Ivanhoe

Scott, Walter, 1771-1832Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.6

Word count: 262K words
Chapters: 27

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Ivanhoe (1/4) by Walter ScottAuthor: Scott, Walter, 1771-1832,Language: French, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Aug 1, 2010

Editor's review

Ivanhoe is the representative work of Scott's historical novels. Set in medieval England, it weaves the ethnic tensions between Saxons and Normans, the chivalric system, and royal politics into an adventure story. Its appeal lies not in rigorous historical accuracy but in linking the conflicts of an era through the fates of its characters: set pieces such as tournaments, sieges, disguise, and identity reversals move at a brisk pace, and the supporting cast is vividly drawn; it has long influenced how later historical adventure novels are written. This is the Project Gutenberg electronic edition, labeled as being in French and comprising one quarter of the work; readers should note that this is a segmented version rather than a complete single volume. It serves well as an entry point for understanding Scott's narrative style and Romantic historical fiction, and can also be used for extended reading on medieval themes in English literature courses. When reading, focus on how the novel handles the relationship between historical background and fictional characters rather than treating it as a historical source.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literary readers interested in Scott and the tradition of historical fiction
General readers interested in medieval themes and chivalric stories
Students taking English literature courses who need extended reading
Readers who enjoy adventure narratives and vivid ensemble casts

Not a good fit for

Readers who need a complete single volume and prefer not to read in segments
Readers seeking rigorous historical verification or reference to historical sources
Readers who find nineteenth-century long sentences and slow pacing difficult

Reading tips

First confirm that your file is the one-quarter segment, and after finishing this installment, seek the subsequent parts to continue.
While reading, draw a character relationship chart to distinguish the Saxon and Norman camps and reduce confusion.
Readers unfamiliar with the historical background may first read a brief introduction to medieval England before entering the main text.
After each adventure passage, reflect on how it advances ethnic and political conflict rather than merely following the plot.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Why is this edition labeled as being in French?

The information indicates that this electronic edition is labeled French and comprises one quarter of the work, possibly from a particular translation or a segmented file. Before downloading, readers should verify the file's actual language and segmentation to avoid confusing it with the complete English edition.

Can I read this directly without having read other works by Scott?

Yes. The story is relatively self-contained and does not depend on earlier works. A general impression of the ethnic and chivalric background of medieval England is enough to begin; when many characters appear, a relationship chart will make reading smoother.

Is this novel suitable as historical material?

It is not suitable as a historical source. Scott pursues historical atmosphere and drama, and the characters and plot are largely fictional. It can help you sense how nineteenth-century people imagined the Middle Ages, but for specific historical facts you should still consult professional historical works.

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About the author

Scott, Walter, 1771-1832 Author

Walter Scott (Scott, Walter, 1771-1832) was a British writer known for his historical novels and narrative poetry. The library holds 94 of his works, including the representative Ivanhoe and Waverley Or ‘Tis Sixty Years Since — Complete, as well as The Heart of Mid-Lothian, Volume 2. His historical novels often draw on the history of Scotland and England, weaving real historical events into the fates of fictional characters, with unhurried plotting and vivid characterization; they exercised a profound influence on the development of the European historical novel. Ivanhoe, set in medieval England, is among his most widely read works. Publicly available information on his nationality, dates of birth and death, and other biographical details is limited, so no speculation is offered here.