![]() |
![]() |
Your cart is empty |
||
Showing 1 - 25 of 31 matches in All Departments
Woodstock opens in farce, yet it is one of Scott's darkest novels. It deals with revolution, to Scott the most disturbing of all subjects: 'it appears that every step we made towards liberty, has but brought us in view of more terrific perils'. Written during the financial crisis which led to his insolvency in January 1826, the novel, Scott feared, 'would not stand the test'. Yet it does: it is set in England in 1651 as Parliamentary forces hunt the fugitive Charles Stewart who days previously had been defeated at Worcester. In the superb portrait of Cromwell we see a self-torturing despot who attempts to be in full control in the name of religion; in the rakish Charles we see a man without self-reflection whose own libertarianism after his restoration to the English throne in 1660 permitted a great burgeoning in scientific enquiry and the arts. This edition of Woodstock is based on the first, but emended in the light of readings in the manuscript and proofs that were misread, and at times deliberately suppressed, as Scott's own hand-written words were turned into a printed book.
Rob Roy is set in 1715, but it is less concerned with the Jacobite Rising than with the economic and political conditions which brought it about, and the remarkable entrepreneurial spirit of the new Hanoverian capitalists which resisted it. It celebrates the freebooting daring of the hero's father in the City of London and the robust balancing of generosity and selfish calculation which is required in successful enterprise, and which motivates one of Scott's most lively creations, the Glasgow merchant Baillie Nicol Jarvie. Rob Roy is nominally a retrospective autobiography written by Frank Osbaldistone and is suffused with a sense of loss both personal and cultural. The personal is the loss of his wife Diana; the cultural is epitomised in Rob Roy who is the hunted victim of a society richer and more powerful than his own. The text is based upon the first edition, corrected with readings from the manuscript, and is supported by comprehensive historical and explanatory annotation.
The Heart of Mid-Lothian is precisely focused on the trials for murder of John Porteous and of Effie Deans in 1736 and 1737. Yet it is a chronicle--Scott's only chronicle--which spans the eighty years of the life of David Deans, whose death takes place in 1751. It is the most complex of all Scott's narratives. It is also the most challenging in that it raises in an acute fashion the problem of a judicial system that does not produce justice. Scott places this fundamental issue in its immediate political context, in history as represented by the life of Deans, and alongside the justice of Providence as perceived by his daughter Jeanie, the greatest of Scott's heroines. This edition of The Heart of Mid-Lothian provides a new text established in accordance with the tried policies and practices of the Edinburgh Edition of the Waverley Novels, and in its annotation treats comprehensively the novel's historical, legal, religious and cultural sources.
In 1810 a literary phenomenon swept through Britain, Europe and beyond: the publication of Sir Walter Scott's epic poem The Lady of the Lake, set in the wild romantic landscape around Loch Katrine and the Trossachs. The world's first international blockbusting bestseller, in terms of sheer publishing sensation nothing like it was seen until the Harry Potter books. Exploring the potent appeal that links books, places, authors and readers, this collection of eleven essays examines tourism in the Trossachs both before and after 1810, and surveys the indigenous Gaelic culture of the area. It also considers how Sir Walter's writings responded to the landscape, history and literature of the region, and traces his impact on the tourists, authors and artists who thronged in his wake.
Set at the time of the Third Crusade (1189 - 92), The Betrothed is the first of Scott's Tales of the Crusaders. The betrothed is Eveline, daughter of a Norman noble, who is a victim of the Crusade in that her intended husband is required by the Church to fulfil his vow to join the war and departs for three years. The full horror of an arranged marriage, and of being a possible prize as men seek to gain possession of her is vividly realised--the heroine is never free; her fate is always determined by the agency of men. And being set on the Marches of Wales, it is not just men but differing cultures that strive for mastery over her. The Betrothed is a problem novel: as Scott was writing he himself was arranging the marriage of his elder son. It is a problem novel too in that it was deeply disliked by Scott's printer and publisher who forced significant changes. What Scott was required to do to meet their objections has been confronted for the first time in this, the first critical edition of the novel.
The third of the Waverley Novels is dominated by two old men, Jonathan Oldbuck (the Antiquary of the title) and the beggar Edie Ochiltree. Together they apply their knowledge of the past to sort out the confusion of the present, and in doing so restore the fortunes of ancient houses. This was Scott's favourite among his novels, and presents a quizzical and amusing view of the profession of history and, by implication, of Scott's own practice as writer and collector.
The second of "Tales of the Crusaders," "The Talisman" is set in Palestine during the Third Crusade (1189 - 92). Scott constructs a story of chivalric action, apparently adopting a medieval romance view of the similarities in the values of both sides. But disguise is the leading theme of the tale: it is not just that characters frequently wear clothing that conceals their identity, but that professions and cultures hide their true nature. In this novel the Christian leaders are divided by a factious criminality, and are contrasted to the magnanimity and decisiveness of Saladin, the leader of the Moslem armies. In a period when the west was fascinated with the exotic east, Scott represents the Moslem other as more humane than the Christian west. "The Talisman" is one of Scott's great novels. It is a superb tale. It is also a bold departure as, for the first time, Scott explores not cultural conflict within a country or society but in the opposition of two world religions.
Do You Struggle With Staying Focused? Do you want to be able to concentrate better? Do you struggle with lack of focus and procrastination starts to settle in? Are you looking to increase your learning capacity? These effective strategies and exercises will improve your learning. You'll be excited to see your productivity and efficiency increase dramatically allowing you to laser in on tasks. Within this book's pages, you will find the answers to these questions and more. Just some of the questions and topics include: *Mental Exercises to Boost Concentration* *Methods for Improving Learning Capacity* *Various Techniques to Improve Your Learning* *How To Improve Your Memory* *10 Tips Specifically For Concentration at Work* This book breaks training down into easy-to-understand modules. It starts from the very beginning of the science of concentration and how to improve it, so you can get great results - and be less distracted!
|
![]() ![]() You may like...
Combating Collusion in Public…
Katarzyna Kuzma, Wojciech Hartung
Hardcover
R4,659
Discovery Miles 46 590
The Survivor's Guide For Candidate…
Bhauna Hansjee, Fahreen Kader, …
Paperback
Law Enforcement by EU Authorities…
Miroslava Scholten, Michiel Luchtman
Hardcover
R4,026
Discovery Miles 40 260
Mis-selling Financial Services
Jonathan Kirk, Thomas Samuels, …
Hardcover
R5,078
Discovery Miles 50 780
Insolvency Practitioners - Appointment…
Hugh Sims, Rachel Lai, …
Hardcover
R4,993
Discovery Miles 49 930
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury…
Michael S Lief, H. Mitchell Caldwell, …
Paperback
Disciplining Judges - Contemporary…
Richard Devlin, Sheila Wildeman
Hardcover
R3,737
Discovery Miles 37 370
|