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He is Scotland's greatest novelist but no-one reads him now. Why?

He is Scotland's greatest novelist but no-one reads him now. Why?

With originality and verve, he illuminated the turbulent past, mainly of Scotland, but also England and France.
Scott's phenomenal productivity was in part the result of finding himself almost bankrupt in 1825.
Yet he had been drawn to stories of the great events that shaped Scotland since he was a boy.
Despite the demands of his roles as Sheriff-Depute of Selkirkshire and Clerk of the Court of Session in Edinburgh, Scott turned to fiction with such energy it was as if he were an uncorked bottle of champagne.
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In the space of 18 years, 27 novels fizzed out of him in a seemingly unstoppable stream, intoxicating readers worldwide and changing forever the face of his homeland.
The more vivid the period, the livelier his imagination: Waverley was about the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion; Woodstock about the Cavaliers and Roundheads; Ivanhoe took place in England after the Norman Conquest, while Old Mortality was about the Covenanters.
The Heart of Midlothian is based on the Porteous Riots of 1736; Kenilworth was set in Elizabethan England, Quentin Durward in 15th-century France and The Talisman in Palestine during the Crusades.
In tribute to his continuing influence, the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction was founded 16 years ago by the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch, with the winners announced at the Borders Book Festival in Melrose in June.
Previous winners include Hilary Mantel, Robert Harris, Robin Robertson and Tan Twan Eng, and this year's shortlist features novels set in Sicily in 412 BC, the 19th-century American frontier and England in the winter of 1962–3.
As a genre, the historical novel appears to be thriving, its perennial success directly attributable to the Laird of Abbotsford.
Scott's literary career had begun first as a collector of Border Ballads – Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border – and then with epic poems such as Marmion and The Lady of the Lake.
Only in his forties did he turn to fiction.
Learning of his change of direction, Jane Austen wrote: "Walter Scott has no business to write novels, especially good ones.
"It is not fair.
"He has fame and profit enough as a poet, and should not be taking the bread out of other people's mouths.
Sir Walter Scott's home in Abbotsford (Image: free) "I do not like him, and do not mean to like Waverley if I can help it – but I fear I must."
Scott's fame crossed continents.
Eager to see the locations he so vividly described, tourists flocked to Scotland to visit the scenes of his stories and explore his stately home, which was opened to the public in 1833, the year after his death.
His evocation of bygone times turned a country once deemed primitive and inhospitable into the alluring backdrop for drama, intrigue and heroism.
Thanks to the appeal of his swashbuckling plots and unforgettable characters, and to the romance surrounding the author himself, Scott put Scotland on the map.
A natural storyteller, whose grasp of social and political history was profound and enlightened, Scott's impact on literature was transformational.
Across Europe and America, writers took their cue from him, notably Balzac, Alessandro Manzoni, Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Jules Verne, James Fennimore Cooper, Theodor Fontane, Pushkin, Tolstoy and Turgenev, all of whom acknowledged their debt.
Not everyone, however, was a fan.
Mark Twain believed his novels exerted a "malign" influence on "the character of the Southerner".
By diverting Southerners' attention from the present and future to an idealised past, wrote a frothing Twain, he helped foment the American Civil War.
Until the present era, familiarity with Scott's novels was essential for anyone who wished to be considered well-read.
To admit never having broached The Heart of Midlothian or Ivanhoe (Tony Blair's desert island book) was to invite derision.
Today, sadly, Scott is barely read in his home country.
Whereas there have been recent translations of his work in Croatia, Albania, Bosnia and Catalonia, here he has become the Great Unread.
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People wouldn't thank you for a set of his novels; I doubt if even charity shops would accept them.
But although his stories are consigned to library bookshelves, where they gather dust, his legacy endures.
The rocket-like Scott Monument in Princes Street is within earshot of the tannoy system at Waverley Station.
What other city has named its main railway station after a novel?
And all across the UK streets, houses and pubs are called after his books or characters: Marmion Road, Durward Avenue, Waverley Place, Ivanhoe Avenue, Woodstock Road, Peveril Street, Kenilworth Terrace...
It is one of literature's great injustices that a writer whose purpose was to bring history alive for as wide an audience as possible is now deemed dry and dull.
Neither accusation is fair.
Scott has fallen from favour not because of changing taste, although that plays a part; nor because he is now as historic as his subjects, although that too is true.
It is not because of his rich, occasionally antique language, or his love of dialect, or his leisurely digressions.
The biggest enemy of Scott is time itself—not its passing but readers' lack of it.
Modern bestsellers are written to catch the attention quickly and not overstay their welcome.
It's a brave writer who produces a novel as long as Peveril of the Peak.
But for some of us, the heft of Scott's stories is part of their appeal.
In fact, right now I'm off to continue Rob Roy, which had me hooked from the opening page.
I may be some time.
The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction shortlist: The Heart in Winter, Kevin Barry; The Mare, Angharad Hampshire; The Book of Days, Francesca Kay; Glorious Exploits, Ferdia Lennon; The Land in Winter, Andrew Miller; The Safekeep, Yael van der Wouden.
The winner will be announced on Thursday 12 May at 5pm.
For details and tickets go to: www.bordersbookfestival.org.
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Step up to the Mike - Scottish Waterboys star is a vision of integrity
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  • The Herald Scotland

Step up to the Mike - Scottish Waterboys star is a vision of integrity

Folk might be the first genre applied to the Waterboys, but you could bung in punk, rock and roll, country, rhythm and blues and, er, chamber music. Eclectic, ken? The man himself, son of a college lecturer, is right literary, making a show and album aboot yon W.B. Yeats, and spending much time at Findhorn, the New Age (getting on a bit now, mind) community in the northeast of Scottishland. He formed the Waterboys in 1983, taking the name from a line in a Lou Reed song. The band's first single was A Girl Called Johnny, and their first group appearance on the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test. Discernible inlfuences on their imaginatively titled debut, The Waterboys, included Patti Smith, Dylan, Bowie, Van Morrison and U2. Still, nobody's perfect. Their first tour began in Frankfurt, with Eddi Reader providing backing vocals for the first two gigs. She also guested on second album, A Pagan Place, still a favourite of many ('early is best', ken?), which was preceded by the single The Big Music. This became the label attached to the band's musical style. (Image: Newsquest Media Group) For God's Sake IT has been described as 'a mystical celebration of paganism' and by Scott as 'a metaphor for seeing God's signature in the world'. I see. And, without being pedantic, musically? Oh, it's a big, shimmering wall of sound thang that also encompasses U2, Simple Minds, Big Country, Bruce Springsteen. Best known example is probably The Whole of the Moon, from third album, This Is the Sea, which reached 26 in the singles chart. Commendably, Scott poo-pooed further market potential by refusing to perform on Top of the Pops, which insisted on miming. Here are some words: 'I was grounded/While you filled the skies/I was dumbfounded by truth/You cut through lies/I saw the rain dirty valley/You saw Brigadoon/I saw the crescent/You saw the whole of the moon.' Good stuff, what? Ignoring pop, and stadium rock expectations, Scott decamped to Galway, immersing himself in Irish music and culture. A folky album, Fisherman's Blues, followed and featured Yeats's The Stolen Child with traditional Gaelic singer Tomas McKeown: 'Come away, O human child!/To the waters and the wild/With a faery, hand in hand/For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.' Some said Scott had gone doolally and accused him sarcastically of giving 'Irish music back to the Irish'. But his love for the land and the many musicians befriended there was real, and the album became a classic. Alas, next album, Room to Roam, supposedly 'merging trad and pop in a rootsy Sgt Pepper', fell flat and Scott left for New York, there embracing a harder rock sound. Although resultant album Dream Harder produced two top 30 singles, some fans thought it 'disappointingly mainstream' and, disombobulated by his own drift from Celtica, Scott fetched up at the aforementioned Findhorn, seeking solace in esoteric spirituality. Here, not unnaturally, he found himself 'playing the Monty Python theme with the Findhorn Ceilidh band at a Burns Supper in the Community Centre while people from five continents danced the Gay Gordons'. It happens. Actually, it happened during one of his many stop-overs, including working there for a year. His first experience of communal meditation had hooked him: 'Wave upon wave of electrifying inspiration passed through me … [and] I walked out of the Sanctuary dazed and thrilled.' Aye. READ MORE Rab McNeil: Get your Boots on, we're going shopping for unicorn hair gel Rab McNeil: No wonder the whole Scottish nation loves Nicola (no, not that one) Scottish Icons: William McGonagall - The poet who right bad verses wrote still floats some folk's vessel or boat Scottish Icons: There is a lot of tripe talked about haggis – so here's the truth Burning Ambition SCOTT'S first solo album Bring 'Em All In was recorded at Findorn, and was followed by the rockier, soulier Still Burning. Next, he began experimenting with a 'psychedelic elemental roar' – yikes! – the result of which, with the Waterboys name resurrected, was the critically acclaimed A Rock in the Weary Land. The eighth Waterboys studio album, Universal Hall, came in 2003. Mellow and mostly acoustic, it showcased Celtic, New Age and dance electronica influences. Other influences cited by Scott included Neil Young, Elvis Presley, C.S. Lewis, Oprah and Winston Churchill. Obviously. 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Former TOWIE star, Lucy Mecklenburgh, has admitted Ryan Thomas' brothers, Scott and Adam, do one 'weird' thing, which fans reckon is 'not normal' Lucy Mecklenburgh has shocked fans after revealing an "inappropriate" incident with her fiancé Ryan Thomas ' brothers. Lucy, 33, joined the Coronation Street star, 41, and twins Scott and Adam, 37, on their podcast where the mum-of-two lifted the lid on the " weird family". ‌ Revealing that Ryan's brothers wolf-whistle when she's trying on clothes, she shared: "This family's weird. Not normal." Looking at Scott and Adam, she continued: 'The other day you [were] filming TikToks at ours and I was trying to try on clothes for holiday and every time I came out in an outfit, they were both wolf-whistling me. This is so inappropriate.' ‌ To this, Ryan laughed and admitted: 'I love it though.' It comes as the former TOWIE star admitted that she and the dad-of-three sleep in separate rooms. ‌ In hysterics after Lucy's bombshell, reality star Scott, who quit Love Island All Stars earlier this year, joked: 'Me and Adam were like 'oh, I like that one.'' Lucy then added: "Basically the only tight dress I came out in they were wolf-whistling me.' Still chuckling, Ryan shared: 'They were sat there like 'she's fit you know'.' Meanwhile, happily married dad-of-two Adam joked: 'Scott was like, 'we're gonna come round here more often'.' Responding to the podcast, which has racked up 200,000 views on TikTok, some fans thought the Thomas brother's behaviour was weird, as one posted: 'Not normal.' Meanwhile, another mused: 'I think Scott fancies Lucy.' However, others thought it was just "family banter", as another replied: 'Love this family banter' as a second gushed: 'I absolutely love this family.' ‌ It comes after Lucy spilled the secrets about her sleeping arrangements with Ryan. The reality star and former Coronation Street cast member, who have been in a relationship since 2017, now live in Manchester with their two children. However, Lucy revealed the couple have separate rooms due to Ryan's 'horrendous snoring '. She shared: "Basically we sleep in separate bedrooms because Ryan is a nightmare sleeper." She went on to say that her fiancé snores and talks in his sleep. ‌ Scott teased: "He always wants a cuddle." Lucy responded: "I mean, that is annoying." Sharing her reasons for sleeping separately from her partner, she then shared: "Basically, Ryan snores, he sleep talks, he whacks me in his sleep." She added: "Just to get a good night sleep and that's just become normal now." Lucy later shared that she isn't always alone though, with her saying that she sometimes has the couple's five-year-old son in the bed with her. Earlier on the podcast, Lucy said that she considers the couple's sleeping arrangements to be "normal". Speaking about spending the night apart from the dad-of-three, she said: "I've spoken to other people and it's pretty normal in their house [too]."

Lucy Mecklenburgh reveals ‘weird' & ‘inappropriate' thing brother-in-law Scott Thomas does & fans say it's ‘not normal'
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Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LUCY Mecklenburgh has revealed the very 'inappropriate' thing her brother-in-laws often do. The mother and TOWIE icon, who has two children, son Roman, five, and daughter Lilah, three, with her husband Ryan Thomas, recently got candid on Scott and Adam Thomas' 'weird' behaviour. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Lucy Mecklenburgh has left fans stunned after sharing the "inappropriate" behaviour of her husband's brothers Credit: TikTok/@thomasbrospodcast 6 On a recent podcast episode, the mum-of-two discussed the "weird" behaviour that occurs when Scott and Adam Thomas visit her home Credit: TikTok/@thomasbrospodcast 6 Ryan found it hysterical and said his siblings think Lucy is "fit" Credit: TikTok/@thomasbrospodcast 6 Adam claimed Scott said "we're gonna come round here more often" after seeing Lucy in tight dresses Credit: TikTok/@thomasbrospodcast Lucy, who got engaged to Ryan in 2019 and recently admitted the couple sleep in separate beds despite being together for eight years, left fans stunned by what really goes on when Scott, 38, and Adam, 37, visit her huge million pound Manchester mansion. She made the shocking confession on the At Home With The Thomas Brothers podcast, where she joined her fiance and his two brothers for the latest episode. The mum-of-two explained: 'This family's weird. Not normal." Looking at Scott and Adam, she added: 'The other day you [were] filming TikToks at ours and I was trying to try on clothes for holiday and every time I came out in an outfit, they were both wolf whistling me. 'This is so inappropriate.' To this, Ryan laughed and admitted: 'I love it though.' In hysterics, reality star Scott, who quit Love Island All Stars earlier this year, joked: 'Me and Adam were like 'oh, I like that one.'' Following this, Lucy then added: "Basically the only tight dress I came out in they were wolf whistling me.' Clearly unbothered by his brother's actions, Ryan shared: 'They were sat there like 'she's fit you know.' In an attempt to shift the blame to single Scott, happily married dad-of-two Adam laughed: 'Scott was like, we're gonna come round here more often.' Lucy Mecklenburgh cruelly shamed for 'flaunting her wealth' as she breaks down in tears over moving to a HUGE home Big divide The short clip, which was shared on the official TikTok podcast page @thomasbrospodcast just 15 hours ago, has clearly left many open-mouthed as it has quickly racked up 199,700 views. But social media users were left totally divided by Scott and Adam's actions - while many thought it was abnormal and accused Scott of being 'obsessed' with his sister-in-law, others saw the funny side. I think Scott fancies Lucy TikTok user One person said: 'Not normal.' Another added: 'Lucy is Scott's type to a T. He is obsessed.' A third commented: 'I think Scott fancies Lucy.' Lucy Mecklenburgh and Ryan Thomas sleep in 'separate' beds Lucy Mecklenburgh recently admitted she struggles to get decent shut eye thanks to her partner being a "nightmare sleeper". She made the confession on the At Home With The Thomas Brothers podcast, joining her fiance and his two brothers for the latest episode. Lucy explained: "Basically we sleep in separate bedrooms because Ryan is a nightmare sleeper." His brother Adam joked: "He's always trying it on with me," while their sibling and Love Island star Scott quipped: "He always wants a cuddle." They were all left in hysterics, with mum-of-two Lucy saying: "I mean that is annoying..." She continued: "Basically Ryan snores, he sleep talks, he whacks me in his sleep." Ryan cheekily replied: "I weren't asleep darling," leaving them in fits of giggles. TV personality Lucy then explained the reason behind their decision to sleep separately. She said: 'It's just to get a good night's sleep. And that's just become normal now. But sometimes I do sleep with Roman.' But at the same time, one user beamed: 'Love this family banter.' A second gushed: 'I absolutely love this family.' Whilst someone else wrote: 'Infectious laughs… love this family! How it should be.' Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club 6 Many were convinced Scott fancied his sister-in-law Credit: Instagram

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