story would have been better without it.
All in all a romanticized view of the times but full of Scott's love of honour and fairness to all men. Makes it a winner for me.

Tracey wrote: "I loved it because of being able to relate to it (being staged near to my home ground) and for the heroine Rebecca. How many of us wish Ivanhoe had loved Rebecca? However Scott wisely knew that suc..."

Scott often includes a woman with some kind of flaw (a real flaw, or one that would be seen as such by society) who loves the main male character but doesn't end up with him (I'm thinking of Peveril of the Peak and a few others - I don't want to reveal spoilers from other books), and these women are often more interesting than the woman who gets the guy.

I wondered if Rebecca and Ivanhoe could have ended up together, but aside from the conventions of the times (the time Ivanhoe is set in and Scott's time), I figured it would have taken Rebecca out of her character. She loves Ivanhoe, but she is also deeply religious, and I don't think she would have married a man who wasn't Jewish. Of course, if Scott hadn't made her so perfect...

I also wanted a bit more excitement in the tournament. Bois-Guilbert was a really interesting character and it would have been a nice touch to see him do what you described.

This is not my favourite book by Scott, for many of the reasons you mentioned, Lori. The "tournament" at the end was a bust.
Is it wrong that I preferred Bois Guilbert to Ivanhoe? For a title character, Ivanhoe played a supporting role in the book and had no personality.

Rosemarie wrote: "This is not my favourite book by Scott, for many of the reasons you mentioned, Lori. The "tournament" at the end was a bust.
Is it wrong that I preferred Bois Guilbert to Ivanhoe? For a title char..."

Ivanhoe appears to have no passion so I am wondering if Scott was inferring that passion is a good thing but needs to channeled properly. Bois Guilbert dying from choice at Ivanhoe's hand I think would have been a better ending and would have made him the hero. If I was to re-write Ivanhoe it is the one main thing I would change except make Issac a noble patriarch equal to the nobility of Rebecca.

Lori wrote: "Tracey wrote: "I loved it because of being able to relate to it (being staged near to my home ground) and for the heroine Rebecca. How many of us wish Ivanhoe had loved Rebecca? However Scott wisel..."

If Scott had made Rebecca convert, which was the only way realistically they could have been together, I feel it would have spoiled the story. Rebecca was true through and through.