I dislike the narrator so much, that I have decided to stop listening to this book. I don't say that I give up on this book altogether, but I think I'll try another version. Some day.

Having just been through Scotland the description of the highlands was enjoyably evocative for me. The setting during the Jacobite rising definitely piqued my interest in the relationship between Scotland and England. ( )

This is the third Scott novel I have read, after Ivanhoe and Kenilworth, and, as before, I greatly enjoyed the author's beautiful use of the English language to convey his story, though in this case a lot of the dialogue is in Highland or Lowland Scots, which is harder for me to read; while I could usually get the gist of what a character speaking thus was saying, on occasion it was too opaque to be intelligible. The title character does not appear by name until the last third of the novel, and his role as supposedly the Scottish Robin Hood is exaggerated in Scott's usual overly romantic fashion, though there is a very long introduction, taking some one sixth of the total length of the book, covering the real Rob Roy and the battles of his MacGregor clan against other Scots clans and against the Scottish Crown after Queen Mary proscribed the MacGregors and basically called for their mass slaughter in 1563. Dramatic events, though these do not form the main plot of the novel, which centres around Englishman Francis Osbaldistone trying to restore his father's and his own fortunes after they are falsely accused of various crimes, necessitating his travelling to the north of England and Scotland, in the run up to the 1715 Jacobite rebellion. Absorbing, and to be enjoyed on its own merits and bearing in mind the faults it contains as a historical account. ( )

Sixth of the series of "Waverley novels" by Walter Scott. This one is set in 1715/16 around the Jacobite unrest of the period. The protagonist is a young Englishman who comes into chance contact with Rob Roy on a trip to family in the far north of England. After some complicated plot twists, the hero is offered support by Rob Roy, while the hero sorts out family matters and while Rob Roy becomes aware that the rising has been doomed to failure. The content is fairly standard Walter Scott - a well crafted tale set in a plausibly detailed historic background with a lot of Scottishness thrown in. The standout feature, for me, is the character of the lead female - Di Vernon, who is feisty, smart, assertive and strong. A very pleasing addition. I know Scott was an early fan of Jane Austen, and he may have been influenced by her strong female leads. ( )

Rob Roy, a novel by Sir Walter Scott, written in 1817 is a romance of real life. In this historical fiction, told by Frank Osbaldistone, the son of a wealthy businessman, ends up in Northern Scotland, vanquished by his father when he refused to go into business. He joins up with the outlaw, Rob Roy McGregor. Frank falls in love with Diane but she is off limits to him as she has to marry one of the sons of .... or go into a convent. Through this story of Diane, there is romance, secrets, suspense and tension.

I think that this novel was harder to enjoy than the author’s other 1001 list book. The story is interesting but the plot and structure make it difficult to engage. The audio was especially difficult because of some character brogue which was better read than listened to. I would definitely reread this, at a slower pace and read a book while I listen to it. I think the movie might be more interesting to most readers rather than the book and that is rare.

Penguin Classics, states, That Sir Walter Scott invented the historical novel. That must be why it is included in 1001 Books. Here is their description of the novel; rousing tale of skulduggery and highway robbery, villainy and nobility, treasonous plots and dramatic escapes—and young love. From London to the North of England to the Scottish Highlands, it follows the unjustly banished young merchant’s son Francis as he strives to out-maneuver the unscrupulous adventurer plotting to destroy him—and allies himself with the cunning, dangerous, and dashing outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor in a heroic effort to regain his rightful place and win the hand of the girl he loves. ( )