forgive my mouth

I’m using this book to fill the ‘A Favorite Re-read’ square even though I’d call it more of a ~sentimental re-read. I first read ‘Ivanhoe’ when I was a senior in high school. I don’t remember why, or how I even discovered the book. But I remember that I really enjoyed it. Enough so that, a year later when I saw it in a collection at college (where they had old books just sitting there on shelves in the hallways) I borrowed it to re-read. And then once more before I graduated. Several *coff* years ago I purchased the book, intending to read it yet again. I never did, but took the opportunity of this challenge to do so now.

I was a little bit disappointed because I didn’t have the same love for the book I must’ve had 30 years ago. In part because it was so hard to read. I’m just not familiar with that type of flowery language and it was a bit of a struggle. Secondly, the anti-semitism and misogyny made me want to pull my hair out. I can totally see why 17-20 year old me didn’t get it, but now that I do it was really hard to read.

Isaac being written so stereotypically wrt money and Rebecca being dismissed as a love interest (and called a witch when she ~is the love interest) because they were Jewish, and Cedric blaming Urfried for her fate at the hands of Front-de-Boeuf were the hardest parts for me to read.

I also thought it interesting that, for a book called Ivanhoe, we didn’t see much of Wilfred of Ivanhoe.

This re-read has changed my feelings about this book 180 degrees. I’m giving it two hearts.

♥♥

(This book counts towards the ‘A Favorite Re-read’ square on my Book Bingo card.)