:: day five - what to take home ::

       I would recommend taking home sir walter scott paraphernalia. like a mug. mugs are good, and so is sir walter, and so is coffee. or maybe a sweatshirt -- wear it loud and wear it proud.

       oooor maybe you should just buy the books.

    anyway, let's wrap this week up with a "where to go from here" sort of theme. it's probable, if you've followed along, that you were either a die-hard scott fan already and so this is all pretty superfluous, or you were so intrigued by my hooks and descriptions that you avidly searched out all the walter scott you could and this is all superfluous to you, too. (I'm in favor of the latter, but the former is more likely.) so I'll phrase this to a hypothetical friend of mine who wants advice, because I love giving advice! well, this friend says, "I've been really interested in what you've said about sir walter scott on your blog." and I say, "ye-e-e-es...?" they say, "I would love to read some of his stuff, but I just don't know where to start! what would you suggest?" oh, advice-giving heaven.

the six novels I would suggest: 

1. ivanhoe. it's good, but it's also a classic. everyone should read classics.

2. the heart of midlothian. this may be hypocritical of me, since I haven't read it yet myself, but it is a famous book. and I'd betcha it's good. 

3. the pirate. pirates, swordfights, miracles, chases, escapes, true love.... 

4. the talisman. exhilarating: good poetry, knights in shining armor, chivalry, richard coeur-de-lion (whom I've liked ever since robin hood). and blondel. whoop whoop. seriously, it's a good crusade story.

5. the antiquary. this was not one I loved, but it was good; it's pretty well-known, I think, and there are some great characters.

6. waverley. because, evan dhu. oh, right, and it was also his trademark novel.  

...remember, most people will give you a blank look if you name one of these. if you're going for name recognition, you might have to stick to catching fire. but these are the prices we must pay for quality.

       my personal top 5 favorites, just for the record, are redgauntlet, the pirate, count robert of paris, the abbot, castle dangerous and the black dwarf (the last two are both half-length, in case you suspect I can't count).  

       

- - - quotes - - - 

A dispute occurred whether the Gaelic or Italian language was most liquid, and best adapted for poetry; the opinion for the Gaelic, which probably might not have found supporters elsewhere, was here fiercely defended by seven Highland ladies, who talked at the top of their lungs, and screamed the company deaf with examples of Celtic euphonia. 
- waverley, ch. 54

"In troth, Signior Guest," said Giles Gosling, "if I were to travel only that I might be discontented with that which I can get at home, methinks I should go but on a fool's errand."
- kenilworth, ch. 1

"Lady! dear lady! For whom, or for what, in Heaven's name, do you take me, that you address me so formally?"
Had the question been asked in that enchanted hall in fairyland, where all interrogations must be answered with absolute sincerity, Darsie had certainly replied, that he took her for the most frank-hearted and ultra-liberal lass that had ever lived since Mother Eve ate the pippin without paring. But as he was still on middle-earth, and free to avail himself of a little polite deceit, he barely answered that he believed he had the honour of speaking to the niece of Mr. Redgauntlet. 
- redgauntlet, ch. 17

Time rolls his ceaseless course. The race of yore, 
       Who danced our infancy upon their knee,
And told our marvelling boyhood legends store
       Of their strange ventures happed by land or sea,
How are they blotted from the things that be!
       How few, all weak and withered of their force, 
Wait on the verge of dark eternity,
       Like stranded wrecks, the tide returning hoarse, 
To sweep them from out sight! Time rolls his ceaseless course.
- lady of the lake, canto 3

Oft in my mind such thoughts awake,
By lone Saint Mary's silent lake;
Thou know'st it well, -- nor fen, nor sedge,
Pollute the pure lake's crystal edge;
Abrupt and sheer, the mountains sink
At once upon the level brink;
And just a trace of silver sand 
Marks where the water meets the land.
- marmion, introduction to canto 2

- - -  

       this has been a glorious week for me. due to the curse of knowledge, I'm not sure if I presented any real information; knowing my writing, I'm relatively sure my posts have been muddled and incomprehensible. but what the heck -- I have had so much fun researching sir walter scott and it's been fascinating discovering new stuff he wrote (... like two posthumously published books. yep, the siege of malta was his last finished work, and I'm all, "have to read!!" his later-novel popularity was really dropping off and critics were being, well, critical, as he neared the end, but I actually like more of his later stuff than his earlier. so I'm hopeful).

and now. "adieu, dear [reader]! life and health, and store of literary wealth" I wish you. may you still be reading scott Sixty Years Hence.

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