The Heart of Midlothian (Oxford World's Classics)
by Sir Walter Scott
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Book Summary Information
Author: Sir Walter ScottEditor: Claire Lamont
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-02-15
ISBN: 0199538395
Number of pages: 624
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Book Reviews of The Heart of Midlothian (Oxford World's Classics)
Book Review: The Heart of Mid-Lothian will tear at your heartstrings and enlighten your mind about a sister's love in 18th century Scotland
Summary: 5 Stars
The Heart of Midlothian by Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) is the best novel in the distinguished series by this author called "The Waverly Novels. (The series title derives from the name of the title hero in the first of these novels: the young English soldier Edward Waverly.)
The plot is simple. Jeanie Deans is a young Calvinist lass who is engaged to be married to a poor schoolmaster named Reuben Butler. During the 1736 riots in Edinburgh, in which Captain Porteous a tax agent was murdered by hanging, Jeanie's younger sister Effie is accused of murdering her newborn child. Effie is imprisoned and condemned to death. Jeanie seeks to save her life by appealing to Queen Caroline in London who is the wife of King George II of Great Britain. As Jeanie travels on her long jaunt from Edinburgh to London the reader meets a broad crosssection of Scottish and English persons who assist the young girl on her quest for justice. Jeanie is one of the most appealing heroines in all of British fiction.
The book is not only fascinating for this heartwarming story but also lluminates:
a. The relationship between poor Scotland and wealthy England in the immediate years following the union of the two nations in 1707.
b. A look at the religious differences between episocapcy supported by the English and the stern
Calvinist Presbyterianism in Scotland
c. A nostalgic look at Scottish life as it moves from an agricultural to an industrialized age.
d. Like Charles Dickens, Scott was good at drawing eccentric minor characters which add richness and humor to this long novel.
And now for a caveat. Scott's novels are always difficult reading! He relishes in making authorial comments on the characters behavior and retards the action with long digressions on politics, religion and other aspects of Scottish life which may not have been familiar to his English readers. This material is often interesting but adds too many pages to his tale. The last quarter of the book needs editing as the decision regarding the fate of Effie Deans has already been decided by that point.
Scott's books require a glossary of Scottish words, customs and phrases which are necessary to aid the 21st century reader's understanding of the novel. Scott was the first major historical novelists in the English language. His novels broke new ground by interesting male and young readers in exciting epic fictions. He was widely popular in his own day. A resurgence of interest in this important author is long overdue. Scott is an excellent writer but it takes concentration and study to enjoy his books. The Heart of Mid-Lothian was published in 1818 and has never been out of print.
Summary of The Heart of Midlothian (Oxford World's Classics)
This novel, which has always been regarded as one of Scott's finest, opens with the Edinburgh riots of 1736. The people of the city have been infuriated by the actions of John Porteous, Captain of the Guard, and when they hear that his death has been reprieved by the distant monarch they ignore the Queen and resolve to take their own revenge. At the center of the story is Edinburgh's forbidding Tolbooth prison, known by all as the Heart of Midlothian.About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
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