Walter Scott. Jane Austen

An increase in the number of circulating libraries around the end of the 18th century ensured that a growing reading public could satisfy its thirst for prose. With the notable exceptions of Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) and Jane Austen (1775-1817), relatively little fiction of lasting worth was being written in this period. With its concentration on terror, solitude, and mystery, the so-called Gothic novel, inaugurated in 1764 by Horace Walpole (1717-1797) with the publication of “The Castle of Otranto”, seemed to open up new and unexpected vistas for the novel form. Shrouded in distant medieval darkness, these novels were an interesting prelude to the mid-nineteenth-century exploration of man's more irrational nature, and Walpole had many admirers and imitators (Ann Radcliffe and “Monk” Lewis are among the best known).

Perhaps the only novel of this kind to pass the test of its time is “Frankenstein”, written by Mary Shelley.

Critics continue to be divided over the literary worth of the works of Scottish novelist Sir Walter Scott. His chief claim to fame rests on the invention of the historical novel, which took as its main subject the past in a pageant of adventures; their occasionally suspect historical accuracy does little to ruin the reader’s enjoyment. In a world very much removed from the airs and graces of the middle- class drawing room, his works are littered with dialect, comic warmth, and references to and descriptions of local Scottish customs and traditions. His love of both lowly and famous characters – Scottish or otherwise - has become something of a hallmark. The richness of his natural and historical settings can perhaps be best appreciated in novels like “Waverley”, “Guy Mannering”, “Rob Roy”, “Ivanhoe” and “Redgauntlet”.

The other important novelist of the period was Jane Austen, renowned for her expertise in the handling of the “novel of manners”. In contrast to Scott, her novels have survived the passage of time very well, and today she is regarded as one of England's finest 19th century novelists.

In the field of non-fiction, accomplished writers like Charles Lamb (1775-1834) and William Hazlitt (1778-1830) contributed much to an increasingly popular form of essay writing: literary criticism. Reviews and magazines like the “Edinburgh Review” and “London Magazine” vied fiercely for the services of good essayists – who were themselves much freer than their predecessors to write as they wished. Essays tended to be more introspective and self-analytical, and thus reflected the more subjective yearnings of Romantic poetry. The writings of Thomas De Quincey

(1785-1859) contain some enlightening descriptions of his addiction to opium: in this respect, “Confessions of an English Opium-Eater” provides an interesting social record of the time and might be profitably compared with Coleridge’s poem, “Kubla Khan” (7, 160-161).

Theatrical writings were few and far between during what provide to be one of the most barren periods in the history of English drama. As a result of a Licensing Act, which was not repealed until 1843, only two theatres – Drury Lane and Covent Garden – were licensed to produce spoken drama on stage. Melodrama, pantomime and musicals abounded in the other theatres. Most of the Romantic poets attempted to write drama, but were unsuccessful on the whole: the essential subjectivity of their visions combined with a distinct lack of experience to ensure that the stage was to remain without a guiding, innovative hand until later in the century.

2. Walter Scott

Walter Scott (1771-1832), the father of the English historical novel, was born in

the family of a lawyer.

Walter Scott’s literary career began in 1796 when he published translations of

German ballads.

In 1804 Walter Scott gave up the law entirely for literature.

His literary work began with the publication of “The Lay of the Last Minstrel”

(1805), a poem which made him the most popular poet of the day. A series of poems followed which included “Marmion” (1808) and “The Lady of the Lake” (1810). These poems brought fame to the author. They tell us about the brave Scottish people, their past and the beauty of their homeland.

Soon, however, Scott realized that he was not a poetic genius, and he turned to writing in prose.

Scott’s first historical novel “Waverley” published in 1814 was a great success and he continued his work in this new field. Novel after novel came from his pen. His novels appeared anonymously. Nobody knew he was a writer. From 1814 to 1830 he wrote 29 novels, many of which are about Scotland and the struggle of this country for independence. Such novels as “Waverley, Guy Mannering (1815), The Antiquary (1816),The Black Dwarf (1816), Old Mortality (1816), Rob Roy (1818), The Heart of Midlothian” (1818) describe Scotland in the 18th century.

“The Bride of Lammermoor’ (1819) and “The Legend of Montrose” (1819) have the 17th century background.

“Ivanhoe” (1820) deals with the English history of the 12th century.

“The Monastery” (1820),