The Talisman cover

The Talisman

Rating 4.1
Word count
740K words
Chapters
75

Tags

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.The Talisman by Walter ScottAuthor: Scott, Walter, 1771-1832,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Jul 1, 1998

Editor's review

The Talisman is one of the more representative of Scott's historical novels, set in the East during the Crusades and interweaving knights, monarchs, and factional strife. The work is distinguished for its historical atmosphere; dialogue and scene descriptions carry a distinct Romantic color while still presenting political calculation and human weakness. As a public-domain eBook from Project Gutenberg, it offers low-cost access to Scott's long-form narrative. While reading, note how the author develops fictional conflict against a historical backdrop and how Eastern and Western characters are shaped in contrast. For lovers of historical fiction, it is a work in which the pleasures of nineteenth-century historical narrative can be savored.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Readers who enjoy historical fiction and knightly themes
  • Literature students studying Scott's narrative art and Romanticism
  • General readers interested in stories set during the Crusades
  • English learners needing a public-domain long text for reading practice

Not a good fit for

  • Readers who prefer fast-paced modern narrative and short chapters
  • Readers unfamiliar with the historical background who are unwilling to consult notes
  • Readers expecting a pure love plot with little historical exposition

Reading tips

  1. Before reading, learn the basic background of the Crusades to understand characters' positions and conflicts.
  2. Map faction relationships and character motives as you read to avoid confusion from the large cast.
  3. Read the long narrative in stages, reviewing key turns and character changes after each part.

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.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23
  24. 24
  25. 25
  26. 26
  27. 27
  28. 28
  29. 29
  30. 30
  31. 31
  32. 32
  33. 33
  34. 34
  35. 35
  36. 36
  37. 37
  38. 38
  39. 39
  40. 40
  41. 41
  42. 42
  43. 43
  44. 44
  45. 45
  46. 46
  47. 47
  48. 48
  49. 49
  50. 50
  51. 51
  52. 52
  53. 53
  54. 54
  55. 55
  56. 56
  57. 57
  58. 58
  59. 59
  60. 60
  61. 61
  62. 62
  63. 63
  64. 64
  65. 65
  66. 66
  67. 67
  68. 68
  69. 69
  70. 70
  71. 71
  72. 72
  73. 73
  74. 74
  75. 75

FAQ

Is this book suitable as an introduction to historical fiction?
It can serve as an introduction, but note that Scott's pace is slow and the historical background dense. Read an introduction to the period first, then enter the text; take brief notes where relationships are complex for a smoother experience.
How difficult is the English?
As a nineteenth-century English text, its syntax and vocabulary bear period features, with many long sentences and historical terms. English learners can read in sections, grasp the main plot first, then return to detailed description without checking every word.
Does the electronic edition include notes?
The information does not state whether this electronic edition includes notes; public-domain eBooks usually contain the main text only. For background explanation, prepare historical references or read alongside an annotated edition to understand the people and events referred to.

Comments

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About the 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.

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