I am working on finishing up the 2019 Back to the Classics Reading Challenge. Last night, I stayed up late to finish "Kenilworth" by Sir Walter Scott. It is a historical fiction novel set in the Elizabethan era involving court intrigue. I have been reading about his period of history with Meriel, so it was fun to read about some known characters. I did not know the full history of the main characters, so the ending was a surprise for me. (Hint: If you want it to be a surprise, don't search about Amy Robsart.)
I enjoyed the story of Sir Walter Raleigh and passing references to William Shakespeare. Certain descriptions of Elizabeth as proud and enjoying flattering were echoed in our history reader. Scott included some fun contemporary descriptions of celebrations and decorations for Queen Elizabeth at Kenilworth Castle.
This is my fifth Scott novel, and my least favorite so far. The only characters I really liked were not minor and did not feature as much as I would have liked. A happy union I had hoped for is only mentioned in passing. A joyful meeting of characters leading to a resolution does not happen quite in the way of his other tales. I'll leave it at that, so you can decide whether or not to read it for yourself.
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