Synopses & Reviews
Sir Walter Scott—who invented the historical novel—is still the writer to whom we turn when we seek the undiluted pleasures of narrative romance. His
Rob Roy (1817) is a rousing tale of skulduggery and highway robbery, villainy and nobility, trasonous plots and dramatic escapes—and young love. From London to the North of England to the Scottish Highlands, it follows the unjustly banished young merchant's son Francis as he strives to out-maneuver the unscrupulous adventurur plotting to destroy him—and allies himself with the cunning, dangerous, and dashing outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor in a heroic effort to regain his rightful place and win the hand of the girl he loves.
(Book Jacket Status: Not Jacketed)
Synopsis
An historical novel as gripping as Scott's Ivanhoe. It is a tale of adventure in the 18th century, set in the Scottish highlands, whose hero is the legendary maverick outlaw Rob Roy Macgregor. Soon to be released by United Artists as a major motion picture starring Liam Neeson, John Hurt, Jessica Lange and Tim Roth.
(Book Jacket Status: Not Jacketed)
About the Author
Georg Lukács (1885–1971), a Hungarian philosopher and writer, was a prominent Marxist literary critic. His influential works include
The Soul and the Forms,
The Theory of the Novel, and
The History of Class Consciousness.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Reading Group Guide
1. 1. In an essay about
Rob Roy, William Hazlitt wrote, “Sir Walter [Scott] has found out (oh, rare discovery!) . . . that there is no romance like the romance of real life.” What elements of romance pervade the novel?
2. 2. Frank Osbaldistone, the son of a wealthy businessman who joins up with the outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor on the Scottish Highlands, is both a complexly drawn character and an allegorical figure. How does the novel succeed in combining realism and allegory? Does the characterization of Rob Roy share these traits?
3. 3. Many critics praise Rob Roy for its narrative suspense. How does Scott use suspense and tension to propel his story along? Where do the climaxes occur? Do the final secrets offer a satisfying denouement to the modern reader?
4. 4. One of the novels great themes is the interaction between two cultures and peoples, the English and the Scots. How does Scott represent the friction and fascination that occur when two cultures meet? Although the novel takes place in Britain, can you find analogies to other parts of the world?
5. 5. What role does Diana Vernon play? How does Scotts portrayal of her compare with his descriptions of Osbaldistone and Rob Roy?
6. 6. Nature plays an important part in the novel. How does Scott characterize nature? What do these characterizations evoke?
7. 7. Since its original publication in 1817, Rob Roy has garnered widely different opinions from readers and literary critics. The novel was immediately popular in Britain and throughout Europe and America, and has remained so for nearly two hundred years. At the same time, many critics lambasted it upon publication, citing its loose plotting and artless structure as its greatest flaws. This debate continues even today. Is Rob Roy a popular novel? What does that mean? Does that change how a book is read? What other books share this fate?
From the Trade Paperback edition.