The Antiquary

By: Sir Walter Scott

Narrated by: David Rintoul

Jonathan Oldbuck, the antiquary of the title, has a passion for the past–and delights in trying to convey it. He meets the mysteriously taciturn young Lovel and the two strike up a friendship, bonding over Roman ruins. When Lovel falls for Isabella, daughter of a local landowner, it looks like an impossible situation. Sharp, funny, gothic, romantic, and full of action, this is a thoroughly entertaining window on Scottish life in the summer of 1794: it was Scott’s intention to show the spirit of the times, and how the past affects the present–and it was his own favourite of all his novels.

Public Domain (P)2023 Naxos AudioBooks UK Ltd.

Critic reviews

"[Narrator David Rintoul's] rich, resonant voice brings the dialogue to life and enhances the narrative sections. His acting is so vivid and true, his attunement to feeling so fine, his narration so vibrant that his performance sweeps the listener along in the story, delivering far more entertainment than the text alone could provide." (AudioFile)

Amazing

Loves the story. My 5th and most favorite by Sir Walter Scott. Just excellent xoxo

Spectacular narration of a wonderful novel

David Rintoul is simply one of the best readers Audible features. He effortlessly switches between the Scots and the English, and delivers all with such a beautiful sense of humor and compassion. What an absolute joy to discover this wonderful novelist’s voice through this performance. As good as it could possibly be.

Challenging but rewarding listen.

Despite being nearly impossible at times to decipher the dialogue through the heavy, antiquated accents and long obsolete vocabulary; I persevered to the end, feeling I owed it to myself to fully immerse myself in a bygone culture from which part of my genealogy descends. I found this story greatly differed from Sir Scott’s more famous masterpieces; a work suited more for the brave hearted than the faint hearted.