Case 12 - Waverley novels1820-1821

[Sir Walter Scott]. <em>The abbot.</em> [1st edition]. Edinburgh: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, London; and for Archibald Constable and Company, and John Ballantyne, Edinburgh, 1820. Three volumes; Vol. 1 displayed.

[Sir Walter Scott]. The abbot. [1st edition]. Edinburgh: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, London; and for Archibald Constable and Company, and John Ballantyne, Edinburgh, 1820. Three volumes; Vol. 1 displayed.

The abbot is the sole Waverley novel to be explicitly presented as a sequel to an earlier volume. Like its predecessor The monastery, it is set during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots, the story’s backdrop being the period of her imprisonment at Lochleven Castle and subsequent escape.

[Sir Walter Scott]. <em>The abbot.</em> [1st edition]. Edinburgh: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, London; and for Archibald Constable and Company, and John Ballantyne, Edinburgh, 1820. Three volumes; Vol. 1 displayed.

[Sir Walter Scott]. The abbot. [1st edition]. Edinburgh: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, London; and for Archibald Constable and Company, and John Ballantyne, Edinburgh, 1820. Three volumes; Vol. 1 displayed.
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[Sir Walter Scott]. <em>The abbot.</em> [1st edition]. Edinburgh: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, London; and for Archibald Constable and Company, and John Ballantyne, Edinburgh, 1820. Three volumes; Vol. 2 displayed.

[Sir Walter Scott]. The abbot. [1st edition]. Edinburgh: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, London; and for Archibald Constable and Company, and John Ballantyne, Edinburgh, 1820. Three volumes; Vol. 2 displayed.

Scott was largely driven by the relative failure of The monastery, and the success of The abbot convinced him that the sixteenth century provided fertile ground for historical fiction, and he would return to this period in composing his next novel, Kenilworth.

[Sir Walter Scott]. <em>The abbot.</em> [1st edition]. Edinburgh: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, London; and for Archibald Constable and Company, and John Ballantyne, Edinburgh, 1820. Three volumes; Vol. 2 displayed.

[Sir Walter Scott]. The abbot. [1st edition]. Edinburgh: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, London; and for Archibald Constable and Company, and John Ballantyne, Edinburgh, 1820. Three volumes; Vol. 2 displayed.
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[Sir Walter Scott]. <em>Kenilworth: a romance.</em> [1st edition]. Edinburgh: Printed for Archibald Constable and Co.; and John Ballantyne, Edinburgh; and Hurst, Robinson, and Co., London, 1821. Three volumes; Vol. 1 displayed.

[Sir Walter Scott]. Kenilworth: a romance. [1st edition]. Edinburgh: Printed for Archibald Constable and Co.; and John Ballantyne, Edinburgh; and Hurst, Robinson, and Co., London, 1821. Three volumes; Vol. 1 displayed.

Set in Elizabethan England, Kenilworth is based upon the tradition of the tragic fate of the beautiful Amy Robsart, daughter of Sir Hugh Robsart. Famed for its vivid portrayal of Queen Elizabeth, it an uncharacteristically dark novel by Scott’s standards, focusing on a tragic series of events with themes of selfishness and ambition. As popular as ever, Scott the novelist was now approaching his most prolific phase, with novels rapidly following each other.

[Sir Walter Scott]. <em>Kenilworth: a romance.</em> [1st edition]. Edinburgh: Printed for Archibald Constable and Co.; and John Ballantyne, Edinburgh; and Hurst, Robinson, and Co., London, 1821. Three volumes; Vol. 1 displayed.

[Sir Walter Scott]. Kenilworth: a romance. [1st edition]. Edinburgh: Printed for Archibald Constable and Co.; and John Ballantyne, Edinburgh; and Hurst, Robinson, and Co., London, 1821. Three volumes; Vol. 1 displayed.
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[Sir Walter Scott]. <em>Kenilworth: a romance.</em> [1st edition]. Edinburgh: Printed for Archibald Constable and Co.; and John Ballantyne, Edinburgh; and Hurst, Robinson, and Co., London, 1821. Three volumes; Vol. 2 displayed.

[Sir Walter Scott]. Kenilworth: a romance. [1st edition]. Edinburgh: Printed for Archibald Constable and Co.; and John Ballantyne, Edinburgh; and Hurst, Robinson, and Co., London, 1821. Three volumes; Vol. 2 displayed.

The title refers to Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire, home of the ambitious and conniving protagonist the Earl of Leicester. The favourite of Queen Elizabeth, Leicester feels obliged to conceal his marriage to Amy Robsart to maintain his position at court. Kenilworth is open at a scene in which Leicester offers his opinion concerning the imprisoned Mary Queen of Scots.

[Sir Walter Scott]. <em>Kenilworth: a romance.</em> [1st edition]. Edinburgh: Printed for Archibald Constable and Co.; and John Ballantyne, Edinburgh; and Hurst, Robinson, and Co., London, 1821. Three volumes; Vol. 2 displayed.

[Sir Walter Scott]. Kenilworth: a romance. [1st edition]. Edinburgh: Printed for Archibald Constable and Co.; and John Ballantyne, Edinburgh; and Hurst, Robinson, and Co., London, 1821. Three volumes; Vol. 2 displayed.
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