Résumé
Résumé de Le Talisman
À qui s’adresse-t-il ?
For readers who love adventure with a moral heart, medieval settings, and stories of honour, rivalry and friendship across enemy lines, and anyone curious about Richard and Saladin.
De quoi parle ce livre ?
Picture a lone knight with no money and a great deal of pride, riding through a burning valley near the Dead Sea. The Talisman, published by Walter Scott in 1825, takes you to the Third Crusade, where Richard the Lionheart and the Muslim leader Saladin face each other. Scott leaves Scotland behind and fills a crusader camp with quarrelling kings, a sick monarch, a mysterious physician and a love that cannot be spoken. Real figures mix with invented ones. What makes the tale worth your time is its respect for both sides, and honour is the test every character must pass.
Dans ce résumé
- 1A poor knight rides alone into the desertFree
- 2Enemies fight, then share bread
- 3The hermit of Engaddi and a hidden love
- 4A camp of kings who cannot agree
- 5A Saracen healer comes to the king
- 6The cure, the king's anger, and Kenneth's trial
- 7What the story says about honour and enemies
- 8How Scott tells the tale
Point clé 1 sur 8
A poor knight rides alone into the desert
The story opens in the burning wilderness near the Dead Sea. Sir Kenneth of the Leopard, a Scottish crusader, rides tired and silent across the sand. He has little money.
Kenneth is on a secret errand for the leaders of the Crusade. He must carry a message to a hermit at Engaddi. He keeps the purpose to himself.
Behind his courage sits a hidden hope he dares not name. His honour is the only wealth he has. Then a Saracen warrior appears on the horizon, riding fast, and Kenneth lowers his lance.
That’s 1 of 8 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
- Nothing to pay today · Renews every year
- We email you before you pay
- Cancel online in two clicks
Who’s who
- Sir Kenneth of the Leopard
- A poor Scottish knight serving the Crusade, Kenneth secretly loves Edith Plantagenet, a lady far above his apparent rank.
- Richard the Lionheart
- The hot-tempered king of England leads the crusaders but lies ill while his allies quarrel and scheme.
- Edith Plantagenet
- Richard's proud kinswoman is the lady whom Kenneth loves but cannot openly approach as an equal.
- Sheerkohf, called Ilderim
- A courteous Saracen warrior meets Kenneth as an opponent in the desert before becoming his companion and guide.
- El Hakim
- A learned Muslim physician enters the Christian camp offering to treat Richard's fever with a healing talisman.
- Conrad of Montferrat
- An ambitious crusader lord pursues his own advantage by exploiting divisions among Richard and the other Christian leaders.
- Theodorick of Engaddi
- A hermit revered by the crusaders receives Kenneth at his desert retreat and hears the council's message.
- Queen Berengaria
- Richard's wife accompanies Edith and her other ladies on a veiled pilgrimage to the hermit's chapel.
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 131,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 8 h 45 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary
- LanguagesEnglish and 12 other languages
Questions about Le Talisman
What is The Talisman by Walter Scott about?
It is a historical novel set during the Third Crusade. A poor Scottish knight, Sir Kenneth, becomes caught between the quarrelling crusader kings, a friendship with a Saracen lord, a secret love, and a mysterious healer who comes to the sick King Richard.
Is The Talisman a true story?
No. Scott published it in 1825 as fiction. Richard, Philip of France, Leopold of Austria, Conrad of Montferrat and Saladin were real, and the Crusade was real, but Kenneth, Edith and most of the plot are Scott's own invention.
What is the talisman in the book?
It is a small charm carried by a Muslim physician. It is said to cure sickness when dipped in water, which the patient then drinks. The crusaders distrust it as magic, but it plays a key role in the king's recovery.
Is The Talisman hard to read?
It is easier than many nineteenth century novels. The adventure and the clear moral conflicts keep the story moving.
What is the main message of The Talisman?
Scott argues that honour belongs to conduct and not to religion, rank or birth. He shows that pride and rivalry can ruin a noble cause, and that decent people can respect and trust each other across a line of war.