Waverley cover

Waverley

Rating 4.3
Word count
771K words
Chapters
78

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.Waverley by Walter ScottAuthor: Scott, Walter, 1771-1832,Language: Finnish, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: May 19, 2014

Editor's review

Waverley is the first historical novel published anonymously by Walter Scott and is generally regarded as the founding work of the English historical novel. Its value lies in placing individual destiny within the grand historical backdrop of the 1745 Jacobite rising, and in presenting the customs, loyalties, and political conflicts of the Scottish Highlands through the eyes of the young Englishman Waverley. This Project Gutenberg edition is in Finnish and is a public-domain ebook, suitable for readers studying the dissemination of Scott's works, Finnish translations, or the origins of the historical novel. Readers should note the language barrier of this translation and understand it within the tradition of historical fiction that Scott inaugurated, rather than as a fast-paced popular adventure. For readers interested in the intersection of Scottish history and Romantic literature, this is an indispensable text.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Literary specialists studying the origins of the English historical novel and Scott's works
  • Linguistic or translation researchers needing a Finnish public-domain literary text
  • History and literature enthusiasts interested in Scottish history and the Jacobite rising
  • Digital library users collecting Project Gutenberg public-domain ebooks

Not a good fit for

  • General casual readers hoping to read a Chinese translation or the English original
  • Beginners without Finnish reading ability who rely on modern annotated editions
  • Readers of popular fiction expecting fast-paced plotting and simple narration

Reading tips

  1. First learn the historical background of the 1745 Jacobite rising before entering the plot, which reduces unfamiliarity.
  2. If you do not read Finnish, read alongside the English original or a Chinese translation, focusing on Scott's historical narrative technique.
  3. While reading, note Waverley's outsider perspective as an Englishman in Scotland and consider how the author handles political stance.
  4. After finishing, read Scott's other historical novels to compare the formation and evolution of his narrative model.

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
  76. 76
  77. 77
  78. 78

FAQ

What language is this edition of Waverley in?
According to Project Gutenberg, this edition is in Finnish and is a public-domain ebook. Readers who need the English original or a Chinese translation should find the appropriate edition elsewhere; this version cannot be used as an English reader.
What is Waverley's place in literary history?
It is generally regarded as Walter Scott's first historical novel and a major founding work of the English historical novel. Set against the 1745 Jacobite rising, it places fictional characters within real historical events and influenced the narrative tradition of later historical fiction.
Can I understand it without knowledge of Scottish history?
You can read it, but understanding will be reduced. It is advisable to first learn basic background such as the Jacobite rising and relations between England and Scotland, then read the text, which makes it easier to grasp the historical meaning of the characters' stances and plot conflicts.
Is this book suitable as English-learning material?
This particular edition is in Finnish and is not suitable as English-learning material. To learn English through Scott, choose an English original edition, and note that its nineteenth-century style and Scottish dialect make it quite difficult.

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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