Ivanhoe (Penguin Classics)

Yes, Ivanhoe was one of the first great modern novels. Yes, Sir Walter Scott had a vivid imagination and wrote very well. And yes, I did enjoy reading it. But I just couldn't give it five stars.
The plot is enjoyable, and moves fairly quickly. Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe comes home to England after fighting in the Crusades. Because he's been disinherited, he adopts the moniker The Disinherited Knight. His main purpose is to find out what's happened to his true love, Rowena, in the time he's been gone. During his adventures he meets lots of supporting characters, including the money-lender Isaac of York and his daughter Rebecca, and the Templar knight Sir Brian de Bois-Gilbert. There's lots of fighting, and true love swearing, and healing, and cheating, and even Robin Hood and King Richard the Lion Hearted come into the story.
My main problem is really that of a twentieth-century perspective: Rowena and Ivanhoe are truly boring characters. They are paragons of men and women, both humble and brave, wise and pious, etcetera and etcetera. They have no personalities, and frankly, I find a good deal of their actions to be stupid. For instance, when Rowena is in a room which catches on fire, she doesn't try to escape, but prays to god to rescue her. To me, it makes more sense to be praying to god while trying to escape. Contrast this with Rebecca, who saves herself from Bois-Gilbert in order to stay true to the religion she believes in.
The other problems I have with Ivanhoe are really far more minor. Scott's twisting of history annoys me, and his use of antiquated English to give the book a more 'authentic' feel sometimes makes it hard to read. All in all, Ivanhoe is a decently good book, but not one that I would recommend to all of my friends.