Rob Roy

By: Sir Walter Scott

Narrated by: Frederick Davidson

Length: 18 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's Summary

A favorite among Scott's "Waverley" books, Rob Roy follows the adventures of Francis, a businessman's son who falls out of favor with his father and is sent to stay in the Scottish Highlands. At the house of his uncle, he meets Rashleigh, the greedy and malicious youngest son, and Diana Vernon, Rashleigh's beautiful young cousin. Seeing that Diana is attracted to Francis, Rashleigh determines to destroy him. What Rashleigh does not realize is that Francis will seek the help of Rob Roy MacGregor, a powerful and enigmatic outlaw who courageously fights for justice and dignity for the Scottish people.

Strong plot and superb period detail combine to make Rob Roy a captivating tale and an extraordinary portrait of the haunted highlands and the glorious Scottish past.

(P)1995 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic Reviews

"When I think of Rob Roy, I am impatient with all other novels." (Robert Louis Stevenson)
"This early 19th-century classic...is alive and well in this production, elegant in sound and style. Frederick Davidson's voice masterfully moves from brogue to dialect, from Gaelic to English. He succeeds at the resonance of narrator Francis, the commanding voice of Rob Roy, the growl of the wicked Rashleigh, and the beautiful lilt of Diana Vernon. This recording, accordingly, 'thrills the blood.'" (AudioFile)

Don't buy unless you know the story!

I love a good classic, well-read. Frederick Davidson is one of my favorite readers - he gets every accent just perfect. That is exactly the downfall of this audiobook - lots and lots of totally unintelligible Scottish accent-REALLY unintelligible. I have never read this book, was not familiar with the story at all. After six hours, I quit in frustration because I had lost so much of the plot. IF you know the story, IF you are good at deciphering Scottish accent (and I mean HEAVY, not Star Trek Scotty) then go for it. Otherwise, pass on this version of Rob Roy.

15 of 15 people found this review helpful

taut history and adventure

Starts slowly and becomes a fascinating tale of adventure and love. It captures the feeling of Scottish history and the social tensions of the time. Listened to it on a trip to Scotland and the understanding of the social stresses of the 18th century and the pleasure of listening to a darn good yarn added immensely to the trip. Heartily recommend this audiobook.

10 of 10 people found this review helpful

Hard work.

Frederick Davidson is a reliable narrator but this is hard work to listen to. There are large sections of it that appear to be written in a foreign language and the sometimes heavy handed characterisation makes them even harder to follow. The actual writing is of its period. Overly wordy and convoluted in the story telling and with large sections of background and build up with very little actual meat of the strory. Pretty sure that this won't make it to the regular relistening list.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Brilliant and misunderstood

When this was written Rob Roy was a larger than life character, with very little reliable resources to corroborate his exploits. Writing yet another sensationalist would just be mundane.

Sir Walter Scott was the greatest novelist Scotland has ever produced, and he loved a good story. In this case, the story is that of a privileged and somewhat spoiled Englishman who eventually encounters the turmoil of Scotland and Rob Roy. This is the genius of this book: observations not only from a 3rd party perspective, but from England itself.

And while Rob Roy is not the sun around which this story revolves, he is nonetheless very important for the development of the plot and the ultimate resolution.

Also keep in mind, that this is the novel that made Rob Roy someone to be remembered, regardless of the fact that he is not the star.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Disappointing

I endured the entire book and couldn't wait to get it finished...awful! This is the WORST book I have yet downloaded. Rambling and at times incomprehensible, the development is weak and incosequential and the characters poorly developed. Robin McGregor/Campbell plays a "bit-role" in the story line. I personally find the narrator's style affected, laborious and irritating; his presentation drawling and monotonous, as in all the other readings that I have heard of his thus far. His Scottish accent is on the contrary suprisingly unaffected and authentic.

8 of 11 people found this review helpful

So glad it's over.

If you love bad Scottish accents, the sound of swallowing, and a long, incomprehensible plot that goes absolutely nowhere, then this book and performance is for you.

Difficult to understand

This is a great story, but the accent of the reader is so thick that, while very authentic, makes it very difficult to understand without feats of concentration

A classic! Extremely well read!

I'm a fan of the classics and particularly of Sir Walter Scott. I loved the performance: authentic accents might be off putting to the naive, but is a wonderful reflection of the past. Scott's keen observations of 17th century life make this a fantastic listen.