This is an interesting medieval historical tale about bravery and loyalty Set during the reign of King Richard I, who is absent from England while fighting in the Crusades in the Holy Land of Jerusalem, the kingdom is temporarily influenced by his brother, Prince John.
Following the young Wilfred of Ivanhoe, a brave knight who has been disowned by his father, Cedric the Saxon, because of his loyalty to King Richard and his association with the Norman court. The novel begins when Ivanhoe secretly returns to England after joining the Crusades. Disguised and wounded, he soon becomes involved in a grand tournament where he must fight against powerful Norman knights. With the unexpected help of the wealthy Jewish merchant Isaac of York, Ivanhoe is able to obtain armor and a horse to participate in the tournament.
The story is slow-paced, but it has many unique and memorable characters that make the novel enjoyable to read. Although the plot is quite simple, the characters are very interesting. The character who touched me the most was Rebecca of York because of her courage, intelligence, and exotic beauty, which make her stand out from the others. The novel shows that medieval society still saw Rebecca’s advanced medical knowledge as something strange and taboo instead of trying to understand it further. People in high ranking in Church quickly judged her as a witch while believing they were defending Christianity, even without clear reason or evidence.
Even though he is stubborn and skeptical about the Crusades, Cedric of Saxon sincerely believes in protecting the dignity and memory of the Saxons, he also shows fairness and kindness toward Jews as a marginalized group in medieval society. The novel also contains memorable villains, especially Brian de Bois-Guilbert, whose obsession with Rebecca creates much of the story’s tension, while Prince John and his followers represent greed, ambition, and corruption in medieval society.
Honestly, I felt battered reading this classics, the narration is so vivid but there are so many outdated and rarely used words, and the conversations are often overly convoluted (I am sorry that I am cheating with google translate while reading). Ivanhoe has too many characters involved at the same time, which makes the story feel crowded and sometimes hard to follow. I an little bit surprise how this book commented about the crusade in holy land Jerusalem in Palestine, through Cedric, the writer pointed out that he did not agree about crusade, how people commit bloodshed and then calle it "the will of God"? Walter Scott is partly satirizing how Europe romanticized distant holy wars while neglecting problems at home.
“Palestine!” repeated the Saxon—“Palestine! how many ears are turned to the tales which dissolute crusaders or hypocritical pilgrims bring from that fatal land! I too might ask—I too might inquire—I too might listen with a beating heart to fables which the wily strollers devise to cheat us into hospitality; but no—the son who has disobeyed me is no longer mine; nor will I concern myself more for his fate than for that of the most worthless among the millions that ever shaped the cross on their shoulder, rushed into excess and blood-guiltiness, and called it an accomplishment of the will of God.”
This novel portrays the enmity between the Normans and the Saxons after the Battle of Hastings, as well as the prejudice of the Normans toward the Jewish people. It was truly an enjoyable story, even though the setting takes place 500 years before the time when Walter Scott was writing. I have always been a fan of medieval historical fiction, so it was no surprise that I immediately connected with the novel. With its good pacing, engaging storyline, and interesting characters, Ivanhoe feels very well balanced.
Ruang Buku Megga Rated : ✬✬✬✬ (4/5)
Title : Ivanhoe
Author : Walter Scott
Publisher : Wordsworth Classics
Year : October 2019 (First Published in 1819 )
Format / Pages : Softcover / 464 pages
ISBN : -
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