I bought the three volume first edition on 29th August 2013 for £115. My previous Blog on Scott's Rob Roy (21 May 2020) was quite detailed, so these comments are really just 'extras'. I haven't read Waverley, so I am not sure if this point is correct, but this seems to be the first time a Scott's novel uses the first person narrator. This, inevitably, means all the direct scenes must feature, in this case, the 22 year-old Frank Osbaldistone; this may narrow the perspective but it does give a sense of chronology to the story. Moreover, it puts more 'flesh on the bones' of the young 'hero'. A criticism of Guy Mannering, The Antiquary and Old Mortality, is that the young couples (Henry Bertram-Julia Mannering; William Lovel-Isabella Wardour; Harry Morton-Judith Bellenden) are colourless. We follow Frank through the vicissitudes of the plot and increasingly understand his character; moreover, 18 year-old Diana Vernon is captivating flesh and blood, a real and charming, loyal heroine. Knowing what we do later on in the tale, it is particularly poignant for her to say to Frank: I would rather be like the wild hawk, who, barred the free exercise of soar through heaven, will dash himself to pieces against the bars of his cage. To Justice Inglewood, she is the heath-bell of Cheviot, and the blossom of the Border. She is truly a mettle quean. John Buchan states that in Diana Vernon he produced his one wholly satisfactory portrait of a young gentlewoman.
- The seductive love of detail, when we ourselves are the heroes of the events which we tell, often disregards the attention due to the time and patience of the audience, and the best and wisest have yielded to its fascination. Scott prolix? surely not!
- The whole story is addressed to Will Tresham, the son of Osbaldistone senior's partner. At the very end, Frank reminds him of how long and happily I lived with Diana. You know how I lamented her...Alas, she must now be dead.
- I liked Osbaldistone senior's comment on his property rights: Yes, Frank, what I have is my own, if labour in getting, and care in augmenting, can make a right of property; and no drone shall feed on my honeycomb.
- I took more notice of the pathetic Mt Morris this time, out of his depth from the start and cast into the deep at the end of his cowardly life; and Andrew Fairservice - a re-reading endeared me to him even less. One of Scott's most unsympathetic characters. Even more of a coward than Cuddie Headrigg in Old Mortality. What amusement which could be got from Fairservice was easily overthrown by his consistent self-centredness. His attitude to women is more offensive than amusing: they're fasheous bargains - aye crying for apricocks, pears, plums, and apples, summer and winter...but we hae nae slices o' the spare rib here, be praised for't!
- Another unappealing, but comic, figure is Joseph Jobson: like a bit of a broken-down blood tit condemned to drag an overloaded cart, puffing, strutting, and spluttering, to get the justice put in motion...
- Scott's description of the scenery impinged on me more: The Cheviots rose before me in frowning majesty; not, indeed, with the sublime variety of rock and cliff which characterize mountains of the primary class, but huge, round-headed, and clothed with a dark robe of russet, gaining, by their extent and desolate appearance, an influence upon the imagination, which possessed a character of its own. Again in Volume III Chapter III, the Highland countryside is depicted in all its glory.
- Chapter V in Volume I is a marvellous introduction to the Osbaldistone cousins. A first-class piece of comic writing. This includes the evil Rashleigh, who, though strong in person, was bull-necked and cross made...To Frank he is a bandy-legged, bull-necked, limping scoundrel! Rashleigh dies hating; nothing mitigates his character.
- Not until Chapter VI, page 114 do we cross the Border into Scotland, where Mr. Campbell can become Rob Roy MacGregor
- Chapter VII again has Scott at his most comic; this time describing the Presbyterian service in Glasgow Cathedral. Quite brilliant!
- Dougal - the wild shock-haired looking animal, whose profusion of red hair covered and obscured his features...I have met nothing so absolutely resembling my idea of a very uncouth, wild, and ugly savage adoring the idol of his tribe. Another great comic character.
- Helen MacGregor Campbell! Baillie Jarvie on her: The wife, - an awfu' wife she is. She downa bide the sight o' a kindly Scot, if he come frae the Lowlands, far less of an Inglisher... Scott's description of her put me in mind of Meg Merrilees.
- The extreme unlikelihood of Frank meeting Diana and her father in the Highlands; this is only surpassed by the five strapping sons, with their father Sir Hildebrand, all dying conveniently for Frank to inherit Osbaldistone Hall. Scott tries to make amends: the thought that so many youths of goodly presence, warm with life, health, and confidence, were within so short a time cold in the grave, by various yet all violent and unexpected modes of death... You did it, Sir Walter! It is interesting that the Scott hero invariably comes into an estate by the end of the tale. Another unlikelihood is that of Frank's father handing over the running of his affairs to Rashleigh - it is totally out of character.
- Baillie Jarvie's longing for what he knows: I wad nae gie the finest sight we hae seen in the Highlands, for the first keek o' the Gorbals o' Glasgow. Andrew Wilson regards him as one of the richest, funniest characters that Scott ever drew. It is good to read that he hereafter rose to the highest civic honours in his native city. John Buchan suggests that alone of all the characters he is perfectly at ease in the world and perfectly sure of his road.
No comments:
Post a Comment