Ivanhoe

[KEV67]

I have started reading. First I read a fictious letter by the author, purporting to be another author, outlining his reasoning for writing the book. Then I read the introduction. Often I avoid reading the introduction, because they give away spoilers, but this introduction was by Walter Scott himself. He said he did not want to write only Scottish novels, so he was branching out into an English one. He said it was trickier, because the wild men of Scotland were still in living memory, while England had been a civilised country a long time. I am only two chapter in, but, so far, I do not think it is as good as Waverley. 

[KEV67]

Only chapter 3, but, so far, not up to his usual high standard. I hope it improves. At the moment it reads like one of Ernie Wise's plays.

[KEV67]

I am getting into it a bit more. It still seems somewhat far fetched. I wonder if it was true anyone passing by could just rock up to a nobleman's manor and be fed and sheltered at no cost for the night.

[KEV67]

All this description of Jewish money-lending, and the meeting of a gang of robbers similar to Robin Hood and his merry men, reminded me of something I read years ago. I cannot remember the book, but the author said if Robin Hood ever lived it would be more likely to be in the reign of Edward I, after his expulsion of the Jews from England. There are no Robin Hood tales of Jewish money-lenders being robbed.

[KEV67]

I don't like that Baron de Front-Boeuf. I hope he gets his. I don't like Sir Bois de Guilbert either. I think he gives the Knights Templar a bad name.

[KEV67]

Is Sir de Bracy as bad as the other two? Time will tell, no doubt. Also, who is prettier: Lady Rebecca or Rowena, the Jewess? 

[KEV67]

Sir Walter pours it on a bit thick in this book. Some of it is close to pantomime. Sir Reginald Front de Boeuf is a good laugh though.

P.277 "In the name of St. Bennett, the prince of these bull-beggars," said Front-de-Boeuf, "have we a real monk this time, or another imposter? Search him, slaves; for an ye suffer a second imposter to be palmed upon you, I will have your eyes torn out, and hot coals put into the sockets."

[KEV67]

Ivanhoe is one of those 19th Century books that deals with Jews in England. Others I have read include:

* Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens,

* Our Mutual Friend, Charles Dickens,

* Daniel Deronda, George Eliot,

* The Way We Live Now, Anthony Trollope

Ivanhoe is a good addition to the subgenre.

[KEV67]

The Knights Templar are not coming across too well in this book. I thought Brian de Bois Guilbert was bad, but this Grandmaster Beaumanoir takes the biscuit. 

I used to work in a village called Templecombe in Somerset. There is a railway station in Bristol called Temple meads. I thought there was a Temple Cloud somewhere in between. They were all associated with the Knights Templar. I have not heard of a Templestowe, mentioned in the book. I thought King Henry IV of France, also called Henry the fair, was being jolly unfair when he persecuted the Knights Templar, but maybe he had the right idea.

Regarding my previous query, who was prettier, Rowena or Rebecca. I reckon it must have been Rebecca, because Brian de Bois Guilbert has seen both and prefers Rebecca. 

[KEV67]

Sir Walter Scott was very good at Latin. I am enjoying trying to parse the Latin phrases. It used to frustrate me when I came across Latin in books and I could not work it out, despite three years of incredibly boring Latin classes at school.

[KEV67]

Reading about King Richard II's singing reminded me of something I heard on the radio once. Richard Thompson of Fairport Convention sang a song Richard II supposedly wrote. He was very impressed with his song writing. 

[KEV67]

I thought the final chapters were a bit on the daft side. Altogether, not a bad book, but nowhere near as good as Waverley.

Sir Walter Scott has a common theme. In Waverley, in particular, he celebrated the culture and national pride of the Highlanders, but appeared to think it was time for the English and Scots to forge forward together. In Ivanhoe the opposing peoples are the Saxons and Normans. Ivanhoe is a Saxon, Richard the Lionheart is a Norman. Ivanhoe's father, Cedric, wishes for the old days to come back, but finally accepts it is not possible. 

Antisemitism is the other big theme in this book. Isaac of York is portrayed as a stereotypical money lender, but his daughter, Rebecca is very generous.