Scott-land
The Man Who Invented a Nation
Published on 4. April 2011
Book
Paperback/Softback
204 pages
978-1-84697-179-2 (ISBN)
Description
No writer has ever been as famous as Sir Walter Scott once was; and no writer has ever enjoyed such huge acclaim followed by such absolute neglect and outright hostility. But Scotland would not be Scotland except for Scott. All the icons of Scottishness have their roots in Scott's novels, poems, public events and histories. It's a legacy both inspiring and constraining, and just one of the ironies that fuse Scott and Scotland into Scott-land.
In this book Stuart Kelly reveals Scott the paradox: the celebrity unknown, the nationalist unionist, the aristocrat loved by communists, the forward-looking reactionary. Part literary study, part biography, part travelogue, part surreptitious autobiography, Scott-land unveils a complex, contradictory man and the complex contradictory country he created. Insightful, accessible, witty and melancholy, this is a 'voyage around my fatherland' like no other.
In this book Stuart Kelly reveals Scott the paradox: the celebrity unknown, the nationalist unionist, the aristocrat loved by communists, the forward-looking reactionary. Part literary study, part biography, part travelogue, part surreptitious autobiography, Scott-land unveils a complex, contradictory man and the complex contradictory country he created. Insightful, accessible, witty and melancholy, this is a 'voyage around my fatherland' like no other.
Reviews / Votes
'In a smart, refreshingly uncynical book, Kelly examines Scott, Scotland and himself in an intelligent, lively analysis of a great small country' -- Ian Finlayson * The Times * 'A lovely piece of work - the best book on Scott, indeed, since Edwin Muir's Scott and Scotland' -- Andrew O'Hagan 'Kelly engagingly assesses Scott's various works and insightfully sets Scott in his context' * Independent * 'Part biography, part literary criticism, part exploration of Scottish identity. It is also part journey of self-discovery' * The Economist *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Birlinn General
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 10 mm
Weight
344 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84697-179-2 (9781846971792)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
06/2011
Polygon An Imprint of Birlinn Limited
€9.59
Available for download
Person
Stuart Kelly was raised in the Scottish Borders and studied English at Balliol College Oxford, gaining a first class degree and a Master of Studies. He was the Literary Editor of Scotland on Sunday and is now a freelance critic and writer.