| Title | : | The Bride of Lammermoor (Tales of My Landlord #3 part 1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0140436561 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780140436563 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 346 |
| Publication | : | First published December 16, 1819 |
The Bride of Lammermoor (Tales of My Landlord #3 part 1) Reviews
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This is an impressive work, one that can be enjoyed by fans of the historical novel, the gothic novel and the novel of ethnic character--provided they accept "The Bride" as a not completely effective fusion of the three and are willing to adjust their expectations accordingly.
The essential plot--the story of the dispossessed Master of Ravenswood (now living on top of a promontory overlooking the sea in a half-ruined castle) and how he falls in love with the daughter of his mortal enemy, eventually leading to madness and murder and the fulfillment of an ancient family prophecy--is fiercely romantic, as are Scott's descriptions of the castle of Wolf's Crag and the surrounding countryside. At the same time, the starkness of this wild gothic tale is illuminated and qualified by a rich political context and lightened considerably in tone by humorous Scots stereotypes--particularly that of Ravenswood's faithful majordomo Caleb. I found the resulting hybrid both unique and effective. (Although I must admit I could have done with a little less Caleb. Okay, I admit it: a lot less Caleb).
Also . . . I believe--correct me if I'm wrong--that this is the finest novel ever written during a series of debilitating gall bladder attacks. -
Around the time of the union between Scotland and England 1707, great changes are occurring in that ancient an often unhappy land of the north, rebellion is always beneath the calm surface, in uneasy Scotland. Rivalries, family blood feuds, (and just plain hate) political contests between Whigs and Tories for power, but with a polite face shown. Edgar , the son of the late Lord Ravenswood, his downfall caused by Sir William Ashton a devious lawyer or a honest man, depending on your side of the aisle, bribery was common in that era's legal courts. Of course brooding Edgar, after a few duels, seeks vengeance against the the destroyer of his family's fortune, estates and honor, he lives in a ruined , like his life, haunted (some say) castle with only one old wily servant left, Caleb Balderstone, in Wolfscrag. A tower above the pounding surf of the North Sea (always seemingly ready to collapse into the yearning waves below), in the Lammermoor Hills of the southeast part of the country. Chance can complicate situations, Edgar hunting on his small estate, saves the life of Sir William, his neighbor, and his pretty daughter Lucy, from an angry, wild bull. Why ? Family honor maybe, but that question is never answered clearly, except the fragile, meek Lucy, is fascinated by the handsome stranger, and he also feels warmth towards the alluring lady . His sworn enemy's daughter, the former Lord Ravenswood, his father had lost that title , supporting the losers, during the Glorious Revolution, would not understand either, if he were still alive. Edgar finds out from friendly, grateful, Sir William, that the deceased, had borrowed many thousands of pounds sterling, and was unable to repay him. The almost Gothic romance between Lucy and Edgar, is mostly in secret walks, (Lady Ashton, the mother, despises poor Edgar) outside the homes of the rivals, by an antiquated fountain, the site of their first inauspicious meeting. They visited blind, old, Alice, in her tiny decrepit, as much as she is, hovel, on Lucy's father's land. The woman had for many years been a valuable servant of Lord Ravenswood's, but Alice opposes the marriage between the happy couple... she predicts disaster in the future (uneducated people have accused her, of being a witch). When the old woman dies , Edgar sees her apparition , and is very shaken. Witches, unknown things felt, or thought seen in the woods, rumors of the supernatural are spoken in the nearby village of Wolfshope ( but this is the age of the believers, in evil spirits). Lady Ashton makes arraignments in Ravenswood Castle, Edgar's former home for a more worthy husband for her young daughter, wealthy but coarse, Francis, Laird of Bucklaw. Sir William is afraid of his dominating wife and the engagement is announced, while Edgar is attending business for his rich, influential relative the Marquis, who is trying to get his land back, on the continent. Lucy has written many letters to him, as he has too, but her cruel mother has not let them pass . Will Edgar come back before it is too late?...A popular Opera, was made from this novel. One of Scott's best books....based loosely on historical events.
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Seriously gothic fans, listen up: This is your ultimate indulgence. This is ridiculously over the top. The characters actually swish their cloaks and make dark, portentous pronouncements. Wolves really howl at the moon, the dudes really live in broken down castles. Ladies go mad! Men lose their inheritance and swear revenge! Old family feuds! Star crossed lovers! (Though let's note about that that they make no sense and the hero seems to be more 'Eh, well, she's a chick, she loves me. I'm pretty cool, I should have known that would happen. I am therefore obligated to love her in return! Point of honor!') This book is ridiculous. I laughed at it for half of it and loved it for the rest. It also spawned an opera called Lucia di Lammermoor, for those inclined in that direction. The mad scene there is beautiful.
This was a surprisingly good time! -
I read this book after working on the opera based on it which, it turns out, has relatively little to do with the novel after all. While the opera is boiled down to the story of two star-crossed lovers, the novel puts the lovers on the back-burner, preferring to concentrate its focus on creating a record of Scottish politics and daily life at the turn of the 18th century. This is evident in the care and detail Scott devotes to describing, say, hospitality rituals, about which he goes on and on. Contrasted to the very quick, to-the-point passages about the lovers themselves (including a resolution that, compared to the rest of the novel, moves at a lightning pace) it is very clear what the true intention here is.
For all that, it is a beautiful novel, in turns haunting and witty, and fascinating as a history piece. I highly suggest an annotated version, as Scott largely assumes the reader has at least a survey knowledge of Scottish Union politics, and large passages are written in thick 18th century Scottish dialect which, unless you're familiar with it, can be completely confounding. -
“The Bride of Lammermoor“is surprisingly funny. It’s about two Scottish families who, through the centuries, fight over the same fortune and land holdings. One family wrests it away from the other branch and a century or so later another grabs it back and so on. As the book opens Lord Ravenswood has just lost his father and his fortune. It’s reverted back to the Ashton’s. In his anguish Ravenswood decides to go back to the house he grew up in and confront Ashton but along the way some wayward cows get in the way and he not only doesn’t kill Ashton but he saves his life and that of his beautiful daughter. Of course love blossoms a la Romeo and Juliet until Ashton’s stalwart lady, a member of the famed Douglas clan, stomps it out.
I’ve tried to read at least two other Walter Scott books and failed so I was thrilled with how much fun this one was. The interactions between the Lord and his long suffering, loyal servant Caleb Balderstone were priceless. The third section of the book is very sad however. Donizetti’s opera of the same name is based on that section. -
My second read of this story based on a true story where the bride went insane and stabbed the bridegroom on the wedding night. This tragedy has also been made into a opera.
The novel starts with the death of Lord Ravenswood and there now being only one member of the Ravenswood family left, is Master Edgar Ravenswood living in a ruin beside the sea called Wolf’s Crag a derelict castle. Edgar has lost everything and swears vengeance on the Ashton family who have taken over his fathers estate.
The Ravenswood family has lost their lands and fortune after the rebellion. Sir William Ashton is the new owner of the estates and Ravenswood Castle. He is Edgars sworn enemy and he has vowed revenge. On the day he was going to get his revenge he instead ends up saving his life and the beautiful daughter Lucy Ashton from a wild bull.
He and Lucy fall in love. The father encourages it as he fears Edgar. They become secretly engaged. However, Lucy’s mother Lady Ashton will have none of it. She is the true villain f the piece. Instead of the feud ending the mother dominates the daughter who is weaker and ends up in despair and melancholy as she has promised Edgar to marry him.
Throw in a few witches, intrigue and the parents forcing Lucy to renounce her engagement and to marry the unlucky Bucklaw. This quote sums up the story.
“When the last Laird of Ravenswood to Ravenswood shall ride and woo a dead maiden to be his bride, He shall stable his steed in the Kelpie’s flow, And his name shall be lost for evermore!”
I enjoyed this story and the sword duel and the descriptive scenes. Of course Caleb Balderstone the loyal butler for Edgar provides comical relief, albeit stereotypical. The true villain of the piece is Lady Ashton.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi... -
É sempre um prazer revisitar este autor clássico, considerado o pai do romance histórico, mas desta vez o prazer foi ainda maior. Isto porque comparando com as obras de Walter Scott já lidas (Ivanhoe, Waverley e O Talismã) esta ficou como minha preferida das quatro.
Aliada aos elementos já esperados, de aventuras, valentes cavaleiros, famílias brasonadas em castelos na Escócia, duelos e questões de honra, deparei-me com uma formidável mas trágica história de amor, envolta em misticismo, lendas e premonições fatais.
A acrescentar aos aspectos curiosos e interessantes desta história está o facto de Walter Scott se ter inspirado numa história verídica. A história é a da nobre escocesa Janet Dalrymple que casou a 24 de Agosto de 1669, tendo a sua noite de núpcias ficado marcada por circunstâncias trágicas e inexplicáveis. Estes acontecimentos alimentaram a imaginação de Walter Scott mas não só. Janet, filha do visconde de Stair, fundador de uma das mais famosas famílias da nobreza escocesa, família (e toda a sua descendência) que é lugubremente cantada nas lendas e baladas da velha Escócia, como possuídos do poder diabolico.
Existe ainda a particularidade de Walter Scott não ter escrito este texto, mas tê-lo ditado, por se encontrar doente e vítima de dores atrozes. O texto desta edição está escrito de forma muito simples e a história é contada muito rapidamente. Contudo, não me posso pronunciar sobre a escrita deste livro, uma vez que por experiência com outras obras, sei que as traduções das edições Romano Torres são bastante livres e simplificadas em relação aos originais.
Tendo lido até hoje Walter Scott apenas nestas edições não me posso pronunciar sobre a escrita do autor, nem comparar entre esta história que foi por ele "ditada" e as outras que foram por ele "escritas". Espero que "o meu próximo Walter Scott" possa ser lido numa melhor edição, mais fiel ao original, ou quem sabe na língua original. -
I truly thought my whole life would pass without any Walter Scott, but I picked up this paperback for pennies at a sidewalk sale because I'm drawn to old paperbacks. There it sat along with all my other sidewalk sale finds until I reread
Madame Bovary, which contains a scene in which Emma and Charles Bovary attend a performance of Donizetti's opera Lucia di Lammermoor, which is loosely based on this novel. (Another novel whose occupants attend this opera is
Where Angels Fear to Tread.) So then I watched, or half-watched, half-listened, to the opera on Youtube, and decided to read the book.
I was expecting this to be all doom and gloom and drama, but au contraire, the mood constantly shifts back and forth from that to comedy. There are parts that are extremely funny. These are the parts not having to do with hags, sibyls, and apparitions, which I could frankly do without.
From the back of my edition: "
John Buchan considered it the most perfect of his novels 'in one way...for the sense of marching fatality is unbroken by any awkwardness of invention, or languor of narration'; and even the scenery had taken a less inanimate part and become like 'Egdon Heath in Mr. Hardy's The Return of the Native, almost a protagonist in the tale.' -
NOPE. Because I love myself too much to subject my poor leisure-reading brain to this interminable, meandering mess of endless verbiage.
Back when I was in school I had to force myself through unreadable and/or mind-numbingly dense books, whether "classics" or "postmodern" or Virginia Woolf, whatever labels you like, depending on the genre or course -- but that was then. Now, I'm an adult. I can eat cookies before dinner (one, or two, or ten cookies... [/Seinfeld]), I can watch baseball ALL NIGHT LONG, & I don't have to finish boring classics if I don't wanna. So take that, Sir Walter. >:P (And if the author himself thought his book to be abominable dreck, why should I care? Clearly WS wasn't writing tongue-in-cheek like, say, Dan Ross. This wall of words has been studied, dissected, & footnoted beyond compare. Good grief.)
DNF. Otherwise I'll end up checking myself into the hospital from a brain aneurysm. That's the responsible adult thing to do, right? *pokes Lammermoor with a long stick* -
My first Walter Scott - read on the 200th anniversary of its first publication in 1819.
It would be very easy to pick this book to pieces - a too slow start and an overly rapid, abrupt ending; minor characters that hog the stage; melodrama galore - but I actually thoroughly enjoyed this magnificent page-turning potboiler. Scott has narrative skills to burn and excels in vivid settings and dramatic scenes. -
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Cloaks swirl, ladies go mad, rocks fall, everyone dies. Full review coming!
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Quando Edgar Ravenswood, ultimo discendente di una nobile famiglia ormai in rovina, salva dalla morte la giovane e bella Lucia Ashton, figlia di Sir William Ashton, nemico giurato dei Ravenswood e causa della loro rovina, fra i due scocca l'amore, ma la madre della giovane ordirà un piano per mandare a monte le nozze e combinare un matrimonio forzato con il signore di Buclaw, gli eventi vireranno presto verso la tragedia.
"La sposa di Lammermoor", romanzo storico scritto da Walter Scott nel 1819 e a detta sua basato su eventi realmente accaduti nella famiglia scozzese dei Darlymper, ci immerge nella Scozia del regno della Regina Anna (1702-1714).
Il romanzo, una tragedia gotica d'amore, prende il lettore sin da subito, con una scrittura ricercata ma non complessa il romanzo si dipana in un crescendo di disperazione sino al gran finale che lascerà interdetti.
I personaggi, ben tratteggiati e "raccontati" anche se non così approfonditi, risultano perfettamente intrecciati nel racconto, una menzione speciale va poi al vecchio Caleb Balderston, servo di Ravenswood che riesce, con alcune trovare comiche, ad alleggerire il racconto altrimenti particolarmente cupo.
Un romanzo sull'Amore disperato e impedito che nonostante il ritmo non proprio frenetico, terrà il lettore incollato alle pagine. -
Free download available at
Project Gutenberg.
From BBC Radio 4 - Classical Serial:
Mike Harris adapts Sir Walter Scott's The Bride of Lammermoor.
The novel is set in the Lammermuir Hills of south-east Scotland at the beginning of the 18th Century and tells of a tragic love affair between young Lucy Ashton and her family's enemy Edgar Ravenswood.
The Ashtons and Ravenswoods have been enemies for centuries - but will a proposed union between the warring families finally bring peace?
Music Composed and performed by Ross Hughes and Esben Tjalve
Violin and viola - Oliver Langford
Written by Mike Harris
Produced and Directed by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4. -
Beautiful tragic romance that made me cry at the end. Scott does wander off into seemingly purposeless rambles, with extra characters who have no usefulness in the story, but I forgive him b/c the rest of the writing is so very good.
I love the characters and the story line! The writing is exactly designed to sweep one away to another world, another time.
They say that he wrote most of the book whilst he was deliriously ill by dictating to his editor/publisher Ballantyne. Maybe that accounts for some of the gaps in places where I wish he would have written more in a particular scene, and for the long rambles in other places. ha ha! -
Read in an 1897 edition. [These notes were made in 1982:]. This novel should have been a hundred pages longer. It starts and proceeds at Scott's leisurely pace, and about half the main action - the return of Ravenswood, Lucy's attempted murder of Bucklaw, her madness and death, and Ravenswood's death, are crammed into the last 15 pages. That rather glaring fault aside, there is much to like here, and some particularly impressive scenes - one can see how it captured the European imagination enough to be turned into an opera. Having taken Jay [Macpherson:]'s course, I am now fully aware of two contrasting elements in Scott's work - the generalized "romantic", with its ladies beside fountains, its proud young hero, and domineering mother-in-law figure. These characters could as easily be English, or French, or Spanish, or anything, provided they were surrounded by appropriately stunning scenery. Then there are the highly localized, dialect-speaking lower and middle class, who certainly fit into the scheme Walpole identified - the "comic relief" - but are also the transmitters of the Scottish tradition, the Scottish language, and the Scottish (as opposed to merely general) supersititon. With a curious double vision, we can see the three old hags of this novel not only as direct descendants of Macbeth's trio, but as aged Scottish crones - in which latter light they are consistently characterized by the narrative voice. Scott is playing games with us here, although it is a game common to the Romantic period - the game of relating in a very rational, almost sceptical fashion, things which bear only supernatural explanations, prophecies which irresistibly come true. "Here it is for your consideration," we are challenged, "something which shouldn't be, but is - and I, your author, have no opinion on the matter." The plot of Lammermoor is, of course, familiar through the opera Lucia, but where the brother is the chief "heavy" in the opera, it is the shrewd but rather weak father that Scott concentrates on. Caleb Balderston, with his single-minded pursuit of outward respectability for the Ravenswoods at any cost, is a fine creation. Not Scott at his best, but definitely and most enjoyably Scott.
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This is my first contact with Sir Walter Scott and i must say i am surprised i took me so long to read any of his work. The story was quite interesting.
Set in the end the 18th Century, in Scotland, it is the tale of the unfortunate love and tragedies of Edgar the Master of Ravenswood and Lucy Ashton.
It might not be an original story, but the setting was fascinating, with a background of Scottish superstitions and legends.
I always enjoy this kind of historical fiction, it always made me dream of a different world, where oaths were sacred and unbreakable, where honor was more valuable than fortunes and where love was pure, simple and eternal.
The characters were very interesting, and my favorite may not be considered as a main one, it is Caleb Balderstone, The butler of the Master of ravenswood. Walter Scott made him look fascinating in his blind devotion for the family he serves and many times he was really hilarious with all the tricks he came up with in order to save the Family Credit, he was a piece of work!
The style of Walter Scott was different and interesting, and i enjoyed the ballads, poem.. that were inserted all along.
and i am sure this will not be the last Walter Scott for me! -
Today Ivanhoe is Walter Scott's most read novel. Ivanhoe is nice enough. Moreover at time when England was considering emancipating its Jews, it draws attention in a timely fashion to how unjust the actual expulsion of Jews from England in 1290 A.D. had been.
Nonetheless, The Bride of Lammermoor is by far the most important book that Scott ever wrote. It took Europe by storm and is largely responsible for the launch of Romanticism in France as the French were blissfully unaware of the German romantic movement.
The Bride of Lammermoor had its greatest impact on Italian opera. In fact, I much prefer Lucia di Lammermoor by Gaetano Donizetti to Scott's novel. For those of you with funds I would suggest that you go to Covent Garden for a performance instead of reading this book. Lucie's death is much more entertaining when presented by a loud soprano and a discreet orchestra than it is on the printed page. -
I love this book! It's as sexy as any romance novel, but has a tragic ending and feels almost like a Shakespeare play. Usually Sir Walter Scott is romantic about history, and the gallant knights and damsels fair always win the day. Here it's almost like he knows the modern world must triumph over a nobler past, and he's sad but honest. When he lets his hero die at the end, he's like Deke Thornton saying goodbye to Pike Bishop in Sam Peckinpah's classic Western THE WILD BUNCH.
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Eigentlich dreieinhalb, die Konventionen seiner Zeit haben die Erzählung ziemlich viel Potenzial gekostet. Scott ist ein schnell überholtes Genie, Balzac und Dickens haben seine Vorgaben auf ihre Art weiter entwickelt. Dickens mit komischen Originalen, deren Streiche immer grotesker werden und faden Frauengestalten, wiewohl Scott die Qualitäten seiner Lucie auf Kosten seiner in permanentem Ohnmachtsalarm stehenden Zeitgenossinnen heraus streicht.
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"When the last Laird of Ravenswood to Ravenswood shall ride,
And woo a dead maiden to be his bride,
He shall stable his steed in the Kelpie's flow,
And his name shall be lost for evermoe!"
Ill-fated lovers from rival families, an old prophecy threatening to come true, an imperious blind sybil, three malicious old crones straight out of MacBeth and the usual soup of sectarian political maneuvering, The Bride of Lammermoor is everything you would want in a Waverley novel, and something less - which is not a bad thing!
Let me explain.
As though conscious of his own long-windedness, which I guess contemporary critics must have been pointing out, Scott opens up his tale with his narrator answering a charge from his friend that his characters "make too much use of the gob box ... there is nothing in whole pages but mere chat and dialogue."
Having read a fair few of these novels now, I call that a fair charge. I wouldn't for a moment want the dialogue of the low born characters to be compromised because I adore the earthy lyricism of the Scotch dialect they use, best represented here by the proud seneschal Caleb Balderstone; but the stilted circumlocutions of the aristocratic characters can be a little trying, so it's a positive plus point for the narrative that these were cut short.
There may not be a significant historical event backdropping the plot to add some extra spice to the story this time around, but the two families at the heart it, the Ashtons and the Ravenswoods, assuredly sit on opposite sides of the Jacobite struggle.
Based on a true story the settings, as always with Scott, are also fictionalized versions of actual places and monuments.
The dilapidated Wolf's Crag, castle of the novel's hero Edgar Ravenswood, was modeled on Fast Castle, which once stood on the very tip of the Berwickshire coast, and a more dramatic location for a doomed dynasty would be harder to find (have a look for it online).
Prime Waverley.
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Scott really is a masterful novelist. If, like me, your knowledge of this tale originates in Donizetti's opera, you will be fascinated by the job of his librettists! They managed to plumb the psychological depths of the story even as they did away with 90% of the characters and plot. The recognizable plot line of the opera starts up about Chapter 20, or nearly 170 pages into the novel. And the last chapters move along with the same intensity as the opera. But the excitement of the novel lies in the ways Scott deploys the standard 19th century novelist's tools to full advantage. He has a fine way of ordering the narrative so that we might be surprised just as a character is surprised, and learn very naturally in the following chapter all the back story that we expect to explain a happening (in particular the appearance of guests at Wolf's Crag and the subsequent story of the change in political winds that precipitated it). True, Scott also deploys traditions of the 19th century novel that seem strained now (a well placed bullet in a charging bull is one thing, but a second well placed thunderstorm that makes turning away unwanted guests impossible is a bit much). Scott also makes full use of Scots dialect and auguries for turning the tale exotic and mysterious. And his own liberal use of foreshadowing makes sure we won't be too surprised by the ending. And somehow, Scott manages that forte of the English novel -- he spends two thirds of the book winding string so that when he pulls the last one and the whole knot comes together it is as inevitable as the sun rising (or the fog rolling in over the Scottish coast line!)
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Originally published on my blog
here in October 2001.
Scott was once the most famous writer of his generation, and his novels were still quite widely read until relatively recently. Today, though, most of them have pretty much lapsed into obscurity. The Bride of Lammermoor, for example, is probably better known today through the opera Donizetti based on it.
The Bride of Lammermoor is basically a melodramatic variation on
Romeo and Juliet. As the son of a Jacobite, Edgar, Master of Ravenswood, has lost his estates to Whig lawyer Sir William Ashton. He lives in poverty in an romantic ruined castle, Wolf's Crag, and falls in love with Lucy, William Ashton's daughter. Ashton himself is reasonably willing to permit the match, as he has no personal animus against Ravenswood and as he moreover forsees an imminent improvement in the political fortunes of the Tories. His wife has other plans for Lucy, though, and so she remains implacably opposed to the match.
While there is much in the novel which has dated, The Bride of Lammermoor still remains exciting in part. The opera simlifies the novel, leaving out many of the minor characters, and this is something which is going to improve it. The servant characters are mainly used by Scott as opportunities for atmosphere or humour, and to a modern reader they seem two dimensional and their use heavy handed. This is particularly the case with Ravenswood's servant Caleb Balderston, who spends the entire novel making extraordinary efforts to conceal the very obvious diminution in the family fortunes. -
Tremendously enjoyable if you like ruined castles, swooning ladies, impecunious aristocrats, Jacobite conspirators, and so much thickly laid on Gothicism it can give you a psycho-physical reaction (a bit like the one I get after bingeing on a barrel of oysters and a butt of malmsey). Yes, it is all a bit overdone – Caleb the comical servant grates after a while, and does the poor sap of a heroine have to be quite so pale and passive? The ending is fabulous but there is a lot of slowly paced narrative before we get there. It’s best to surrender to all of this and luxuriate in it – if you like this kind of thing – which I do. Though I can see why many don’t. Scott would have hated almost everything about contemporary Scotland, and in order to love his novels these days, it is almost certainly necessary to be entirely out of sympathy with pretty much everything in the modern world. Which I am.
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3.5 / 5
A Scottish political romance, unevenly paced (the last 50 pages FLEW by) but redeemed by a truly spectacularly chilling final paragraph -
1819...so much drama
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Una vecchia leggenda narra di uno spirito della fontana che, uscito dalle acque, irretì un giovane cavaliere rubandogli l’anima e la vita.
Si dice che l’ultimo dei Ravenswood perirà a causa di una giovane donna morta di cui lui ne chiederà la mano.
“Quando di Ravenswood l’ultimo erede
Una morta fanciulla in moglie chiede
Il Kelpie col cavallo se lo inghiotte
E sul nome si fa eterna notte” -
The highly romantical tale of twa lovers in Scotland.
I'm gonna say it: the real source of the Game of Thrones books is the sensibilities of Scott's series of melodramatic quasi-historical Waverly novels. Case in point, there is a description of a freaking Red Wedding in the backstory of this book. Family against family, backstabbery for political machinations, greed that rends friendships, family mottos...no dragons, no wolves. But witches, ghosts, and...is there even quicksand of Scotland?
The style is something of a drawback. It's loose, rambling, and eminently skimmable, with whole pages of yuck-em-up slapstick comedy from the lower classes.
If George R.R. Martin had these books in mind when he wrote Game of Thones, I wouldn't be surprised. They REALLY needed an update.
Recommended if you like actual Gothic tales like The Monk. Otherwise this might be a bit of an eye-roller. -
I was slow to get into this one and I know I missed a lot. Very strong Romeo and Juliet vibes to me, but that's my own opinion and not researched or confirmed.
