Rob Roy — Volume 01

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

3.9

Word count: 546K words
Chapters: 55

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.Rob Roy — Volume 01 by Walter ScottAuthor: Scott, Walter, 1771-1832,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Aug 22, 2004

Editor's review

This is the public-domain English electronic text of the first volume of Rob Roy, released by Project Gutenberg and one of the more widely circulated of Scott's historical novels. The first volume typically handles the introduction of characters, the establishment of setting, and the first appearance of conflict, allowing readers to enter the intertwined social landscape of the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands and to observe how Scott treats history, law, and individual fate in his narrative. Its advantage is that the original text is freely available and convenient for repeated reading and quotation, making it suitable as an introductory primary source for understanding the form of the historical novel in the early nineteenth century. However, the text has no modern annotations, introduction, or glossary, and archaic spelling and Scots dialect may pose obstacles; the formatting is also that of a plain electronic text and will not suit readers seeking an elegant edition. Overall, this is a literary primary source suited to planned reading, whose value lies in the text itself rather than in supplementary services; it is advisable to read it progressively alongside background materials.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English-language readers encountering Rob Roy for the first time who wish to begin with Volume 01
Students of English literary history who need to read Scott's original text
Readers who enjoy Scottish historical subjects and are willing to adapt to archaic English
Researchers who need a public-domain text for quotation or textual analysis

Not a good fit for

Beginning readers who want a modern simplified edition or a Chinese translation
Language learners who need detailed annotations, an introduction, and a glossary
Readers seeking light entertainment who do not wish to adapt to long sentences and dialect

Reading tips

Before starting, learn the basic background of relations between Scotland and England to lower the threshold of understanding.
Proceed chapter by chapter and keep track of character relationships to avoid confusion from the large number of characters introduced.
When encountering dialect and archaic spelling, first infer from context, then verify consistently.
Read one chapter of the original first and then consult relevant scholarship to form your own understanding.

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

Do I need to read other works before Volume 01?

You do not need to read other works first, but Volume 01 of Rob Roy is the starting point of the whole novel, so it is advisable to begin with this volume and read in order. If you are unfamiliar with the Scottish historical background, you may first acquire a little background knowledge before entering the main text.

Why does it feel difficult to read?

The text preserves the English expression of Scott's era and includes Scots dialect and regional usage, and its sentences tend to be long. This is not textual corruption but a feature of the original. By slowing down, using context, and checking references as appropriate, you can gradually adapt.

Is this edition suitable for academic citation?

It provides the public-domain English original and can be used for general reading and textual analysis; for academic citation, however, you should still verify page numbers and collation information against an authoritative or publisher's edition and cite the source of the electronic text.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

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.