The Tale of Old Mortality (Penguin Classics) - Softcover

Mack, Douglas; Scott, Walter

3.77

542 ratings by Goodreads

9780140436532: The Tale of Old Mortality (Penguin Classics)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140436537 ISBN 13: 9780140436532

Publisher: Penguin Classics, 1999

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Compelled to take up arms against Claverhouse and the Royalists, Scott's hero in THE TALE OF OLD MORTALITY is Henry Morton of Milwood. A moderate Covenanter, Morton is one of the 'people's heros' who challenges King Charles II and changes the course of Scottish history. THE TALE OF OLD MORTALITY is Scott's first undisputed masterpiece and distils the humour, grit and romance of the West of Scotland, past and present.

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Review:

The Edinburgh Edition respects Scott the artist by 'restoring' versions of the novels that are not quite what his first readers saw. Indeed, it returns to manuscripts that the printers never handled, as Scott's fiction before 1827 was transcribed before it reached the printshop. Each volume of the Edinburgh edition presents an uncluttered text of one work, followed by an Essay on the Text by the editor of the work, a list of the emendations that have been made to the first edition, explanatory notes and a glossary! The editorial essays are histories of the respective texts. Some of them are almost 100 pages long; when they are put together they constitute a fascinating and lucid account of Scott's methods of composition and his financial manoeuvres. This edition is for anyone who takes Scott seriously. The Edinburgh Edition respects Scott the artist by 'restoring' versions of the novels that are not quite what his first readers saw. Indeed, it returns to manuscripts that the printers never handled, as Scott's fiction before 1827 was transcribed before it reached the printshop. Each volume of the Edinburgh edition presents an uncluttered text of one work, followed by an Essay on the Text by the editor of the work, a list of the emendations that have been made to the first edition, explanatory notes and a glossary! The editorial essays are histories of the respective texts. Some of them are almost 100 pages long; when they are put together they constitute a fascinating and lucid account of Scott's methods of composition and his financial manoeuvres. This edition is for anyone who takes Scott seriously.

About the Author:

Walter Scott (1771-1832) was an extremely influencial novelist, establishing the form of the historical novel and the short story. He wrote poetry, dramas and novels, including The Antiquary and Kenilworth.
Douglas Mack is a Reader in the Department of English Studies at the University of Stirling. He is General Editor of the Stirling/South Carolina Research Edition of the works of James Hogg.

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