Tackling the text

Abstract

I am a student, at school, college or university, and have been told that the next book we are going to look at is Waverley, by Sir Walter Scott. I have heard of Scott, although the only thing I know about him is that he was Scottish, but I have never heard of Waverley. But, being a conscientious student, I decide to read the novel before the classes begin, and, moreover, I hope to work out my own view of what it is about. Reading the book, I discover that it features a young man called Waverley who falls in with a group of Scottish rebels. At times it is very exciting, and moves along very quickly, but at other times it seems awfully wordy and slow. I enjoyed it, and think it might be about…