Résumé
Résumé de Le Monastère
À qui s’adresse-t-il ?
For readers who love Scott's Scottish settings, historical fiction with a touch of the supernatural, and stories where religion and politics shape private lives.
De quoi parle ce livre ?
The Monastery is a novel by Walter Scott, published in 1820. It is set in the Scottish Borders in the sixteenth century, when the old Catholic order was giving way to the new Protestant faith. Scott wrote it soon after Ivanhoe, and he turned from medieval England to the hills and tower houses of his own country. The setting is the lands of the fictional abbey of Saint Mary's at Kennaquhair, and the story follows the people who live in its shadow.
You meet a widow and her two sons in a lonely tower called Glendearg, a noble family driven from its castle, and a spirit who haunts a fountain. You also meet monks who sense that their world is ending, and a flamboyant English knight whose speech is as showy as his clothes. Scott mixes history, folklore and comedy. He gives you a country where neighbours quarrel over faith and land, and where the past still seems close enough to touch. First, let us visit Glendearg and the family at its heart.
Dans ce résumé
- 1A widow and her sons at GlendeargFree
- 2Strangers shelter in the tower
- 3The White Lady and a forbidden book
- 4Sir Piercie Shafton and his flowery speech
- 5Faith, power and a changing Scotland
- 6Romance, rivalry and how the tale is told
Point clé 1 sur 6
A widow and her sons at Glendearg
The story opens at Glendearg, a small stone tower in a quiet glen. It belongs to the abbey of Saint Mary's, and the widow Elspeth Glendinning holds it as the abbey's tenant. She lives there with her two sons, Halbert and Edward, and the household depends on the goodwill of the monks.
The two boys are very different. Halbert is bold, restless and quick to anger. He loves hunting, weapons and the idea of adventure, and he hates being told what to do. Edward is gentle and bookish, and he feels drawn to learning and to the calm of the cloister.
Scott uses this small family to stand for a larger divide. One brother looks outward to the world of swords and ambition, and the other looks inward to study and thought. Their mother, who is proud of her late husband and wary of the world, loves them both but cannot steer either one.
The abbey stands close by, and its monks are neither villains nor saints. The abbot, Boniface, is a kindly man who prefers ease and quiet. Others in the community sense that the world beyond the walls is changing fast. From the first pages you feel that Glendearg is a safe place, but not a place that will stay untouched.
That’s 1 of 6 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Questions about Le Monastère
What is The Monastery by Walter Scott about?
It follows a widow and her two sons at the tower of Glendearg, near a Scottish abbey, in the sixteenth century. Refugees, a vain English knight and a spirit disturb their lives while the Reformation changes the country.
Who is the White Lady of Avenel?
She is a spirit linked to the Avenel family and to a fountain near their old castle. Scott draws on Border folklore for her, and she plays a key part in the life of Halbert Glendinning.
When is The Monastery set and when was it written?
Scott published it in 1820. The story is set in the sixteenth century in the Scottish Borders, during the religious conflict of the Reformation. The abbey and its setting are invented, though the history behind them is real.
Is The Monastery hard to read?
Most readers enjoy the humor.
Is The Monastery connected to The Abbot?
Yes. Scott wrote The Abbot as a follow-up, set in the same region and carrying on themes of faith and politics. It brings Mary Queen of Scots into the story, but each book can be read alone.