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The third of Sir Walter Scott's acclaimed Waverley Novels, a series that included Rob Roy and Ivanhoe, The Antiquary is set in Scotland in the last years of the eighteenth century and centers around Jonathan Oldbuck, the antiquary, the closest to a self-portrait of any of Scott's characters. The passionate lover, a familiar character to readers of Sir Walter Scott, is here represented by Lovell, who relentlessly pursues the woman he hopes to marry. The antiquary is a constant commentator on the characters and their actions, always at hand to provide his opinionated version of the story. While the reader may be swept up in the exciting plot, The Antiquary is a book that is not to be hurried; it has come to be appreciated for its rich description of a bygone age. This fine new edition of the book, restoring the original version drawn directly from Scott's manuscript, is accompanied by a critical essay, as well as annotations and a comprehensive glossary by a prominent scholar in the field.
About the author
Sir Walter Scott, was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright and poet. Many of his works remain classics and include
Ivanhoe,
Rob Roy,
Waverley,
The Heart of Midlothian and
The Bride of Lammermoor. David Hewitt was formerly Regius Professor of English at the University of Aberdeen. He was Editor-in-Chief of the Edinburgh Edition of the Waverley Novels, for which he edited
Rob Roy (EUP, 2008),
The Heart of Mid-Lothian (with Alison Lumsden; EUP, 2004),
Redgauntlet (with G. A. M. Wood; EUP, 1997) and
The Antiquary (EUP, 1995).
Summary
The third of the Waverley Novels is dominated by two old men, Jonathan Oldbuck (the Antiquary of the title) and the beggar Edie Ochiltree.
