Description
Book SynopsisWalter Scott was born in Edinburgh on 15 August 1777. He was educated in Edinburgh and called to the bar in 1792, succeeding his father as Writer to the Signet, then Clerk of Session. He published anonymous translations of German Romantic poetry from 1797, in which year he also married. In 1805 he published his first major work, a romantic poem called
The Lay of the Last Minstrel, became a partner in a printing business, and several other long poems followed, including
Marmion (1808) and
The Lady of the Lake (1810). These poems found acclaim and great popularity, but from 1814 and the publication of
Waverley, Scott turned almost exclusively to novel-writing, albeit anonymously. A hugely prolific period of writing produced over twenty-five novels, including
Rob Roy (1817),
The Heart of Midlothian (1818),
The Bride of Lammermoor (1819),
Kenilworth (1821) and
Redgauntlet (1824). Already sheriff-depute of Selkirkshire,
Trade ReviewWhen Sir Walter Scott, a solicitor by trade, produced
Ivanhoe in 1791, he invented the historical novel. This great romantic tale of peril and rescue, chivalry and pageantry created a genre * Scotsman *
It's brilliantly written, the most tremendous story, a fantastic adventure, and it's also got this wonderful love story -- Tony Blair
I devoured it -- Sebastian Faulks * Independent *
[Ivanhoe] entranced people all over Europe, with Goethe declaring that Scott had invented 'a wholly new art' * Daily Telegraph *
The central place of Sir Walter Scott and all his works is so deeply ingrained in the Scottish consciousness that there is scarcely an article written about Scotland or Scottishness that does not mention his name * Daily Mail *
