Books with title The smallest pirate

"The Pirate" is not connected with historic annals, nor does it deal with the sea, except in an incidental way. It is a tale of neighborhood life off the northeast coast of Scotland.Basil Mertoun, a reticent and misanthropic man about which nothing is known, takes up his residence in a tumble-down mansion on a Shetland cape, which he rents at a nominal sum from Magnus Troil, an old landowner. Basil is accompanied only by a young son, Mordaunt, who, more sociable and agreeable than his father, makes acquaintances all about the countryside. Especially does he frequent the Troil home, attracted thither by the two charming daughters of Magnus, Minna and Brenda; but he is so impartial in his attentions that the local gossips do not know which he courts. Returning from their home one stormy night he takes refuge in the cottage of the Yellowleys, an eccentric old farmer and his miserly sister; but is warned by Norna, a half-crazed seeress, to proceed on his way ...

"The Pirate" is a novel by the Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott, first published in 1822 and considered a masterpiece. For "The Pirate", Scott drew on his memories of a voyage to the Northern Isles in 1814, as guest of a commission inspecting Scotland's lighthouses. The novel was finished in little more than three months and was ready for publication in late October 1821. Hence, the novel is set at the beginning of the 18th century on the Shetland Islands, where Basil Mertoun lives as a tenant of Magnus Troil. In his youth, Mertoun has been betrayed by an unfaithful wife, and in a spirit of revenge, turned to piracy. Filled with self-reproach for his crimes, he lives as a recluse, along with his wife's son Mordaunt, whose paternity is doubtable."The Pirate" is also the story of the complicated romantic lives of the Troil sisters, Minna and Brenda.

This novel is based on the life of pirate John Gow who features as Captain Cleveland. The setting is the southern tip of the main island of Shetland (which Scott visited in 1814), around 1700. The arrival of the shipwrecked captain, Cleveland, spoils young Mordaunt's relationship with the Troil girls, and soon a bitter rivalry grows between the two men. Minna falls in love with Cleveland, not knowing his true profession. Brenda, however, is in love with Mordaunt. The pirates capture the Troils, but after an encounter with the frigate HMS Halcyon, they are freed… Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright and poet. He was the first modern English-language author to have a truly international career in his lifetime, with many contemporary readers in Europe, Australia, and North America. His novels and poetry are still read, and many of his works remain classics of both English-language literature and of Scottish literature. Famous titles include Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, The Lady of the Lake, Waverley, The Heart of Midlothian and The Bride of Lammermoor.