Almost immediately following the publication of his first novel,
Waverley, on 7 July 1814, Walter Scott set off for a month-long tour of the Western Isles. When he returned to Edinburgh in September, the triumphant success of the novel was assured and Scott, from being one of the most successful poets of the age, had found a new career.
Waverleywas published anonymously and, immediately projecting a new novel to follow hard on the success of the first, Scott determined to continue in this mode.
Guy Mannering or The Astrologerwas written between late December 1814 and mid-February 1815, and its composition immediately succeeded Scott's writing of another long narrative poem based on the landscape of his recent tour:
The Lord of the Isles. The poem was published as by Walter Scott, but…
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Citation: Ragaz, Sharon Anne. "Guy Mannering". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 March 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4824, accessed 05 October 2024.]