"Ivanhoe". Walter Scott (1819)

"Ivanhoe" is one of the first historic novels ever written, so this one has been on my wish list for a long time. It is a very entertaining read, both for children and adults alike. It takes you back to 12th century England, and both Robin Hood, John Lackland and Richard Lionheart are active characters in the story. The style is slightly moralising, to the point of being anachronistic for todays sensibilities, and the reader gets the impression that everything is going to end well (whatever that means!), which it does. The language of the original is thick (Walter Scott tried to recreate medieval English, while using 19th century novel narrative style), so if you do not have English as your mother tongue, it could be easier to read a translation (I read it in Norwegian and most of the heaviness of the original is, fortunately or not, lost).
As I read in a previous critic at Goodreads, most characters are one-dimensional and stereotypical, with the honorable exception of Rebecca, the Jew. The speeches are over inflated (Lawrence Olivier's "Henry V" style) and the actions are driven by notions of honor and moral, to the point of becoming unrealistic. I would say it is the opposite counterpoint to a Game of Thrones ethical universe. It is at times very politically incorrect, with the only agreeing point between the "good" and the "bad" side being their common disdain for Jews. It reminded me of  Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice", but without the irony, the shift in perspective, or the depth of thought.
One shining point though, is the exposure of the tension between Anglo-Saxons settlers and Norman invaders in 12th century England, which may drive some readers to have a look at medieval England's history books (or Wikipedia page).
The title feels a bit arbitrary, because the role of Ivanhoe is as big (or small) and heroic as Wamba, Isaac, Brian de Bois-Guilbert, or anyone else in this novel.
The novel has its creative liberties, so it should not be read as historically correct (Richard Lionheart never came back to England after the Crusade, for example).
In conclusion, if you are into knights-in-shining-armours-saving-damsels, this is certainly the book for you. There is a reason why Walter Scott and Charles Dickens were the two most popular and best selling writers in English in the 19th century, and Ivanhoe is the perfect example of this style of novel.