The Abbot; Complete Edition

by Walter Scott

Sir Walter Scott was a master of diverse talents. He was a man of letters, a dedicated historian and historiographer, a well-read translator of foreign texts, and a talented poet. Deriving most of his material from his native Scotland, its history and its legends, Scott invented and mastered what we know today as the historical novel.

The Abbot, is his sequel to The Monastery (which was considered by some to be a dismal failure), takes us through the life of Roland Graeme, a comely lad who is adopted by the lady of Avenel, as her page, and someone to while away the hours with while her husband, Sir Halbert Glendinning, is away in foreign lands with the Scottish Regent Murray. After seven years, Roland the upstart is banished from the castle and leaves to seek his fortune.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Classics, Fiction, Scotland, Novels, British Literature, Historical

556 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1820

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Sir Walter Scott was a Scottish novelist, poet, historian, and biographer, widely recognized as the founder and master of the historical novel. His most celebrated works, including Waverley, Rob Roy, and Ivanhoe, helped shape not only the genre of historical fiction but also modern perceptions of Scottish culture and identity.

Born in Edinburgh in 1771, Scott was the son of a solicitor and a mother with a strong interest in literature and history. At the age of two, he contracted polio, which left him with a permanent limp. He spent much of his childhood in the Scottish Borders, where he developed a deep fascination with the region's folklore, ballads, and history. He studied at Edinburgh High School and later at the University of Edinburgh, qualifying as a lawyer in 1792. Though he worked in law for some time, his literary ambitions soon took precedence.

Scott began his literary career with translations and collections of traditional ballads, notably in his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border. He gained early fame with narrative poems such as The Lay of the Last Minstrel and The Lady of the Lake. As the popularity of poetic storytelling declined, especially with the rise of Lord Byron, Scott turned to prose. His first novel, Waverley, published anonymously in 1814, was set during the Jacobite rising of 1745 and is considered the first true historical novel. The success of Waverley led to a long series of novels, known collectively as the Waverley Novels, which blended historical events with compelling fictional narratives.

Over the following years, Scott produced a remarkable number of novels, including Old Mortality, The Heart of Midlothian, and The Bride of Lammermoor, each contributing to the romantic image of Scotland that became popular throughout Europe. With Ivanhoe, published in 1819, he turned his attention to medieval England, broadening his appeal and confirming his status as a major literary figure. His works were not only popular in his own time but also laid the groundwork for historical fiction as a respected literary form.

Scott married Charlotte Genevieve Charpentier in 1797, and they had five children. In 1820, he was granted a baronetcy and became Sir Walter Scott. He built a grand home, Abbotsford House, near Melrose, which reflected his passion for history and the Scottish past. However, in 1825, financial disaster struck when his publishers went bankrupt. Rather than declare bankruptcy himself, Scott chose to work tirelessly to pay off the debts through his writing. He continued to produce novels and non-fiction works at a staggering pace despite declining health.

Walter Scott died in 1832, leaving behind a literary legacy that influenced generations of writers and readers. His works remain widely read and studied, and he is credited with helping to revive interest in Scottish history and culture. Abbotsford House, now a museum, stands as a monument to his life and achievements.

Reviews

[Sotiris Karaiskos · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sequel of The Monastery that is best known because it refers to Mary, Queen of Scots. Based on these elements, I think we can split the book into two separate parts.

In the first, the author finishing with the pending issues of the previous book, continuing with the Gothic elements and the emotional tone, continuing his reference to the religious differences of the time, giving us an image of the systematic effort of the Protestants to eliminate Catholicism, an effort accompanied by violence and the destruction of sacred sites. The author, as expected, finds some excuses for these distractions, but in the end he can not avoid admitting that they were acts of barbarism. There we meet some of our old acquaintances who have gone a long way in their lives but have not left their beliefs aside and by their actions they are triggering everything that happens next.

In the second and most interesting part, the author makes in some way a return back to the first book of this series, Waverley, both in the story and in style, which at some points becomes somehow lighter and humorous. The protagonist is again a light-minded young man with confused views who, without wanting is involved at an important moment in history, meets a beautiful, witty and mysterious young woman who becomes the object of his desire and finally comes into contact with a famous figure of the history of Scotland.

This famous figure is of course Mary, Queen of Scots, who is at that time imprisoned by her rivals who want her to give up her throne. The author presents her in a very interesting way, as a charming, intelligent, strong and persevering woman who has no intention of giving up at any point to regain what she considers hers. Of course, the writer as a good Protestant can not fail to present her as a representative of a decadent religion, of a past of superstition, as a woman who denies the true gospel, preventing the spiritual progress of her compatriots, but, on the other hand, seems to be impossible not to be seduced by her legend.

Our hero is driven by her personality and passion that make her defy her jailers and is involved in a plan for her escape that will then lead to an attempt to claim her throne in the battlefield. The writer shows as this course of events with the best possible way, with all the emotional intensity is needed, starting with the dramatic conflicts over the issues of religion and the limits of the royal power, continuing with the mysterious evolving plans and the unexpected revelations, ending in the staggering description of the events that followed and defined the history of Scotland.

A book that starts somewhat mildly and ... strangely but ends up becoming more and more interesting as the author leads us into this difficult era, giving us many moments of emotional intensity that escalate into a very dramatic finale. I finished reading very moved and happy that my insistence on reading as many books as possible of the great writer led me to one of his lesser known works, to a hidden treasure that will probably make me even more persistent in my quest.

Η συνέχεια από το The Monastery που είναι περισσότερο γνωστή, όμως, επειδή αναφέρεται στην Μαρία, βασίλισσα των Σκωτσέζων. Με βάση αυτά τα στοιχεία μπορούν μενού νομίζω να χωρίσουμε το βιβλίο σε δύο μέρη.

Στο πρώτο ο συγγραφέας τελειώνει με τις εκκρεμότητες από το προηγούμενο βιβλίο, συνεχίζοντας με τα γοτθικά στοιχεία και τον συναισθηματικό τόνο, συνεχίζοντας την αναφορά του στις θρησκευτικές διαφορές της εποχής δίνοντάς μας την εικόνα της συστηματικής προσπάθειας των νικητών Προτεσταντών να εξαλείψουν τον καθολικισμό, μία προσπάθεια που συνοδεύεται από τη βία και την καταστροφή των ιερών χώρων. Ο συγγραφέας, όπως είναι αναμενόμενο, βρίσκει κάποιες δικαιολογίες για αυτές τις καταστροφές αλλά στο τέλος δεν μπορεί να αποφύγει να παραδεχτεί ότι ήταν πράξεις βαρβαρότητας. Εκεί συναντάμε μερικούς γνωστούς μας που έχουν προχωρήσει αρκετά στη ζωή τους αλλά δεν έχουν αφήσει στην άκρη τις πεποιθήσεις τους και με τις πράξεις τους δίνουν το έναυσμα για τη συνέχεια.

Στο δεύτερο και πιο ενδιαφέρον μέρος ο συγγραφέας κάνει κατά κάποιο τρόπο μία επιστροφή στο πρώτο βιβλίο αυτής της σειράς, Waverley, τόσο στο θέμα της ιστορίας, όσο και στο θέμα του ύφους που σε κάποια σημεία γίνεται περισσότερο ελαφρύ και χιουμοριστικό. Πρωταγωνιστής είναι πάλι ένας ελαφρόμυαλος νεαρός με μπερδεμένες απόψεις που χωρίς να το θέλει μπλέκεται σε μία σημαντική στιγμή της ιστορίας, συναντάει μία όμορφη, πνευματώδη και μυστηριώδη νεαρή γυναίκα που γίνεται το αντικείμενο του πόθου του και στο τέλος έρχεται σε επαφή με μία διάσημη μορφή της ιστορίας της Σκωτίας.

Αυτή η διάσημη μορφή είναι φυσικά η Μαρία, βασίλισσα των Σκωτσέζων, που βρίσκεται εκείνη τη στιγμή φυλακισμένη των αντιπάλων της που θέλουν να παραιτηθεί από το θρόνο της. Ο συγγραφέας μας την παρουσιάζει με έναν πολύ ενδιαφέρον τρόπο, ως μία γυναίκα γοητευτική, έξυπνη, δυνατή και επιμονή που δεν έχει σκοπό να τα παρατήσει σε κανένα σημείο για να ξανακερδίσει αυτά που θεωρεί δικά της. Φυσικά ο συγγραφέας ως καλός προτεστάντης δεν μπορεί να μην την παρουσιάσει ως εκπρόσωπο μιας παρηκμασμένης θρησκείας, ενός παρελθόντος δεισιδαιμονίας, ως έναν άνθρωπο που αρνείται το πραγματικό Ευαγγέλιο, εμποδίζοντας την πνευματική πρόοδο των συμπατριωτών της, από την άλλη, όμως, φαίνεται ότι του ήταν αδύνατο να μην παρασυρθεί από τον μύθο της.

Ο ήρωας μας παρασύρεται από την προσωπικότητά και το πάθος της που την κάνει να αψηφά τους δεσμοφύλακες της και εμπλέκεται σε ένα σχέδιο για την απόδραση της που θα οδηγήσει στη συνέχεια σε μία προσπάθεια διεκδίκησης του θρόνου της στο πεδίο της μάχης. Αυτή την πορεία ο συγγραφέας μας την δείχνει με τον καλύτερο τρόπο, με όλη την συναισθηματική ένταση που χρειάζεται, ξεκινώντας με τις δραματικές συγκρούσεις πάνω στα ζητήματα της θρησκείας και των ορίων της βασιλικής εξουσίας, συνεχίζοντας με τα μυστηριώδη σχέδια που εξελίσσονται και τις απροσδόκητες αποκαλύψεις, καταλήγοντας στην συγκλονιστική περιγραφή των γεγονότων που επακολούθησαν και καθόρισαν την ιστορία της Σκωτίας.

Ένα βιβλίο που ξεκινάει κάπως υποτονικά και... περίεργα αλλά καταλήγει σιγά-σιγά να γίνεται όλο και περισσότερο ενδιαφέρον καθώς ο συγγραφέας μας οδηγεί σε αυτή τη δύσκολη εποχή, προσφέροντας μας πολλές στιγμές συναισθηματικής έντασης που κλιμακώνονται σε ένα ιδιαίτερα δραματικό φινάλε. Τελείωσα την ανάγνωση του συγκινημένος και ευχαριστημένος που η επιμονή μου να διαβάσω όσο το δυνατόν περισσότερα βιβλία του σπουδαίου συγγραφέα με οδήγησε σε ένα από τα λιγότερο γνωστά του έργα, σε έναν κρυμμένο θησαυρό που πιθανότατα θα με κάνει ακόμα πιο επίμονο σε αυτήν την αναζήτηση μου.

[Monty Milne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book called “The Abbot” which is the sequel to a book called “The Monastery” doesn’t sound like a barrel of laughs, does it? And yet I enjoyed every page of this re-reading. It is far better than The Monastery, which I thought was a substandard offering, but Scott hit the target with this one. (It’s a mystery to me why “The Monastery” was included on Boxall’s list – albeit since dropped – since it is far inferior to almost everything else Scott wrote).

The great thing about this is that the silly and unconvincing supernaturalism that marred The Monastery is here dropped. The portrait of Queen Mary is one of the best historical portraits Scott managed – I find it entirely convincing. Scott’s mastery of the historical novel is as compelling as Hilary Mantel’s or Mary Renault’s – but Scott is the g3randfather and progenitor of them all.

Another thing I really liked is how Scott shows the fluidity of religious identity at the time of the Reformation. We tend to think of Protestant and Catholic as fixed identities, but this was not so in the sixteenth century. Scott shows this fluidity of identity in the person of young Roland, his heroic central character. This makes him slightly more interesting than the handsome young man who is usually at the centre of all Scott novels. His character development is believable. Perhaps what is not quite so believable – although it is frequently funny and sometimes rather eyebrow raising – is when he tries to make out with what he thinks is his girlfriend, but is in fact her brother in drag. Nowadays we dare not laugh at gender bending, of course, but Scott found it richly comic, and he was not the first (it reminded me of As You Like It).

The biggest improbability in the tale is why Roland was chosen to be Queen Mary’s page in the first place – if you stop to think about it, this makes no sense at all – except as a plot device. Never mind – it’s all a lot of fun, and humour and pathos both abound, and Scott fans (of whom I am one) will feel it hits all the right spots.

[Steve R]

The novel should rather have been entitled 'The Page', as it is essentially the story of one Roland Graeme, later revealed to be Roland Avenel, rather than that of any of the abbots - and there are three of them, who tangentially appear at various points throughout the story. Alternately, it could also be called 'The Escape of Mary', since a good portion of the novel concerns the imprisonment of Mary of Scotland by the forces of the Regent, her relative, and those of the Protestant faith who wish to overthrow any ascendency of Catholicism in Scotland. At heart, it is another love story - that of the hero, Roland, for one Catherine Seyton, a lady-in-waiting on Mary, who coquettishly first entrances the impressionable Roland and then later sternly forbids any and all of his overtures of affection. The fact that she has a twin brother makes for a lot of confusion on the part of the impressionable Roland, and their feud eventually seems to detract from their ability to serve Mary after her forces are defeated subsequent to her escape from Lochleven Castle, where she had been imprisoned by Marry, the Regent, and Lady Lochleven, a bitter, spiteful character whose son, Douglas, eventually works in assisting Mary`s escape, much to his mother`s chagrin. The minor characters include Adam Woodcock, a falconer and erstwhile friend of Raland; Magdalen Graeme, Roland`s grandmother and a fierce adherent of both Mary and Catholicism, who disguises herself as the purported witch, Mother Nicneven; Dryfesdale, the Calvinist steward of Lochleven Castle, who is killed by Catherine`s brother, Henry; Luke Lundin, a medical practitioner and fierce anti-Catholic and the ex-Abbot Boniface, who revealed that Roland is indeed the legitimate heir of Julian Avenal, and the babe whose parents both died on the battlefield toward the end of The Monastery. Finally, Edward Glendinning, who became Abbot Ambrose upon the death of Abbot Eustacius, is the supposed title character. However, he probably appears on less than 50 of the novel`s 6 or 700 odd pages, although he does accurately predict that Mary`s taking of refuge under Elizabeth I in England will not end well for her. A good read, but it appeared relatively directionless, as indeed was true for its main character until about 2 or 300 pages into the book when sent to guard over Mary, Roland eventually becomes her adherent and assistant in her escape. That he deserts Catholicism for the Protestant faith of the Avanel`s, whose estate he will one day inherit, prior to his marriage to the Catholic Catherine seems somewhat querulous for a novel in which the main motivation of the majority of characters is a religious one. Not bad, but not that satisfying due its lack of either integral plot, character or theme.

[Fred Clough · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Abbot is certainly a much better novel than its predecessor The Monastery: the characters are more fully and sympathetically realised, and the narrative, centreing on Queen Mary's imprisonment in Lochleven, subsequent escape, and the involvement in these of Roland Graeme and Catherine Seyton, is unfailingly dramatic. Queen Mary and her Catholic entourage (which of course includes Roland) carry away all our sympathies: the Protestants in this tale are by and large unscrupulous timeservers, and none of them possess the integrity and humanity of Henry Warden in The Monastery. The only real disappointment is the summary and (to me) unconvincing way the tale is wrapped up in the final few paragraphs. Roland is our hero, and so must (according to Scott's customary scheme) end up on the right side of history. So we suddenly find that 'To the true gospel the heart of Roland had secretly long inclined' (though we hadn't hear this previously, except in the odd aside which suggested that he was relatively indifferent to either faith), and he quickly jumps over to the Protestant side of the fence. Then we learn that he weds Catherine (who, however, remains a Catholic), though a final courtship is absent, and the likely response of her fervent Catholicism to his sudden change remains an unanswered question. The best of Scott's novels nicely balance the claims of traditional, time-hallowed bonds and practices, and the urgent demands of modernity – but in this novel, it seems that he gave all to the former, and then was forced at the very close to dismiss or kill off its key representatives (Queen Mary, Magdalen Graeme, the Abbot himself) to make way for the new.

[Barksdale Penick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hadn't realized that Walter Scott wrote something like 48 novels, and he certainly had a way with the plot line. Lots of adventures and twists and turns. The language is sprinkled with Scottish terms that are unknown to me, but these are deftly managed to never interfere with the reader's comprehension of the tale. Instead, they convey a feeling of a culture apart from England. I do not know how much of the historical events surrounding Mary Queen of Scots are accurate, but I guess they are true. I read this boo largely because a set of beautiful small leather bound works of Scott has sat beside my favorite chair for 20 years, and so I picked one at random. It is pretty long for a foray such as this, and I would probably recommend that a casual reader go with Ivanhoe or Rob Roy, which are probably better books as they are so famous.

[Lucy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm beginning to regret my resolution to read all the novels of Sir Walter Scott. I'm working chronologically (written order, not historical order, Sir W didn't care about historical accuracy so why should I) and I'm still not half way through. I regret to say that this one was a real slog. It's not about an Abbot really, and the links with The Monastery don't really matter - Halberd changes character completely between novels, and there is no supernatural element here. No, it's really about Mary Queen of Scots and her house arrest, it's part historical and part fictional, which in this case didn't really come off. I can see why it's one of the less well known, but I shall plough onwards - Kenilworth next, supposed to be one of his best.....see you in three months or so....

[Emmanuel Gustin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as a teenager in a much abridged translation, and after reading the original I understand why. Scott's original is fairly heavily loaded with formulaic expositions about religious adherence, and indulges a lot in lengthy, dramatic, lovestruck dialogue. Not only are these not to the modern taste, the constant reference to the sectarian conflict between catholics and protestants creates distance between the author and most modern readers, who just don't feel that strongly about it any more.

The Abbot has an essentially linear plot, despite a few unexpected twists and turns: The lead character, Roland Graeme, leads his life according to the destiny that others have planned for him, despite his occasional grumbling about it and his yearning for independence, which presumably is reached at the end of the book. According to their (over)complicated plan, he is trained as a page in a lady's household, shipped off to become the page to a deposed and imprisoned queen, and then plays his part in her liberation - and her unplanned defeat and exile. It is all played out on a very elastic time scale, but it is a complete storyline. For the most part, Roland's rather puppet-like existence does not make him a particularly sympathetic personage. Scott develops him as a person by gradually giving him some initiative and offering him the opportunity to make himself useful, which is not a bad principle.

The book is rescued by the other characters, a rich cast: Most of them are, to a larger or lesser degree, drama queens. But the numerous interesting side characters, from the comically pompous doctor Ludin over the fanatic Magdalen Graeme to the ruthless Morton, keep the story alive. They benefit from having their portrait drawn with a free hand, a rough sketch that leaves more room to the imagination. And even Mary Stuart, portrayed here as a quite tiresome person, can at least be witty.

As a novel then, this can be a hard work in places, and you easily find yourself scanning rather than reading another lengthy rant, hoping to quickly move on to the next bit that is rewarding to read. But it is not uninteresting - Scott was a too skilled writer to get bogged down in his own plot or be trapped by the constraints of the historical.

[Dena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this so much...I've never read a novel quite like it. I felt like I learned a great deal about Scottish history, and especially about Mary, Queen of Scots. The characters were portrayed in such a nuanced way...the author never reveals whose "side" he's on. The novel really had everything...knight's quests, battles, romance, humor, long historical footnotes. I'm excited to read more of Sir Walter Scott in the future!

[Helen Birkbeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

A challenging read because of the archaic language, but worth it for the adventure and interesting slant on a tumultuous part of church and Scottish history. I liked the main characters, who are well drawn, and the cleverness with which Scott makes you unsure of whether Mary is heroine, victim or wrongdoer - maybe all three.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting for learning history.
Pretty boring.

[Marluxia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrifted this book when I was in 7th grade and absolutely devoured it , i thought it was the first book... Can't wait to read it again alongside with the first book

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought The Monastery was very good, and so I was really looking forward to The Abbot. However, it started out rather slowly, and the main character was a boorish adolescent, and the characters from The Monastery largely faded into the background, and so I began to anticipate a let-down. Not to worry! It turns out that The Abbot (though even more misleadingly titled than The Monastery) is a terrific novel about the brief period in time when Mary, Queen of Scots, was interned in Loch Leven Castle, after having been forced by her illegitimate half-brother, the Earl of Moray, to abdicate her crown.

The main character learns and grows throughout the course of the story. The characterizations are well-drawn, as usual, particularly Mary. And Catherine is a much more interesting character than, e.g., Rowena in Ivanhoe. The author put a lot of effort into giving the reader the feel for the time period, the way people spoke, the religious and political conflicts that embroiled the country. Hard to imagine that by the time the book starts, Mary had already been queen of two countries, widowed three times, and was still only 26! An interesting and entertaining story, very well told.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

First published in 1820, 'The Abbot' was written as a sequel to the less successful 'The Monastery', featuring some of the characters of the previous novel. The main character is an orphan with a mysterious past, taken on as a Page. Much of the story takes place from 1567-1568 within Loch Leven castle, wherein Mary Queen of Scots has been imprisoned. All of which makes for a fast paced plot with much use of historic events. Allowing for some daft coincidences in the plot, this is a great and enjoyable read.

[Ria · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one by Scott I could not finish.....tedious.

[Ange · Rating 4 out of 5]

About a boy becoming a man during the tumultuous time of Queen Mary of Scotland. There was continued conflict between the Catholics and the Reformed Protestants with a lot of theology batted about.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is part 2 of The Monastery. I enjoyed the story, the characters, the adventure, the romance, as well as the history.

[Paul Varner · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great followup to The Monastary.

[Lady Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

[Laura]

4* Rob Roy
3* The Heart of Mid-Lothian
4* Ivanhoe
3* Waverley
4* The Fair Maid of Perth
4* The Bride of Lammermoor
4* Kenilworth
3* The Antiquary
TR Guy Mannering
TR The Pirate
TR The Waverly Novels: Anne of Geierstein
TR The Two Drovers
TR The Lady of the Lake
TR Life of Napoleon Bonaparte, Volume I
TR Life of Napoleon Bonaparte, Volume II
TR Life of Napoleon Bonaparte, Volume III
TR Life of Napoleon Bonaparte, Volume IV
TR Life of Napoleon Bonaparte, Volume V
TR The Abbot

About Walter Scott:
TR Memoirs of Sir Walter Scott Vol. I
TR Memoirs of Sir Walter Scott Vol. II