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Ivanhoe
Sir Walter Scott's tale of adventure during the times of Robin Hood. Classics Illustrated tells this wonderful tale in colorful comic strip form, offering an excellent introduction for younger readers. This edition also includes a biography if Sir Walter Scott and study questions, which can be used both in the classroom or at home to further engage the reader in the story.
The Classics Illustrated comic book series began life in 1941 with its first issue, Alexandre Dumas "The Three Musketeers," and has since included over 200 classic tales released around the world. This new edition is specifically tailored to engage and educate young readers with some of the greatest works ever written, while still thrilling older readers who have loving memories of this series of old. Each book contains dedicated theme discussions and study questions to further develop the reader s understanding and enjoyment of the work at hand.
The Classics Illustrated comic book series began life in 1941 with its first issue, Alexandre Dumas "The Three Musketeers," and has since included over 200 classic tales released around the world. This new edition is specifically tailored to engage and educate young readers with some of the greatest works ever written, while still thrilling older readers who have loving memories of this series of old. Each book contains dedicated theme discussions and study questions to further develop the reader s understanding and enjoyment of the work at hand.
48 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1819
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About the author
Classics Illustrated
163 books26 followersClassics Illustrated is an American comic book/magazine series featuring adaptations of literary classics such as Les Miserables, Moby-Dick, Hamlet, and The Iliad. Created by Albert Kanter, the series began publication in 1941 and finished its first run in 1969, producing 169 issues. Following the series' demise, various companies reprinted its titles. Since then, the Classics Illustrated brand has been used to create new comic book adaptations.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
November 26, 2015
This adaptation in graphic novel format of Sir Walter Scott's book has, in my opinion, the following positive improvements in relation to the written novel:
That given the nature of the medium, the plot had to be condensed, which has the good side effect of eliminating the meandering prose, jumping over the long and mostly boring portions.
That it mostly fixes the plotholes in the written novel by skipping over them straight to the "meat" of it, i.e. the central plotline and the core characters, to tighten up the narrative. The scene selection is good and generally worked for this purpose.
That the art, though sure to be old-fashioned for some tastes more accustomed to the contemporary graphic novel/comics styles, is gorgeous within its style, predominant decades ago. The vibrant colours and overall design are well-done in my opinion.
As downsides, I'd cite that the ending looked disjointed and abrupt, and that the Ivanhoe vs. Bois-Guilbert duel could've been handled better. It's not clear exactly why Sir Brian ended up like he did, which the novel does explain but here looks too random, and the last scene is frankly mawkish. I think adding a few more panels by the end would've been a vast improvement, and given that this book is within the standard length for this medium, a few more panels wouldn't have hurt. I'd have also loved a bit more for the Ashby tourney as this is a chivalry-centred narrative.
Oh, and that here Sir Brian doesn't look like the hot(tie) mess I imagine he is. But that's another story!
That given the nature of the medium, the plot had to be condensed, which has the good side effect of eliminating the meandering prose, jumping over the long and mostly boring portions.
That it mostly fixes the plotholes in the written novel by skipping over them straight to the "meat" of it, i.e. the central plotline and the core characters, to tighten up the narrative. The scene selection is good and generally worked for this purpose.
That the art, though sure to be old-fashioned for some tastes more accustomed to the contemporary graphic novel/comics styles, is gorgeous within its style, predominant decades ago. The vibrant colours and overall design are well-done in my opinion.
As downsides, I'd cite that the ending looked disjointed and abrupt, and that the Ivanhoe vs. Bois-Guilbert duel could've been handled better. It's not clear exactly why Sir Brian ended up like he did, which the novel does explain but here looks too random, and the last scene is frankly mawkish. I think adding a few more panels by the end would've been a vast improvement, and given that this book is within the standard length for this medium, a few more panels wouldn't have hurt. I'd have also loved a bit more for the Ashby tourney as this is a chivalry-centred narrative.
Oh, and that here Sir Brian doesn't look like the hot(tie) mess I imagine he is. But that's another story!
February 3, 2023
I first read Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe in one of the cheap hardcover UK editions in the early 60s – possibly from Blackie & Sons, Thomas Nelson or Dean & Sons – but not since, and though I retained some memories of the key figures and the final outcome the sequence and the writing remained hazy.
So it was with some curiosity that I picked up this graphic novel version. First published in 1958, I don’t remember ever reading this offering from the Classics Illustrated stable even though this was a series which formed a lot of my pre-teen reading; however not all issues were truly classic then – for example, the comics adaptation I read of Frank Buck’s Bring ‘Em Back Alive was brought out not long after his death in 1950.
This being a reissue the colours are a lot brighter and fresher than I remember, perhaps the result of it being printed on better quality paper. If as a result Merrie England comes across as more technicolor than we thought, on the plus side it makes following the story a distraction-free experience.
In the closing years of the 12th century, when King Richard is on crusade and his brother John is regent, the Templar knight Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert is en route to a grand tournament. Seeking shelter for the night at the court of Cedric, a Saxon noble, Sir Brian sneakily plots to ransom another guest, the Jewish merchant Isaac of York. Catching wind of this, an anonymous pilgrim warns Isaac and the grateful merchant subsequently offers him armour and a steed as thanks.
Already within half a dozen pages we are introduced to key personages – the Templar, Isaac, Cedric and the pilgrim who, it will be presently revealed, is Cedric’s disinherited son Wilfred of Ivanhoe newly returned from the latest failed crusade to the Holy Land. In time we will become acquainted with Isaac’s daughter Rebecca (skilled in the healing arts), Cedric’s ward Rowena (beloved of Wilfred), a mysterious Black Knight (a certain monarch in disguise) and Locksley (who turns out to be a famous forest outlaw with a band of merry men).
Against them will be various villainous types – lechers, traitors, mercenaries, cruel clerics, or any combination of these. The artist, Norman Nodel, generally insinuates that these are baddies by depicting them with fierce eyes and full, usually dark, facial growth, if not quite twirling their moustachios then virtually on the point of doing so. Step forward Reginald Front-de-Boeuf, Maurice de Bracy and the Grand Master of the Templars to join the aforementioned Sir Brian.
It’s quite obvious that this 48-page adaptation of Scott’s three-volume novel has excised a lot of the descriptions, speeches and even characters of the original, retaining only the bare bones of the plot and speedily wrapping matters up in the final two panels; but its purpose is not to substitute for but to provide an introduction to the 1820 classic. Thus Nodel’s visual presentation is workmanlike: some variety in the strip is occasionally offered when the three-tier square format panels make way for landscape or portrait panels, while the action ‘shots’ take precedence over the sometime rudimentary close-ups.
Norman Nodel, born Nochem Yesgaya in 1922, was a US war artist and maker of military maps, and that artistic precision seems to have transferred seamlessly to comic strips. As far as I can work out his Ivanhoe replaced an earlier 68-page Classics Illustrated version from 1941 by another uncredited artist, brought about by a commercial need to significantly reduce the title’s pagination. Nodel visually realises the bare bones of Scott’s story, and does it efficiently: hints of Romanesque architecture, anonymous woodland for concealing outlaws, the occasional panel blocked with a single colour, all as background scenery for the drama acted out in the foreground.
And that drama? Well, of course there’s lots of it: Norman aggression and oppression (Richard the Lionheart excepted), Saxon resistance and native virtue, female modesty and bravery, Jewish skill and honour, all sieved and condensed for easy consumption through the modern mass media equivalent of a medieval tapestry.
All that remains now is for the reader to savour the richness of Scott’s original writing.
So it was with some curiosity that I picked up this graphic novel version. First published in 1958, I don’t remember ever reading this offering from the Classics Illustrated stable even though this was a series which formed a lot of my pre-teen reading; however not all issues were truly classic then – for example, the comics adaptation I read of Frank Buck’s Bring ‘Em Back Alive was brought out not long after his death in 1950.
This being a reissue the colours are a lot brighter and fresher than I remember, perhaps the result of it being printed on better quality paper. If as a result Merrie England comes across as more technicolor than we thought, on the plus side it makes following the story a distraction-free experience.
In the closing years of the 12th century, when King Richard is on crusade and his brother John is regent, the Templar knight Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert is en route to a grand tournament. Seeking shelter for the night at the court of Cedric, a Saxon noble, Sir Brian sneakily plots to ransom another guest, the Jewish merchant Isaac of York. Catching wind of this, an anonymous pilgrim warns Isaac and the grateful merchant subsequently offers him armour and a steed as thanks.
Already within half a dozen pages we are introduced to key personages – the Templar, Isaac, Cedric and the pilgrim who, it will be presently revealed, is Cedric’s disinherited son Wilfred of Ivanhoe newly returned from the latest failed crusade to the Holy Land. In time we will become acquainted with Isaac’s daughter Rebecca (skilled in the healing arts), Cedric’s ward Rowena (beloved of Wilfred), a mysterious Black Knight (a certain monarch in disguise) and Locksley (who turns out to be a famous forest outlaw with a band of merry men).
Against them will be various villainous types – lechers, traitors, mercenaries, cruel clerics, or any combination of these. The artist, Norman Nodel, generally insinuates that these are baddies by depicting them with fierce eyes and full, usually dark, facial growth, if not quite twirling their moustachios then virtually on the point of doing so. Step forward Reginald Front-de-Boeuf, Maurice de Bracy and the Grand Master of the Templars to join the aforementioned Sir Brian.
It’s quite obvious that this 48-page adaptation of Scott’s three-volume novel has excised a lot of the descriptions, speeches and even characters of the original, retaining only the bare bones of the plot and speedily wrapping matters up in the final two panels; but its purpose is not to substitute for but to provide an introduction to the 1820 classic. Thus Nodel’s visual presentation is workmanlike: some variety in the strip is occasionally offered when the three-tier square format panels make way for landscape or portrait panels, while the action ‘shots’ take precedence over the sometime rudimentary close-ups.
Norman Nodel, born Nochem Yesgaya in 1922, was a US war artist and maker of military maps, and that artistic precision seems to have transferred seamlessly to comic strips. As far as I can work out his Ivanhoe replaced an earlier 68-page Classics Illustrated version from 1941 by another uncredited artist, brought about by a commercial need to significantly reduce the title’s pagination. Nodel visually realises the bare bones of Scott’s story, and does it efficiently: hints of Romanesque architecture, anonymous woodland for concealing outlaws, the occasional panel blocked with a single colour, all as background scenery for the drama acted out in the foreground.
And that drama? Well, of course there’s lots of it: Norman aggression and oppression (Richard the Lionheart excepted), Saxon resistance and native virtue, female modesty and bravery, Jewish skill and honour, all sieved and condensed for easy consumption through the modern mass media equivalent of a medieval tapestry.
All that remains now is for the reader to savour the richness of Scott’s original writing.
March 28, 2022
Set in the 12th century, in the still tense and troubled times a century after the Norman conquest of England, this is a classic Walter Scott novel that is wonderfully captured and illustrated in this series. Populated by a host of powerful characters - the haughty Normans, resentful Saxons, Knights Templars, Robin Hood and his band of noble and merry outlaws - it is set against the backdrop of the Crusades and in an era of Knights' tournaments, trials by combat and chivalry. Scott's sympathies are clearly with the Saxons as the Normans and Templars (in particular Maurice De Bracy, Brian De Bois-Guilbert, and Front De-Boeuf are depicted as oppressive, thieving, unchivalrous, and greedy and meet violent ends). The story revolves around Wilfred of Ivanhoe who estranged from his father Cedric the Saxon and in love with his ward Rowena, takes up cudgels against the Normans. Isaac the Jew and his fair daughter Jessica also have a central role and the novel conveys attitudes and prejudices against the jews at the time. Richard the Lion Heart makes a key appearance and mixing fantasy with fact we have a quintessential Walter Scott of a bygone age that carries much mystique, romance and charm. Single combats, the siege and taking over of a castle, ambushes in thick forests - the novel abounds in action as various characters adhere to or transgress the honor codes of the time as well as the racial differences and prejudices that define their world views.
October 2, 2021
Nice summary of the classic story. Now I must read the full version ☺️
September 21, 2018
Never read this classic story. I didn't know it was basically the first ever novel that became a smash hit. Simple read, not complex storyline, but a good old good guys and bad guys story. I enjoyed it.
April 27, 2018
“Ivanhoe” an amazing book written by Sir Walter Scott is an amazing book about a guy named Ivanhoe who everyone thought was dead. Ivanhoe was one of the most toughest, and bravest knights in all of the land. There is a lot of commotion going on in the land like wars and lots of people arguing. There is a lot of dramatic things that happen including people dying and romance. Ivanhoe is disowned from his kingdom and its up to him to make all of the chaos and craziness go away, and finally bring peace back to all of the land. I thought this book was ok. It wasn’t one of my favorites from the Great Illustrated Classics series but it was still good. Middle aged times with knights, castles, and dragon things, isn’t one of my favorite genres, and that's what this book was all about. I thought that there was also quite a lot of characters in the book to remember so it was a little crazy. I really liked the plot of the book though. Kinda an outcast from the world not really respected but for his great swordsman trying to stop the evil. It was one of the most intense books from the series though which was something that I liked. I think that the theme of this book is that there is always hope. I think this because there was so much craziness and everything was starting to fall apart metaphorically speaking and none of the kingdoms trusted each other. So many people thought that there was no hope of restoring the land. That was all until Ivanhoe came to the rescue, and everything started to get a lot better.
May 23, 2017
The book Ivanhoe by Malvin G. Vogel originally by Walter Scott is about Normans and the saxons during the time of the crusades. They go to battle ring Where they have a little competition, they do all the battling, the battling ended and they found out that the winner of the the event was no other than sir Ivanhoe himself. The evil king Bios-Guilbert and the knight Ivanhoe fight and the winner of the fighting is Ivanhoe who killed Bios-Guilbert, later King Richard arrested Waldemar Fitzurse, and Ivanhoe served under king Richord for years to come.
It gives us a hint on what the mid-era was like. I found that it was slow when there was no fighting happening. I didn't like how there wasn't as much action. I agree with the author trying to show us a glimpse of what it was like in the mid-era, but he could have made more interesting by having more action. The book The First Knight was kinda like this book, but used more catching words which made it more interesting than the Ivanhoe. If there was no main voice this book would be history because no one would read it.
It gives us a hint on what the mid-era was like. I found that it was slow when there was no fighting happening. I didn't like how there wasn't as much action. I agree with the author trying to show us a glimpse of what it was like in the mid-era, but he could have made more interesting by having more action. The book The First Knight was kinda like this book, but used more catching words which made it more interesting than the Ivanhoe. If there was no main voice this book would be history because no one would read it.
January 8, 2016
OMG!!! This was soo good!! The action, the suspense!! i adored this and cannot wait to read the unabridged version!!!
April 6, 2019
I've had this adapted edition on my shelf for a long time and thought I'd finally dip my toes in, so I could boost my courage to tackle the complete and unabridged version with some prior knowledge of the story.
Well, the writing for this adaptation wasn't great; it made the bad guys look rather silly...and I'm fairly certain Sir Walter Scott wrote masterfully and I'd venture to guess this version doesn't do him justice. Note: it does contain some mature themes.
At least my goal of having my interest piqued has been accomplished. Now I really do need to read the original!
Well, the writing for this adaptation wasn't great; it made the bad guys look rather silly...and I'm fairly certain Sir Walter Scott wrote masterfully and I'd venture to guess this version doesn't do him justice. Note: it does contain some mature themes.
At least my goal of having my interest piqued has been accomplished. Now I really do need to read the original!
Read
June 22, 2025This Classics Illustrated adaptation turns the Christian hero Ivanhoe into an unbelieving knight on page 35, where he says:
"Fly, Rebecca, and save thine own life. Nothing can help me."
Contrast this with Walter Scott's original: "'Fly, Rebecca, and save thine own life,' said Ivanhoe, 'for no human aid can avail me.'"
"Fly, Rebecca, and save thine own life. Nothing can help me."
Contrast this with Walter Scott's original: "'Fly, Rebecca, and save thine own life,' said Ivanhoe, 'for no human aid can avail me.'"
February 3, 2019
Having read this many moons ago as a kid, it was a different experience to read it aloud to the kids. I was not sure how much they would get into it but they were hooked from the first chapter and couldn't wait for bedtime - so we could track Ivanhoe and find out about the Black Knight.
April 30, 2018
it's was a good book ☺
September 28, 2019
I tried to read the full novel and thought it very dull and apologetic. I did however want to know the story so this children's book seemed a good way to get it. A quick read and did the job.
Read
January 28, 2020Η παιδική διασκευή που διάβασα ήταν πολύ κακή θα έλεγα αλλά δεν το βαθμολογώ πρωτού διαβάσω και το πρωτότυπο.
April 5, 2020
Love this...
April 15, 2020
I read this book when I was about 7 or 8 and I feel in love with the story and it was easy for me to understand. Now I recently reread it and it was quite a nostalgic read.
February 20, 2021
Wonderful tale of medieval times, complete with knights, jousting, and bandits.
September 11, 2021
Eh, had to read it for class. Trudged through. Fun plot, boring prose.
December 28, 2021
This was such a wonderful book. And such a wonderful and historical adventure as well! Definitely a must read!
April 11, 2023
Read mostly to look at the pictures. 🤣 Obviously the original is better, but I wanted to see the artwork here.
Ivanhoe is one of my favorites. Chilvary, honor, loyalty, adventure, love, and characters like Robin Hood, Prince John, King Richard... what's not to like? This book Dodecanese do it justice, obviously, but the pictures are nicely detailed.
Ivanhoe is one of my favorites. Chilvary, honor, loyalty, adventure, love, and characters like Robin Hood, Prince John, King Richard... what's not to like? This book Dodecanese do it justice, obviously, but the pictures are nicely detailed.
February 3, 2017
I absolutely loved this story, both this version and the unabridged.
February 24, 2022
70/100 (= 3.0/6) ≈ 3 Stars
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I'd call this a miss for the series. There's no overly grand plot, the title character is injured in bed for three quarters of the story, and it lacks the fun of Robin Hood. Maybe the unabridged version does better, I'm not sure, but this adaptation was uninspiring.
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I'd call this a miss for the series. There's no overly grand plot, the title character is injured in bed for three quarters of the story, and it lacks the fun of Robin Hood. Maybe the unabridged version does better, I'm not sure, but this adaptation was uninspiring.
October 8, 2020
OH MY GOSH. OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH. This very book is one of the first fantasy stories I have ever read as a child, and I loved it. The story was enthralling, and after the siege at Torquilstone I thought the book was over AND IT WASN'T - THERE WAS THE WHOLE PART WITH REBECCA STILL!!! Which, to my young self, was just SO AMAZING - I mean, imagine reading what was quickly becoming your favorite book AND YOU THOUGHT IT WAS OVER AND IT WASN'T!!! *ecstatic childhood fangirl squealing*
And, from the age of 6 or 7, this was my favorite book for years. When I was a child, I could never reread stories. I couldn't. I still have trouble doing that nowadays because I remember the plotlines, I remember the characters and what happened to them, and I just can't get back into the wonder of it all - the wonder that was there when I was a child. But "Ivanhoe"? I could remember that story so well, and yet I never grew tired of it (except once, and that was a weird phase of my life - I had also cast aside Monkey - my big stuffed monkey - for a while, however I rescued him after that phase was over and now sleep with him every night) (okay, that was a bit of tmi from my childhood).
However, when middle and high school came with all their troubles and woes, I ended up clearing out my bookshelf and somehow this treasure was moved from my bookshelf to the bookshelf-that-we-can-never-get-to-because-giant-piles-of-stuff-are-in-the-way, and I didn't see it for years. When I thought of "Ivanhoe" I thought of the great memories of my childhood, how my dad and I both loved this book - which is part of the reason why this book is so dear to me - and how much I myself was captivated by the story, and how it inspired me to love that time in our history. But then...the other week...I was reorganizing my bookshelf, moving books I wasn't that fond of away and replacing them with old favorites, when I realized that my precious copy of "Ivanhoe" needed to be there. So, taking up my invisible lance and mounting the horse known as My Legs, I rode swiftly through the Giant Piles of Stuff and reclaimed my precious prize: "Ivanhoe: Great Illustrated Classics."
Where is it now, you may ask? On my nightstand, ready to be admired, loved, and reread yet again by me.
And, from the age of 6 or 7, this was my favorite book for years. When I was a child, I could never reread stories. I couldn't. I still have trouble doing that nowadays because I remember the plotlines, I remember the characters and what happened to them, and I just can't get back into the wonder of it all - the wonder that was there when I was a child. But "Ivanhoe"? I could remember that story so well, and yet I never grew tired of it (except once, and that was a weird phase of my life - I had also cast aside Monkey - my big stuffed monkey - for a while, however I rescued him after that phase was over and now sleep with him every night) (okay, that was a bit of tmi from my childhood).
However, when middle and high school came with all their troubles and woes, I ended up clearing out my bookshelf and somehow this treasure was moved from my bookshelf to the bookshelf-that-we-can-never-get-to-because-giant-piles-of-stuff-are-in-the-way, and I didn't see it for years. When I thought of "Ivanhoe" I thought of the great memories of my childhood, how my dad and I both loved this book - which is part of the reason why this book is so dear to me - and how much I myself was captivated by the story, and how it inspired me to love that time in our history. But then...the other week...I was reorganizing my bookshelf, moving books I wasn't that fond of away and replacing them with old favorites, when I realized that my precious copy of "Ivanhoe" needed to be there. So, taking up my invisible lance and mounting the horse known as My Legs, I rode swiftly through the Giant Piles of Stuff and reclaimed my precious prize: "Ivanhoe: Great Illustrated Classics."
Where is it now, you may ask? On my nightstand, ready to be admired, loved, and reread yet again by me.
May 12, 2014
The writing by Sir Walter Scott in this book is informative because it is descriptive. He provides information about the time period (King Richard I around 1194) but puts it in a fun way that leaves you wanting to read more. Scott put Ivanhoe in disguises to further the characters causes, such as Ivanhoe as a Palmer or the disinherited knight. These disguises allow Ivanhoe to spy and show his dad that he is deserving of his love. The books main strength is putting the reader in the action. For instance, the jousting at Ashby described by Scott puts the reader in the action, you feels the pain and glory of the characters The book keeps the reader engaged because there is action (disguises, jousting, kidnapping) and it makes the time period of King Richard I interesting. My favorite part is when the jousting games occur. Ivanhoe is outnumbered and losing in the games and then the Black Knight (Richard I) comes and takes out 2 knights. This left Bois-Guilbrt and Ivanhoe to fight again. All this action was exciting. I feel the book’s weakness is that there are not enough facts about the time period. If there were more facts of the time period, the book would seem more believable. I would recommend this book to my class. Ivanhoe is appropriate for kids my age and I think they would like how the books shows history of every day of England.
August 11, 2019
“Ivanhoe” is arguably the most well-known of the novels by Sir Walter Scott and it is a work of historical fiction set in England in the twelfth century. It is a time when knights were bold and tournaments where they competed in jousts were major events. It is a time when there was a significant distinction between the Normans and the Saxons and there is still hostility, although not open warfare.
The story also includes references to anti-Semitism, in a panel on page 5 of this comic, Isaac of York a Jewish merchant has been granted admittance. The panel shows him walking within the village and the text is, “Isaac entered. Even the servants withdrew from him in pious horror.”
Given the length and complexity of the novel, the story in this comic is of necessity abridged. Yet, it does capture the essence of this complex novel of a time of knighthood, assimilation and accommodation. It also features one of the most well-known English kings, Richard the Lion-hearted. This is an excellent introduction to a complex story about a complex country. The panels that include the bandit known as Robin Hood increase the subplots and intrigue.
The story also includes references to anti-Semitism, in a panel on page 5 of this comic, Isaac of York a Jewish merchant has been granted admittance. The panel shows him walking within the village and the text is, “Isaac entered. Even the servants withdrew from him in pious horror.”
Given the length and complexity of the novel, the story in this comic is of necessity abridged. Yet, it does capture the essence of this complex novel of a time of knighthood, assimilation and accommodation. It also features one of the most well-known English kings, Richard the Lion-hearted. This is an excellent introduction to a complex story about a complex country. The panels that include the bandit known as Robin Hood increase the subplots and intrigue.
March 26, 2022
Another great tale that I haven't read before but now have gotten the brief and to-the-point version done in the inimitable Classics Illustrated style. I always thought Ivanhoe was a tale from the King Arthur days so was surprised to see it was a tale pitting Saxon vs. Norman and that it also included Robin Hood and the Black Knight as well. It's funny but for a lot of the story Ivanhoe the character is out of action, weak & injured while all the main fighting & escaping & plotting is going on elsewhere. Another surprise was the inclusion of Jewish characters as main plot points in Scott's early 1800's story. The Jews are hard done by but not by brave Saxons but the perfidious Normans (French). Interesting. So much topsy-turvy stuff going on, the Knights Templar who were heroes of mine as a kid (those white w/red crosses garmented armor they wore certainly captured my young fevered war-mad mind) but Ivanhoe are the bad guys as represented by the character, Bois-Gilbert. It's a great spirited story full of great action and I know I'm getting a hyper-focused version here but it was still a very rewarding read on an otherwise funky Saturday afternoon. Thankyou very much.
May 19, 2013
I chose book because I had it in my house and hadn't read it yet. In this book, a brave knight named Ivanhoe accepted a tournament and got badly injured. When he was healing in the castle, the castle was attacked and burnt. While that was happening, the princess Rowena tried to help him but she couldn't. Ivanhoe told Rowena to save herself. Then, a different knight named Bois-Guilbert saved Rovena, but he was an evil knight. Ivanhoe was later rescued by the black knight and he got heald and went to a torunament for Rowena. In the tournament, Ivanhoe killed Bois-Guilbert and married Rowena. I liked this author's writing style and point of view, but the plot was kind of familiar for some reason. I would recomment this book to my brother because I really liked it and i think he will enjoy it.
February 7, 2017
Ivanhoe is separated from his love and is disinherited because his father disapproves of the match. Ivanhoe is loyal to King Richard and goes off to fight with him. While King Richard is gone his brother Prince John has been ruling in his place. Find out if King Richard will return or Will Prince John take the throne and if Ivanhoe will finally have his beloved Rowena.
This book has battle, love, Robin Hood, good vs. Evil, knighthood, king, prince, kidnapping and more.
Definitely check this out if you have a boy who doesn't like to read. I fully enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down.
This book has battle, love, Robin Hood, good vs. Evil, knighthood, king, prince, kidnapping and more.
Definitely check this out if you have a boy who doesn't like to read. I fully enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down.
August 29, 2021
I enjoyed this but I have no idea how it compares with the novel. Rebecca and Ivanhoe end up together and I guess that doesn't happen in the book because Scott thought a Saxon marrying a Jew would never work. There's an article at the end about historic inaccuracies in the original novel, and I liked that. The art is serviceable but nothing outstanding. Considering I got this for fifty cents at an estate sale, I'd say I got my money's worth.
October 19, 2011
I cheated, but I figured better to read this and understand the story before delving into the unabridged version. Basic story with no descriptions of anything, now I really want to read the whole thing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews