Sir Walter Scott's Waverley

It seemed like a dream to Waverley that these deeds of violence should be familiar to men's minds and currently talked of as happening daily in the immediate neighbourhood, without his having crossed the seas. Scotland, 1745: Edward Waverley is a naïve English soldier drawn into the heart of the Jacobite rebellion. Charmed by clan leader Fergus MacIvor and his sister Flora, he allies himself with the Jacobite cause – a bold and dangerous move. He finds himself caught between two women – feisty Flora and demure Rose – proving that love can be just as powerful as politics. First published in 1814, Waverley is widely regarded as the first historical novel in the western tradition. This new edition celebrates the 200th anniversary of its publication, and has been expertly reworked for modern readers by Jenni Calder. Walter Scott has no business to write novels, especially good ones. It is not fair. He has Fame and Profit enough as a Poet, and should not be taking the bread out of other people's mouths. I do not like him, and do not mean to like Waverley if I can help it – but fear I must. JANE AUSTEN The best book by Sir Walter Scott. GOETHE One of the things I have always admired about him is that he goes for the big picture. He deals with society at moments of big change and looks at how those moments of historical change affect individual people. JAMES ROBERTSON