Ivanhoe by Walter Scott, is set in England during the reign of King Richard , who is away on the Crusades to the Holy Land , leaving the administration of the country to his scheming brother , John , and his corrupt court cronies like Waldemar Fitzurse , Malvoisin and Front-de-Bouef.
Meanwhile a mysterious Disinherited Knight, aided by another anonymous Knight in black amour (Le Noir Fainéant) defeats all of King John's favorite knights at the jousting tournament at Ashby.
The challenger is revealed as Wilfred of Ivanhoe, the disinherited son of the Saxon nobleman, Cedric, who is the beloved of his father's charge, the comely Rowena.
The character who was for me, the most interesting, was the beautiful `black eyed' Jewish beauty, Rebecca, the daughter of the merchant Isaac of York. Compassionate and yet fiery, humble yet proud, sensual and yet modest, it is not hard to understand the passion for her felt by the Knight Templar, Brian De-Bois Gilbert. She and her father must try to survive in a violently anti-Semitic society, in which they are rendered defenseless, as members of a humbled nation. Rebecca, faced with a horrific fate, refuses to renounce her faith, right until the end.
Rebecca thus says during her trial by the order of Knights Templars: " ` To invoke your pity' said the lovely Jewess, with a voice tremulous with emotion `would I am be aware, , be as useless as I should hold it mean...Nor will I even vindicate myself at the expense of the oppressor which seem to convert the tyrant into the victim."

So you see how timeless words of wisdom can be.

Also thrown into the book are Robin Hood and his Merry Men, and the witty Jester Wamba . A quotable quote from Wamba from Wamba is " To restrain them by their sense of humanity is the same as to stop a runaway horse with a bridle of silk thread.

The book is a pleasure to read. As Herbert Strang wrote in an early 20th century edition of Ivanhoe: "In introducing this great story to a new generation of boys and girls, I find myself wishing that I too, where about to read Ivanhoe for the first time"

After having read Ivanhoe , I can understand exactly why he wrote that.

This is a novel that, as I understand it, almost single-handedly revived the popularity of medieval chivalry and heroism in 19th century literature . . . and life. The culture of the American South profoundly admired Scott's world view. Stories like Ivanhoe were spiritual fuel to their sense of honor and privilege.

Also, with Scott, a major branch of literature was consolidated which in his time was beginning to be distinguished by the intelligentsia from "serious literature." His literary heirs are James Fenimore Cooper, Alexander Dumas pere, and Robert Louis Stevenson. Jane Austen headed up the other major branch which included George Eliot, Henry James and Joseph Conrad. This is of course a grossly simplified classification, but for some purposes a useful one which both Scott and Austen recognized. I call Scott's branch "romantic," and Austen's branch, "realistic" and/or "naturalistic."

Ivanhoe is top-notch romantic adventure. Just get past the first couple of chapters and you'll be hooked.

"La venganza es una fiesta para los dioses."

Sir Walter Scott, fue el fundador de la novela histórica romántica, y es con "Ivanhoe" en donde el género se instala para siempre en la literatura. Este prolífico autor inglés posee una veintena de estas novelas y con cada una de ellas iba perfeccionándose, logrando con esto, ejercer una marcada influencia entre sus pares y los autores que quisieron seguir dicha influencia.
Con el correr de los años fueron apareciendo grandes ejemplos de novelas históricas en todos los países, tal es el caso de la monumental "La guerra y la paz" de Lev Tolstói y "La hija del capitán" de Alexandr Pushkin en Rusia, de "Nuestra señora de París" de Víctor Hugo y "Los tres mosqueteros" de Alexandre Dumas o "Salambó" de Gustave Flaubert en Francia y de una lista interminable que ocuparía varias páginas.
Al igual que Cervantes, Scott debe haber recalado en varios libros de caballería, incluidos el Orlando Furioso y el Quijote para escribir el suyo ya que, aunque publicado en 1820 se ubica en la época medieval para contar la historia de este enfrentamiento entre normandos y sajones en la Inglaterra de la época de los templarios.
Más aún, todo transcurre durante los años del reinado de Ricardo I, Corazón de León quien está cautivo en Palestina y presuntamente muerto, mientras su déspota hermano Juan sin Tierra ejerce una tiranía despreciable debido a su unión con los normandos para someter al pueblo sajón.
Los duelos entre caballeros medievales, con sus lanzas y armaduras, los salteadores de caminos, las bellas damas y los bosques presuntamente encantados y los castillos imponentes son los condimentos esenciales de esta novela y su ambientación por parte del autor es indispensable y habitual.
Los personajes que llevan a cargo las distintas aventuras son de lo más variopintos y cada uno de ellos cumple una función esencial, desde Juan sin Tierra, pasando por Brian de Bois-Guilbert (el caballero Templario normando y rival de Ivanhoe), Maurice de Bracy, Frente de buey, Cedric de Rotherdam, padre de Ivanhoe y por supuesto Ricardo I Corazón de León y muy especialmente el arquero Locksley  quien es nada más y nada menos que el famosísimo Robin Hood de Sheerwood. Gurth el porquero y Wamba el bufón, aunque al principio parecen secundarios, se transformarán en roles principales de toda la novela. Son como versiones mucho más combativas de Sancho Panza.
Como no podía ser de otra manera, sobresalen dos personajes femeninos que son el sostén de toda la lucha entre estos caballeros, me refiero a la bella Rebecca, hija de un comerciante judío, Isaac de York y hermosa Rowena, una hermosa sajona adoptada por Cedric. El contrapunto entre estas dos damas es brillantemente llevado a cabo por Scott, más puntualmente en el último capítulo.
De todos los sucesos que ocupan la novela, el mejor es la toma del castillo normando de Frente de buey llevado a cabo por los sajones en una sangrienta lucha para rescatar a la bella Rowena.
Un tema que me llamó mucho la atención es el tratamiento que Scott hace del judío Isaac de York y de los judíos en general, ya que por momento pude notar una especie de aberración a los hebreos que por momentos se torna bastante violenta por la discriminación y el desprecio que sufren Isaac y Rebeca tanto de parte de los normandos como de los sajones.
Los judíos, que a lo largo de la historia y desde la época del mismísimo Jesucristo, han deambulado por el mundo, sufriendo la persecución de los romanos, de los templarios (como en esta novela), de los rusos, los daneses y los bretones, la persecución y expulsión de España a cargo de los moros y ni que hablar de las atrocidades que los nazis les hicieron durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial.
No es la primera vez que me encuentro este tipo de desprecio literario en libros de autores clásicos. En una parte de esta novela se dice de ellos: "Ten presente que hablas de un judío, de un israelita, tan incapaz de soltar el oro que una vez ha tocado, como lo son las arenas del desierto de devolver el agua que ha derramado en ellas el viajero." Esa frase me remite a otra, bastante racista de la novela Tarás Bulba de Nikolai Gógol: "Lo primero que brilló ante los ojos del judío fueron los dos mil ducados de recompensa por la cabeza del cosaco; pero se avergonzó de su codicia y pugnó por reprimir dentro suyo esa eterna fijación en el oro, que habita enroscada como un gusano en el alma de todo judío."
El tratamiento que se hace de los judíos es el punto más flojo y reprochable de la novela, y para colmo de males, es uno de los temas principales del libro.
También he de decir que en cierto modo me sentí defraudado con Ivanhoe el personaje, y más puntualmente por la manera en la que el autor hace salir al personaje de escena después de un duelo, dejándolo casi muerto, ya que gran parte de la acción mal llevan adelante los otros personajes, para reaparecer recién en la acción en el capítulo 31 de los 35 que tiene el libro.
Algo similar sucede en la "Ilíada" de Homero en la que Aquiles también desaparece para volver hecho una furia cuando Héctor asesina a su amante Patroclo.
En líneas generales, "Ivanhoe" es un libro entretenido a medias, ya que por momentos se torna tedioso y es realmente extenso, pero que en ciertos tramos posee aventura, mucho humor gracias a la intervención de algunos de sus personajes, lo que le valió a Sir Walter Scott para fundar la novela romántica que aún hoy se sigue publicando y leyendo en todo el mundo.

Ladies and Gentlemen, il Romanzo Storico è servito!

Sir Walter Scott è universalmente noto per aver inventato il romanzo storico moderno (e per questo da due secoli frotte di lettori gli cantano lodi sempiterne); fra le sue tante opere, la più celebre di tutte è senza dubbio Ivanhoe, il cui folgorante successo internazionale ne determinò una subitanea trasposizione in opera lirica musicata da Gioacchino Rossini, l’equivalente ottocentesco dell'odierno blockbuster hollywoodiano diretto da Steven Spielberg.

Eppure, è cosa nota, quando si vuole lanciare una nuova moda, il rischio di fare un buco nell'acqua è dietro l'angolo; lo capì fin troppo presto Isabella Gilbert, inventrice della pratica museruola-crea-fossette-sulle-guance, e dovette temere il peggio anche il nostro Walterone che, infatti, pensò bene di piazzare prima dell'inizio vero e proprio del romanzo una fittizia lettera dedicatoria indirizzata al Rev. Dott. Dryasdust, una dichiarazione d’intenti ad uso e consumo dei lettori più puntigliosi, una sorta d'excusatio non petita in cui spiegava con altrettanto puntiglio come fosse giunto a concepire e a realizzare questa straordinaria novità, una narrazione al contempo storica e romanzesca, in cui verità e finzione coesistono, il romanzo storico, per l'appunto; ossimoro letterario usato per esporre tematiche contemporanee traslandole in un'epoca passata, nel caso specifico, la lotta fra unionisti e indipendentisti scozzesi trasformata nel confronto fra Sassoni e Normanni nell'Inghilterra medievale.
Letta oggi, dopo oltre duecento anni di sovrabbondante proliferare indiscriminato di romanzi storici d'ogni fatta, questa lettera in cui l'Inventore illustra le sue fonti e tenta di giustificare le molte licenze alla Storia che troveremo lungo il percorso suscita quasi commozione nel suo essere così ingenua e, a paragone della quale, l’audace escamotage narrativo dell'Anonimo seicentesco trasforma istantaneamente Alessandro Manzoni nel Christopher Nolan dei romanzieri.

Come ognun se n'avvede, infatti, dobbiamo sempre a Scott anche l'esistenza de I Promessi Sposi (e per questo da altrettanti secoli frotte di studenti gli lanciano maledizioni altrettanto sempiterne). Sandrone copiò Walterone e, come lui, fecero prima Victor Hugo e poi Alexandre Dumas in Francia. La lista dei figli e figliastri di Scott sarebbe così lunga da arrivare sino ai giorni nostri (gli deve tantissimo anche Tolkien), ma noi ci fermeremo a questi tre ingombranti soggetti, bastano e avanzano.

Ognuno di loro, bisogna riconoscerlo, seppe interpretare con una buona dose d'originalità la lezione di Scott: Hugo ne esaltò la componente storica, arrivando a sfornare trattati sul passato mascherati da romanzi; Manzoni ne ricalcò solo l’impostazione generale, l'idea, sostituendone l'aspetto più avventuroso e dilettevole con precetti pedagogico-moralizzanti; Dumas più di tutti ne colse le potenzialità romanzesche e le portò alle massime vette mai toccate da scrittore.
Lo stile di Scott, in certa misura, li ricorda e racchiude tutti e tre, possiamo dire che Ivanhoe è l'opera seminale di un filone che ancor oggi gode di chiara fama, seppur ormai spogliato di ogni suo intento primigenio; raramente, infatti, gli autori dei romanzi storici odierni adoperano la Storia per riflettere sulla contemporaneità, come invece fecero magistralmente quei quattro signori là.


Piccola postilla finale

Vi sarete accorti che ho taciuto ogni informazione sulla trama, l'ho fatto in parte perché ritengo che questo sia un romanzo ricchissimo che merita d'essere scoperto durante la lettura, ma principalmente perché non volevo entrare in competizione con la mia pessima insegnante d'inglese, che così mi presentò i quattro libri d’epoca Regency fra i quali io e i miei compagni avremmo dovuto trovare la nostra prossima lettura, a seguito della mia spaesata richiesta di lumi per orientarmi nella scelta: "Se ami le storie d'amore romantiche che partono male ma finiscono bene, leggi Orgoglio e Pregiudizio; se ami le storie d'amore tenebrose che partono male ma finiscono malissimo, leggi Cime tempestose; se ami le storie complicate che poi si complicano ancora di più, leggi Ivanhoe; se vuoi ridere a crepapelle fino alle lacrime, leggi Northanger Abbey, uhuhuhuh! scusami, ma rido al solo pensiero, uhuhuhuh!"

Purtroppo scoprii a mie spese che la mia pessima professoressa d’inglese aveva anche un pessimo sense of humor.
Oggi, dopo oltre vent'anni da quel lontano giorno, possiamo certificare senza tema di smentite che era pessima anche nel presentare le trame dei romanzi.
Ah, se solo mi avesse detto: "Se ami i castelli, i cavalieri e Robin Hood…", non mi sarei privato così a lungo di questa meravigliosa storia complicata che poi si complica ancora di più.

Although it took me quite a while to get used to the language and sentence structure, I really enjoyed this one. Ivanhoe is part adventure, part historical fiction, part romance, and all fun.

I can't help but wonder why the book is called Ivanhoe, though. The title character is certainly not the main character, nor even one of the better written characters. As a matter of fact, most of the characters didn't appear to be all that complex or interesting.

I vote we re-name this book Rebecca. Because that woman is n  EVERYTHING.n

Note, March 17, 2014: I posted this review some time ago, but just finished tweaking the language in one sentence to clarify a thought.

Obviously, this novel won't be every reader's cup of tea: the author's 19th-century diction will be too much of a hurdle for some, those who define novels of action and adventure as shallow will consider it beneath them, and those who want non- stop action will be bored by Scott's serious effort to depict the life and culture of his medieval setting. But those who appreciate adventure and romance in a well-realized setting, and aren't put off by big words and involved syntax, will find this a genuinely rewarding read.

Ivanhoe is a quintessentially Romantic novel, and that school stressed appeal to the reader's emotions rather than, or at least more so than, their intellects. But this does not mean it's devoid of a philosophical or moral point of view. Novels of action and combat appeal to emotions of fear and excitement, etc., but at their best, they often presuppose a code of conduct between humans that differentiates between good and evil, and cast the conflict in the story in those terms, with the writer on the side of good; and the various characters may model genuine virtues. This is definitely the case here. And the (small-r) romantic aspect of the plot in this book is not a simple tale of "boy falls for girl," either; the above description identifies Rowena as Ivanhoe's "true love," but in fact he comes to have very definite romantic feelings toward Rebecca as well, and the question of how how this triangle will be resolved contributes to the story's interest. Rebecca's character also brings an added depth to the novel --she's a strong, courageous lady who excels in a male-dominated profession in the midst of a sexist society (and the 19th-century culture of Scott's readers was scarcely less sexist than Rebecca's medieval world). Scott's treatment of her, as a Jewish character, also exemplifies genuine tolerance (in a much different sense than the inverted one popularized today, in which we simply proclaim ourselves as apostles of "tolerance," but then hate and anathematize anyone who disagrees with us, because their different beliefs identify them as "intolerant"); as an Anglican, he has honest differences with her religious beliefs, but he can enthusiastically affirm her as a person anyway, and, as an author, allow her to remain true to her own beliefs. So, there's a lot here for the discerning reader to appreciate!

This is the original, the classic romantic adventure of chivalry, tournaments, damsels in distress, noble knights, evil villains and daring rescues. It is full of exciting action, lofty ideals and beautiful maidens, jousts and battles to the death. In fact, this is THE novel that originally put the buckle in the swash.

The tale is set during the reign of Richard the Lionheart, who is absent on a crusade, and his weak, greedy and changeable brother John rules in his stead. The ruling Normans are opposed by the oppressed Saxons, lead by Cedric, the old stubborn Saxon lord who even disowned his own son for following King Richard, a Norman. He is guardian of Rowena, the beautiful princess descended from the old Saxon kings, and wants her to marry Ethelstan, the last male Saxon heir to the throne.

We have a large cast of colorful characters, among whom the titular Ivanhoe shows up probably the least. We see way more of Cedric, his father, John and his norman courtiers, the Knight Templars, and the Jew Isaac and his beautiful and talented daughter, Rebecca. King Richard also appears, and entertainingly makes acquaintence with Friar Tuck, Robin Hood and his merry men. Scott spends quite a bit on character development, and we are treated to several humorous bits involving Friar Tuck, Robin Hood, and Ethelstan and his appetite.

Sir Walter Scott’s language is quite readable and the action and scenery are well described. However, most characters talk in long and circuituos sentences, never neglecting using fifty words where five would do… so this makes it a bit tedious. On audio, with a good narrator, this is not so much a drawback, but I probably would have skipped quite a bit if I was reading it.

With a work this old there are always problematic parts. This one drips with antisemitic characters. While Scott feels for his Jew and his beautiful daughter and laments how despite their money, they could any time be robbed, expelled or worse, he lets his characters abuse and shame the Jews in pretty much every scene. They go on and on about how dirty and infidel they are and they don’t even want to touch them. I am sure in reality the Jews were way cleaner than most Christians…

The other is the terrible misogyny. We know that damsels were supposed to be beautiful, modest and needing to be rescued, I expected that. And Scott does speak out against the terribly flimsy excuses and lies with which a female good at healing could be declared a witch whenever she became inconvenient to someone. But the scene where Cedric despises Ulrika for sharing the bed of her abductors and still being alive just really made me angry. She was raped, she had no choice in the matter! She needed sympathy, not shaming.

Overall this work stands the test of time - it is still entertaining, and if I could get over the antisemitism and the misogyny, I would give it five stars.

3.5 stars? Give or take.

This was my DWS birthday book selection, Sir Walter Scott being an August baby. I went into it knowing that it was about knights and chivalry, but there is much more to it.

First things first: there is a TON of anti-Semitism. Scott portrays his Jewish characters very schizophrenically, alternating between sympathizing with them and depicting them stereotypically as grasping and money loving. There are scenes directly equivalent to The Merchant of Venice with Isaac of York trying to decide between his daughter and his money. Rebecca is depicted as virtuous, skilled, and possessed of wisdom, while her beauty makes her the desire of lecherous men. Still, she does not receive the affection that she desires from a particular English knight. That two centuries later we still have people who hate Jews and Muslims beggars belief.

I think the reason for this novel's longevity is Scott's incorporation of the elements of the Robin Hood tale. Once I realized that Richard the Lion Hearted and Prince John were involved, I hied me off to Wikipedia to learn more. Sure enough, it was Scott who consolidated the details of earlier legends into the storyline we all are familiar with today. The Merry Men, dressed in green, robbing from the rich and giving to the poor, Friar Tuck, Allan-a-Dale, feats of marksmanship, opposition to Prince John—he melds it all together into a unified story that seems to have grabbed our imaginations.

The part that we have let go of is the Saxon-Norman rivalry which Scott layers into the mix. I'm sure that such discords existed at some point in history, but Scott was apparently trying to make a point about such prejudices to his contemporaries. Nowadays it doesn't hurt the story, but it doesn't really help it much either.

The writing is florid by today's standards, but still very readable. There are some odd sentence constructions and word spellings, but for a book that is over 200 years old, it is still entertaining. There are bits that are predictable to the modern reader, especially those familiar with the Robin Hood story, but it would have been new and exciting when it was first published. I've been nervous of Scott's writing until now, but I have the courage to try more of his work after enjoying this one.

Set in the reign of Richard I; the Lionheart being on crusade much of the time, leaving England to the mercy (no chance!) of his brother, the odious Prince John and some rather nasty Norman barons. I found it quite a page turner. Of particular interest to me was Scott's portrayal of relations between the subjugated and resentful English and their Norman conquerors. English = liberty, Norman = tyranny.

The position of the Jews in England is fascinating too and two of them have an important part in the story. Regarded as less than animals on one level; on the other hand they were the bankers and so we couldn't do without them.

Lots of fighting here and the art of chivalry. Ivanhoe the English knight takes on a few Normans, we meet Robin Hood and his fellow bandit Friar Tuck. The latter compares favourably with the princes of the church in England. Richard puts in the odd appearance at crucial points. (Scott is balanced in his assessment of him. R's heart was in the right place but he neglected his country). Lurv figures in it too of course.

I enjoyed reading it and want to read more on this period of history.

Perhaps my rating is too flattering, but this was a pleasant surprise! I knew Ivanhoe from my youth from the boys' books and from the black-and-white films, but the original version really has much more to offer. And while reading you gradually notice more and more aspects and themes that rightly make this novel world literature. It starts off quite Chaucerian (including the motto's at the beginning of the chapters), with a clearly medieval setting, strong anti-clerical accents, and an antagonism between Norman and Anglo-Saxon nobles.

At a certain point I thought this predominantly was a nationalistic novel because of the pronounced anti-French slant (it is no coincidence that the book was written shortly after of the struggle against Napoleon). A bit further on, the very emphasized rejection of anti-semitism became apparent. Of course, the knightly ideal is also fully addressed, although with a sting: Scott clearly emphasizes how outdated this obsessive adherence to the exalted values of knighthood is, how flawed and counterproductive. He even lets his characters reflect on this.

And so it turns out that almost all the characters are people with shortcomings: the lust for power and the cynicism of the Normans, the nostalgic clinging to the past of the Anglo-Saxons, even the so sympathetically portrayed Jew Isaac confirms to the cliché of avarice, and also the ‘good’ knights Ivanhoe and Richard the Lionheart do not escape this critical treatment: Scott regularly puts them on display with cunning irony. Two exceptions: the ladies Rowena and Rebecca; Rowena is portrayed a bit too angelically for my taste, she hardly weighs on the story; but Rebecca, on the other hand, is a woman who stands firmly; she even seems – more than Ivanhoe – to be the most important character, and therefore gets the last word.

Of course there are the ‘Romantics’-aspects: the extensive descriptions of castles, forests and tournaments.; the sometimes very pathetically escalating emotions of the characters, and a number of very improbable twists, including the predictable and quickly reeled off happy ending. But Ivanhoe is more than a simple novel, and certainly much more than a boy's story. I enjoyed this very much. Rating 3.5 stars

I love(d) this book and was torn between 4 and 5 stars. Can we call it 4.5? Heck, let's just say 5! I read it first long ago and it holds up well over the years (its and yours). A classic for a reason.

You'll find synopsis after synopsis here and elsewhere. But if you like adventure, heroism, romance, loyalty, betrayal...any or all of the above you won't go wrong here.

King Richard the Lion Heart...Robin Hood (Locksley)...Knights Templar...Saxons vs. Normans...Gentiles vs. Jews....Knights from the Crusades....Tournaments...jousts...melees...treachery...single combat...love...loss...reconciliation...heroics! This thing has more to offer than The Princess Bride! Well, no one gets murdered by pirates...and it is a "kissing book", but it's still a great read, and it's a classic so you get extra points!

Okay, so my sense of humor got the best of me for a second there.

While this book may not appeal to some, as it is definitely dated, it was written in 1819, and its syntax and construction aren't what modern readers will be used to, that won't bother most I'd think. I read this book first when I was 13 or 14. I stumbled across it in a grandparent's house one summer, and it captured my interest. The book is a historical fiction and an action adventure of it's day and while it may not move as today's action adventures do, there is so much more than that here. The depth of the prose blows away what we might call "action adventure" today. There is high adventure here that should please adventure lovers and the romantics among us. (When "Sir Desdichado" challenged the entire field at the joust I was hooked!)

Yep, on second thought no question, 5 stars. This book is highly recommended.

Ivanhoe is a good adventure story of medieval chivalry. It centers on Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe, a Saxon who turned a supporter of Norman King Richard, the Lionheart. This angers his Saxon father, Sir Cedric who disowns him.

Scott's storytelling brings wonderfully to life medieval tournaments, where knights fought one another to demonstrate their courage and skills, and characters that we've heard from our childhood, like Ivanhoe, Robin of Locksley (Robin Hood), Friar Tuck, the brave and fair King Richard the Lionheart, and vile Prince John. However, the underlying theme of this story which narrates many adventures is the conflict between the native Saxon nobility and the invading Normans. Saxons, led by Sir Cedric, find it hard to accept a Norman king and secretly entertain a futile hope of restoring a Saxon king to the throne. His son, Ivanhoe's acceptance and support of a Norman king are hard on him. But Ivanhoe's support of Norman refined ways and customs and his ultimate marriage to Saxon Lady Rowena unites the two races and symbolises the unity of the old (Saxon) and the modern (Norman).

The story is quite engaging and Scott is a wonderful storyteller. But the violence of medieval times and the strong antisemitism impaired my enjoyment of it. It was particularly hard to read Knight Templars' cruelty to Rebecca. I'm not passing judgment here. The morals of that time are quite different from now. Yet, that doesn't make it any easier to read.

More of my reviews can be found at http://piyangiejay.com/