In Ivanhoe Scott fashioned an imperial myth of national cultural identity that has shaped the popular imagination ever since its first appearance at the end of 1819. The most famous of Scottish novelists drew on the conventions of Gothic fiction, including its risky sexual and racial themes, to explore the violent origins and limits of English nationality. Based on the 1830 Magnum Opus text of Ivanhoe, this is the first modern edition to make corrections against Scott's working materials and incorporates readings from Scott's manuscript.
