First off, I should mention that my reasons for reading the book were twofold: first to familiarize myself with a classic work of fiction, and secondly to read something produced by an experienced author that could possibly help me to further develop my own writing style.

Well, it was an enjoyable read, but certainly not what I expected. In the past I always associated classic books with the more serious, intellectual literary subject matter, like Charles Dickens or Jonathan Swift. However, this book was a lot lighter in tone than I thought it would be. Though it’s written in an elaborate and verbose style, the actual subject matter is more adventurous and melodramatic than highbrow. In the end, it turned out to be more fun that way, because who doesn’t want more castle sieges and swordfights? That would probably have really spiced up To Kill a Mockingbird.

It’s worth mentioning that Ivanhoe himself hardly appears in the book at all. He shows up towards the beginning in a couple of epic scenes, and then remains in a coma for most of the book… That’s right, the title character spends most of the novel unconscious… leaving the secondary characters to drive the story along.

I was surprised by the inclusion of a certain legendary outlaw and his band of merry men as a major plot device. This is an example of what I meant by being surprised by the tone of the book. I was expecting a classical work of historical fiction, with a serious and intellectual tone. I was certainly not expecting a character of folk legend to take such a major role in the book. It seemed like the equivalent of reading a detective novel in which the characters are having trouble solving a crime when suddenly Batman appears to figure things out and save the day. That said, “Monsieur Hood” is pure awesome in this book, and Sir Walter Scott uses the character’s legendary status to its full potential. Also, pretty much every well-known member of his posse has at least a noteworthy cameo in the book.

The characters are really interesting, and there are a heck of a lot of them. Each is interesting in their own right, and there is plenty of development of their personalities and attitudes over the course of the story. The jester is my own personal favorite, a quirky and unique character who can get away with making all kinds of sarcastic or satirical statements, sometimes at the expense of others.

The ‘villain’, Sir Brian Du Bois, is another interesting character, starting out as pure evil and then developing into a conflicted, sympathetic villain. He later makes several half-hearted attempts to redeem himself, before finally becoming utterly conflicted about his actions, though unwilling to make a conclusive decision to take either the noble or villainous path. Sir Brian unfortunately serves to emphasize the fact that the book lacks a really active hero, since we must rely on a conflicted bad guy for our primary source of emotional drama, rather than our bed-ridden good guy.

Another aspect I like about this book is the expressive and evocative way in which the author describes the female characters. The descriptions are so poetic and flowery that they convey an almost spiritual aspect of physical beauty. Rather than simply stating that a character is a beautiful woman, Scott instead illustrates the idea vividly, using carefully chosen words to convey the exquisiteness of her individual features, forming an inspiring mental image of femininity and grace. That’s why I’ve said that some works of literary fiction depict women who are “better looking” than others. It all depends on how well their qualities are portrayed in the narrative.

So, in summary, if you feel you can handle the ridiculous length and wordiness of the book, you should find a fair amount of combat and destruction to keep you enthralled between long scenes of exposition. Also, let it be noted that I was the first one to dub Robin Hood the “Batman of Sherwood Forest”

Peace out!

I’ve been saying for a while that I should start a blog, if not for any other reason than to give my creative writing skills some exercise. I’ve never been entirely certain about what I would have to say, or even whether or not I possess the perspicuity to effectively communicate my thoughts in such a medium. I’ve always had trouble when it comes to clear, precise communication… Perhaps this is partly due to the complexity of the subjects which I often choose to discuss: philosophy, symbolism, interpersonal relationships, or who would win in a fight between Big Bird and Barney the Dinosaur.

        In any case, I would often find myself stumbling over my words, speaking in vague generalizations, and being unclear in general. I can honestly say from experience, it’s not fun to know what you’re trying to say but lack the fluency to express it.

           Lately, I have been addressing the issue by forcing myself to sit down and read, and that act really seems to be improving my communicational abilities. It’s easy to forget how to convey ideas through words when you don’t immerse yourself in literature often enough. My increased reading has, in turn, provided me with a renewed interest in writing. As a result of my new literary vigor, I find myself here, writing a blog like I promised to, not long ago.  

           So, it has begun… Hopefully it will prove to be a rewarding endeavor which will not only allow me to improve myself, but perhaps even generate some interesting dialogue with others as well.