"Walter Scott is food for the soul"

Today's title quote comes from Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, who, like Nikolai Karamzin, was influenced by Scott, and whose birthday is celebrated today -  June 6, 1799.  According to Edinburgh University's Militsa Greene, 'There is evidence that as early as 1820, Scott's works were known to Pushkin.  Walter Scott's name appears more and more frequently in Pushkin's letters and articles...'.

Greene made these comments in an article published in 1965, titled "Pushkin and Sir Walter Scott".  In 1830, according to Greene, the year when Pushkin wrote his "Tales of Belkin", his mind was especially occupied with the works of the Scottish novelist.  "Walter Scott has carried away a whole crown of imitators", he wrote, "but how far they all are from the Scottish magician..."