Waverley by Walter ScottMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
I had previously read and enjoyed Rob Roy and the Ivanhoe novels by Sir Walter Scott. This was, I suspect, because I could generally follow the plot and the dialogue was interesting if quite archaic throughout the books. However, I had a lot of problems understanding the motives of young Edward Waverley and the frequent use of the Scottish accent and dialect by the Highlanders he later meets. A large amount of the story takes place amongst the Jacobite rebels of 1745 so there are many conversations that require the reader to constantly seek translation from the additional notes at the back of the book, which I was fortunate to have in the edition I read. That and the irritating Baron Bradwardine’s penchant for quoting Latin and French sayings made this novel almost unenjoyable for me. The plot took a long while to become clear, probably about a third of the book, and, even right up until the end of the novel, Edward’s reasons for fighting for the opposite side as a commissioned English officer did not make sense.
Scott attempts to introduce rather thin, romantic and noble notions that float through Waverley’s brain and he is meant to fall for Flora MacIvor who rejects him. But then Edward (too?) quickly shifts his ardour towards an English rose of a previous encounter. I was determined to read Waverley to the end as it is thought to represent the original example of an historical romantic novel. Still, I could not accept in the final few chapters why this example of a fine officer and gentleman was not court martialled for treason. Scott seems to be implying that his behaviour was acceptable purely because of his attitude towards another English officer (his enemy on the battle field!) and this gave him enough status for him to be excused betraying his King and country. It could well be that Scott was attempting to convey the prevailing contemporary attitude of the aristocratic “club” towards their inferiors. I found the conversations with the Young Pretender, the Bonny Prince, much more believable and encouraging of my sympathy for the Stuart cause. Of course all’s well that ends well – at least for the hero of the book. If this had been my first book by Scott it would have put me off reading any more of his novels. It is definitely one for the academics of literature and history.
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