June / Historical Novel Reading: Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott

[Scheherazade]

In June, we will be reading Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott.

Please post your comments and questions in this thread.

Online copy (http://www.online-literature.com/walter_scott/rob-roy/)

[Niamh]

excellent!
Think i'll go buy it right now!

[Michael T]

Just picked up my copy today.

[Gladys]

Although my copy has a glossary approaching 1000 words, I'm wearing out my dictionary, with barely one in four problematic words in the glossary. Not to mention French.

[Nightshade]

Hopefully will pick my copy up friday :nod:

[kilted exile]

re-reading now

[Virgil]

The book store didn't have Rob Roy. I will have to order it from Amazon.

[Janine]

I am going to have to pass on this one. I am bogged down with other pursuits and I am not that interesting in "Rob Roy", at this time; rather concentrate on Chekhov and some independent reading and Henry IV. How long is the novel, anyway?

[Gladys]

Almost 400 pages.

[parora86]

I was going to get this book, but I have heard that its a REALLY slow read. I'll pass as well. Once you guys start reading it let me know what you think about it.

[Gladys]

I have heard that it's a REALLY slow read At page 130, I have slowed to a crawl with pages of Scottish dialect.

At page 200, the dialect is making more sense.

At page 260, dialect aplenty. I hope I'm not missing much through guessing meaning. Everyone knows everyone!

At page 310, while I'm enjoying the story, it's an easy book to put down. Who else is reading?

[Janine]

Sounds too weighty for me. I would be totally lost in the Scottish dialect. I have Scottish blood in my ancestry, but no talent for dialects and languages. I pass on this one. Time to catch up with my own reading anyway.

[Scheherazade]

Who else is reading?Yeah, where are caspian, kilted exile, Niamh, Nightshade, ntropyincarnate, Page Turner, papayahed and Virgil, who voted for this book?

:D

Glady> Kudos to you for sticking with it. I tried it couple of times but it was no go.

[Gladys]

I tried it couple of times but it was no go. What! Did you give up way before the dreadful dialect begins? :D

Incidentally, Scott's contemporaries, Jane Austen and Henry James, are a much easier read.

[Janine]

Yeah, where are caspian, kilted exile, Niamh, Nightshade, ntropyincarnate, Page Turner, papayahed and Virgil, who voted for this book?

:D

Glady> Kudos to you for sticking with it. I tried it couple of times but it was no go.

I was thinking the same thing! Glad you posted this. Yeah, really....I voted for Ivanhoe and would have read that novel. I don't think it's quite as weighty, not by a long shot, since I read it when I was really young and I was NOT an avid reader back then; I could not put it down.

I do hand it to Gladys for sticking with "Rob Roy", but who is here to discuss it with her? It's rather a pity.

[Virgil]

I bought the book, but I'm still on The Maltese Falcon. Hopefully the summer will give me a little free time.

[Gladys]

Greetings fellow June / 'Rob Roy' readers.

How are we all faring with our 'Robin Hood of Scotland'? By the end I could read the odd page without consulting the glossary for Scottish dialect. I finished the book tonight but will sensibly sleep on my vote.

Great indeed was the mystery surrounding Rashleigh and Die Vernon although the resolution was rather too predictable. Still, the ending was exciting, albeit adventure novels with a genuine love story are definitely not my preference. I like novels with imponderables, and perhaps I missed them in Rob Roy.

[dfloyd]

the movie didn't follow the book at all, but was better. Scottish dialect relatively hard to follow. I like Scott but Rob Roy was below standard for Sir Walter. The Talisman and Kenilworth far better books.