The Ruin of Sir Walter Scott

by Eric Quayle

First edition. An investigation of the financial ruin of Scott. Detailed study of publishing and bookselling in 19th century England. Ink stamp on pastedown and title page. 290 pages. cloth, dust jacket.. 8vo..

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

Eric Stanley Quayle (1921–2001) was a noted British bibliophile, collector and author.

Reviews

[Pj · Rating 1 out of 5]

'I'm finished' although I didn't read every word. I skimmed every chapter after the first 71 pages. My expectation of it being a biography rather than a tedious detailed bore didn't start my year of reading well! I have 6 volumes of Sir Walter Scott books published by Oxford University Press 1912 that were my Mom's, so I wanted to read something regarding Sir Walter Scott beforehand. Probably an unfair review, but once I was turned off it was hard to regain any desire to fully read it. Also, the font of this particular edition killed my eyes each time. There are so many more books I want to get to and one of my resolutions is not to get bogged down with those that you truly don't feel like finishing!

[Surreysmum · Rating 3 out of 5]

[These notes were made in 1983:]. Essentially a defence of the Ballantynes against the charges of evil-doing which Lockhart apparently makes, this book is highly interesting and informative on the general level, but disquietingly inaccurate in some details. I noticed his slip-ups about the 'Novelist's Library' biographies only because I've read a bit about them, and certainly they're only incidental to his main thesis, but still... And lots of typos, I regret to say. Still very useful, tho'.