Reviews for Quentin Durward

The average rating for Quentin Durward based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-02-02 00:00:00 Koichi Yanaga This enjoyable one volume novel--brief as a medium-sized novella--was published in 1800, but is set in the years from the middle of the 18th century to the establishment of the Irish constitution of 1782. It gives us a satirical view of four generations of the Rackrent family, each an example of the irresponsible Irish gentry. Parsimonious or profligate in his habits, amiable or arrogant in his demeanor, each Lord Rackrent impoverishes his peasants and abuses his wealth, leading to the destruction of the Rackrent fortune and the mortaging--and eventual loss--of the Rackrent estates. The tale is told in the voice of Thady Quirk, an old house servant, who, while loyally praising or excusing each former master, observes so precisely and narrates so colorfully the history of the family that he makes each Lord of Rackrent look very bad indeed. This narrative--arguably not only the first historical novel but also the first novel of any sort featuring an unreliable narrator---taught Austen something about irony and gave Scott a great model for his lengthier, more ponderous books (including revelatory monologues by comic servants in ethnic dialect and the use of an imposing apparatus of notes and appendices to explain the little-known singularities of a minority culture). Unlike many historically important works, Castle Rackrent is entertaining, well worth the short amount of time it will take you to read it.

Review # 2 was written on 2020-02-29 00:00:00 Ej Fesler This is a short novel but it seems long like a visit to the dentist might only last 15 minutes but subjectively it lasts for three days. I read this so you don't have to. It's a comic monologue by an ancient servant to the Irish Rackrent family. He has tunnel vision, all he is interested in is his master and his master's money, i.e. lack of it. There is no plot, it's just this guy got drunk, that guy got drunk, and this guy got drunk. Then this guy gambled all his money away. Then that guy married a lady for her money but she didn't have any. Then they all got drunk. Some things this longwinded bore says are quite funny, in a quite funny kind of way. The introduction says "Castle Rackrent may well be one of the most famous unread novels in English". I think you may have got the reason why by now.