The Fortunes of Nigel (Edinburgh Edition of the Waverley Novels) [Hardcover]

Walter Scott (Author), Frank Jordan (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 17, 2005 | Series: Edinburgh Edition of the Waverley Novels

Set at the end of the reign of James VI and I, The Fortunes of Nigel is among Walter Scott's richest creations in its political insight, range of characterization, and linguistic virtuosity.

Well versed in the political literature of the period, Scott draws a detailed picture of London in the early seventeenth century while charting the effects of the Scottish influx into the English capital, the ambitions and fears of the newcomers, and the suspicion they aroused. The complex web of political (and sexual) intrigue and financial double-dealings are traced with a master's hand.

Steeped in Jacobean drama, this tale shows Scott revelling in the linguistic riches of the age. Previous editions have obscured his virtuosity (as seen in a dazzlingly proto-Joycean monologue by a Greenwich barber), but painstaking examination of the manuscript and proofs for this new edition allows the full vigor of Scott's achievement to be savored for the first time.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A part of our immediate response to these exemplary volumes is to feel the discrepancy between Scott's slapdash, hearty, headlong method of composition and the painstaking toil of his editors!the Edinburgh editors have reverted to the first editions, but have also combed the manuscripts for missed readings and lost material; some of the latter, such as the portraits of Edinburgh literati in Guy Mannering, are substantial discoveries. A part of our immediate response to these exemplary volumes is to feel the discrepancy between Scott's slapdash, hearty, headlong method of composition and the painstaking toil of his editors!the Edinburgh editors have reverted to the first editions, but have also combed the manuscripts for missed readings and lost material; some of the latter, such as the portraits of Edinburgh literati in Guy Mannering, are substantial discoveries.

About the Author

Frank Jordan is Professor Emeritus of English at Miami University, Ohio.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 688 pages
• Publisher: Edinburgh University Press (March 17, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0748605770
• ISBN-13: 978-0748605774
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.9 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,585,908 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This is only half the text of the book!, January 16, 2009

By 

Kat "Kat" (Woodland Hills, CA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Fortunes Of Nigel (Paperback)

Incredibly, this book ends midway through the story. Somebody was obviously not paying attention. It appears to be photocopied from a collection of Sir Walter Scott's works and the volume must have ended in the middle of the story, to be continued in the next volume. Somehow, they neglected to notice this. If you wish to read the entire enthralling tale, get a used book from years past.