Rob Roy

By: Sir Walter Scott

Narrated by: Sean Barrett

Rob Roy is a captivating novel of chivalry and romance set in the Scottish Highlands of the 18th century.

After rejecting the life his father has laid out for him, Frank Osbaldistone is sent to the North of England to live with his Uncle, where he is to repent his sins. However, when his father's wealth and reputation are threatened, he is drawn to the Scottish Highlands, where he must retrieve a set of stolen documents. It is here that he is pulled into a number of skirmishes relating to the Jacobite uprising of 1715, and where his path frequently crosses with the mysterious maverick outlaw known as Rob Roy....

Scott's portrayal of Scotland is remarkable in its vivid and evocative panorama of the highlands, and his insightful exploration of social, economic, and historic themes.

Download the accompanying reference guide.Public Domain (P)2015 Naxos AudioBooks

Scottish History Revived

This book allowed me to live this period of history thru the eyes and heart of an English outsider. While sometimes the Sottish brogue dialog stumped me, the traditional English narrator gave enough details to follow the storyline. Later, I discovered I understood the accent better and enjoyed that dialog as well.

Phenomenal reading of a classic book

As some have pointed out, the accents are so authentic that some of the dialogue is hard to understand, but I wouldn’t want to listen to it any other way.

awesome book!

this was beautifully read! the various accents he used made it easy to follow and were quite genuine!

Revolution

Family intrigue during the Jocoban Revolt in northern England. Stealing money and property from relatives leads to many adventures.

Scots dialect immersion

The story line follows (and is narrated by) a young man who goes to Northumberland to straighten out his father's business and family affairs. There he gets entangled with a gaggle of male cousins, and one alluring female companion, and is eventually dragged north into Scotland where he encounters the outlaw and folk hero Rob Roy. The book has two definite halves, where the first is somewhat relaxed and tame, while the second is high-octane duels, chases, military engagements, and suspense at every turn. Some great depictions of Highland scenery and folk customs.

The performance is excellent, and especially the voices used to portray both the north-country English, as well as the Scots dialects. The dialogue in Scots is well-nigh gibberish; one can gather a word here or there, sometimes a sentence. This is not the reader's fault, it was written in this way by Scott, and short of translating to English, one cannot do better. There are a few chapters where the entire dialogue, for many minutes on end, is in Scots and those drag on interminably, with very little comprehension going on. The charm of the accent is lost if it is consumed in too great a quantity.