Ivanhoe by Walter Scott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On my short list of books I am actively reading, I include a “bucket book,” defined as a book I really should have read by this time in my life, but which for various reasons, I have not. In this category, I just finished Ivanhoe, which I found quite enjoyable. I think it was also my first Scott novel. Fun.
I recommend Waverley. Old Mortality might also interest you, from what I have read of it.
If you liked Ivanhoe, I would also recommend The Talisman. Crusades, knights, Richard the Lion Heart, Saladin. It’s a great adventure story. I actually like it better than Ivanhoe.
Then there is Ivanshovel, a book about Soviet era excavation techniques! ????
My daughter recommends just about anything written by Walter Scott.
Love Ivanhoe. Robinson Crusoe is a boys’ story on the outside but is really about God’s sovereignty. Add it to the list if you haven’t gotten around to it yet.
You’re correct. Kids were often given an “abridged” version of Robinson Crusoe to read, which usually deleted all the references to faith, which occur on almost every page of the original.
Scott is a good example of an author who was wildly popular for many years, then fell off the radar. The poet Longfellow was another. Longfellow’s writings deserve to be resurrected. Not so sure about Scott, but we all have different taste.
I would like to request a much greater depth to these book reviews. I usually read these posts and leave underwhelmed. I’d like to know more about why I should read the book and not just that it was “fun”. That is if you have the time. Not trying to be an ingrate.
Doug Wilson has a goodreads account. These posts are just generated from his brief reviews there. I don’t think he intends for them to be detailed, he reads many books a year. For his detailed reviews look at the book of the month reviews.
Clearly they are not detailed, hence the request :)