The Antiquary (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781519243744)

The Antiquary (1816) is a novel by Sir Walter Scott about several characters including an antiquary: an amateur historian, archaeologist and collector of items of dubious antiquity. Although he is the eponymous character, he is not necessarily the hero, as many of the characters around him undergo far more significant journeys or change. Instead, he provides a central figure (and location) for other more exciting characters and events - on which he provides a sardonic commentary. The book is written in the third person so the narrative does not remain with the antiquary. This is Scott's gothic novel, redolent with family secrets, stories of hidden treasure and hopeless love, with a mysterious, handsome, young man, benighted aristocracy and a night-time funeral procession to a ruined abbey. The romance and mystery is counterpoised by some of Scott's more down-to-earth characters, and grittily unromantic events. Scott wrote in an advertisement to the novel that his purpose in writing it, similar to that of his novels Waverley and Guy Mannering, was to document Scottish life and manners of a certain period, in this case the last decade of the 18th century. Scott included a glossary of Scottish terms as an appendix to the novel.

Author: Walter Scott
ISBN-10: 151924374X
ISBN-13: 9781519243744
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Language: English
Published: 11/10/2015
Pages: 204
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.67lbs
Size: 9.02h x 5.98w x 0.47d