The Antiquary [Hardcover]

Sir Walter Scott (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2006 | ISBN-10: 1598182005 | ISBN-13: 978-1598182002

In The Antiquary (1816), written by Sir Walter Scott, the character of the title, a collector of antiques, is not the hero, instead he provides the narration and commentaries on the story of a man known as Major Neville, who seeks knowledge of his birth and the love of Isabella Wardour. Like all of Scott's historical fiction, this novel is an accurate and fascinating portrayal of the time in which it was set. From the author's introduction: "The present work completes a series of fictitious narratives, intended to illustrate the manners of Scotland at three different periods. Waverley embraced the age of our fathers, Guy Mannering that of our own youth, and The Antiquary refers to the last ten years of the eighteenth century."

Editorial Reviews

Review

David Hewitt has brought formidable skills to bear on one of Scott's finest novels and has made it much moreaccessible to scholarly and ordinary readers alike. Re-reading it in thisformat is truly a pleasure. -- Jill Rubenstein The Edinburgh Edition respects Scott the artist by 'restoring' versions of the novels that are not quite what his first readers saw. Indeed, it returns to manuscripts that the printers never handled, as Scott's fiction before 1827 was transcribed before it reached the printshop. Each volume of the Edinburgh edition presents an uncluttered text of one work, followed by an Essay on the Text by the editor of the work, a list of the emendations that have been made to the first edition, explanatory notes and a glossary! The editorial essays are histories of the respective texts. Some of them are almost 100 pages long; when they are put together they constitute a fascinating and lucid account of Scott's methods of composition and his financial manoeuvres. This edition is for anyone who takes Scott seriously. David Hewitt has brought formidable skills to bear on one of Scott's finest novels and has made it much moreaccessible to scholarly and ordinary readers alike. Re-reading it in thisformat is truly a pleasure. The Edinburgh Edition respects Scott the artist by 'restoring' versions of the novels that are not quite what his first readers saw. Indeed, it returns to manuscripts that the printers never handled, as Scott's fiction before 1827 was transcribed before it reached the printshop. Each volume of the Edinburgh edition presents an uncluttered text of one work, followed by an Essay on the Text by the editor of the work, a list of the emendations that have been made to the first edition, explanatory notes and a glossary! The editorial essays are histories of the respective texts. Some of them are almost 100 pages long; when they are put together they constitute a fascinating and lucid account of Scott's methods of composition and his financial manoeuvres. This edition is for anyone who takes Scott seriously. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

David Hewitt was Regius Chalmers Professor of English Literature at the University of Aberdeen and is Editor-in-chief of the Edinburgh Edition of the Waverley Novels. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 412 pages
• Publisher: Aegypan (October 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598182005
• ISBN-13: 978-1598182002
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,391,947 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Scott's favorite but not a fave among his readers -- No Spoilers Here, March 9, 2007

By 

Waverley36 (Nunya) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Antiquary (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

Let me say up front that I love this novel, that as crazy and at times annoying as it reads initially it grows on the patient reader rather quickly, and puts off a warm glow in your memory when you're done. But because it is an anomaly in his catalog, I hesitate to recommend it to most readers. If you either a., haven't read and enjoyed a few other Scott novels, and so are accustomed to his tone and style, or b., do not appreciate fussy, erudite, late eighteenth century-style humor, then this is not the Scott novel for you. Go to Waverley, Ivanhoe, The Heart of Midlothian, Kenilworth, Guy Mannering, or Rob Roy.

The Antiquary is not so much a historical novel as it is a novel about history--about how and in what ways people bury, distort, and attempt to recall the past. Two plotlines, one humorous and unpretentious, one gothic and romantic, dovetail none too gracefully but in delightfully surprising ways. Critics tend to prefer the scenes set among a Scots peasant fishing family for their authenticity; I much prefer the mock-gothic comedy scenes, especially those featuring wise-ass beggar Edie Ochiltree. I like to think that the jovial Scott preferred them too. (Literary critics often lack a sense of humor.)

The third of Scott's novels after Waverley and Guy Mannering, The Antiquary resembles the second more than the first in its freehanded mixture of a different styles and genres and in its enthusiasm.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great novel, muffed introduction, March 14, 2006

By 

Dirk Buzzard - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Antiquary (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

This is a lovely novel but the introduction and notes to this edition aren't as good as the ones in the Oxford World's Classics.