WALTER SCOTT
Scottish author (1771-1832)
Biography:
Walter Scott was born in Edimburgh in 1771. Son of a Scottish lawyer, he studied Law in his home town and was admitted to the bar in 1792. He was strongly influenced by Percy's old ballads when he first wrote poems. But Scott soon changed to histocal novel, being passionate for Scottish legends.
In 1814 he published anonymously Waverley, followed by a long series of historical novels such as Old Mortality (1816), Rob Roy (1818) and Ivanhoe (1819). These books gave him great popularity and influenced Romantic novelists. He established the form of the historical novel and his work inspired such writers as G.Elliot and the Bröntes.
Rob Roy was a portarit of one of Scotland's greatest heros and the novel sold out its edition of 10.000 copies in two weeks. Ivanhoe was set in the reign of Richard I and depicted the rivalry between the king and his wicked brother John, quite a recurrent topic in English literature indeed.
But all these glorious and celebrated novels did not save him from misery, for he lived some very difficult years. His printing house went bankrupt, thus he was forced to spend his last days writing in order to pay his creditors. From the profit of his writings, all his debts were ultimately paid.
Walter Scott, author of illustrated works:
Ivanhoé, illustrated by Louis Charles Bombled, Boivin, s.d.