The Book of Prefaces
1st Edition
Published on 1. October 2020
640 pages
978-1-5266-2619-6 (ISBN)
Description
'Superb ... There is no disputing the enormous knowledge, the sheer love of books that is gathered here' SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY
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A great and fascinating work from Scottish literary legend Alasdair Gray, beautifully illustrated throughout, chronicling the history of how literature spread and developed throughout the world.
This is a unique history of literature as presented through the collected and annotated prefaces of major writers, including commentary by a range of authors including James Kelman, A.L. Kennedy, and Virginia Woolf.
The result of a lifetime's reading and creative labour, intellectual and artistic, The Book of Prefaces will delight, amaze and inform both casual browsers and students. Its like will not be seen again for at least another millennium.
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Praise for Alasdair Gray
'A necessary genius' ALI SMITH
'One of the brightest intellectual and creative lights Scotland has known in modern times' NICOLA STURGEON
More details
Edition
1. Auflage
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
ISBN-13
978-1-5266-2619-6 (9781526626196)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
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Alasdair Gray
The Book of Prefaces
Book
11/2002
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
€26.30
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Person
Alasdair Gray has spent sixteen years on this project though he has written and illustrated other books in the meantime, not least the prize-winning novel POOR THINGS and the story-collection, TEN TALES TALL AND TRUE.
Content
- Cover
- Title Page
- Dedication
- AN EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT
- SEEING GREAT WRITERS IN A HUFF
- THE BIOGRAPHICAL SNIPPET
- THE PLEASURE OF THE ESSAY
- THE PLEASURE OF HEARING WRITERS CONVERSE
- THE PLEASURE OF HISTORY
- EDITORIAL ESSAYS
- TRANSLATIONS
- CUTTING BITS OUT
- ROMAN TYPE THROUGHOUT
- MARGINAL GLOSSES
- TABLE OF CONTENTS
- ON WHAT LED TO ENGLISH LITERATURE
- THE FIRST ENGLISH
- c.675
- GENESIS
- THE GENESIS POEM
- 731
- THE CHURCH HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH
- c.760
- THE DREAM OF THE CROSS
- THE DREME OF THE RODE
- c.800
- BEOWULF
- BEOWULF
- c.800
- THE EARTH TRAMPER
- EARDSTAPA
- c.890
- POPE GREGORY'S PASTORAL CARE
- c.990
- GENESIS
- AELFRIC'S GENESIS IN MODERN ENGLISH
- AELFRIC'S GENESIS IN ANGLO-SAXON
- c.1066
- ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE
- THE WASTING OF OLD ENGLISH SPEECH AND HOW A NEW WAS GOT
- ENGLISH REMADE
- c.1330
- THE LATIN PSALTER OR PSALMS OF DAVID
- c.1360
- THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING: a treatise containing many high points of Divine Contemplation, in which a Soul is Oned with God
- c.1360
- THE VOYAGES OF SIR JOHN MANDEVILLE
- c.1370
- MAWNDEVILE'S VOIAGES
- MAWNDEVILE'S VOIAGES
- c.1375
- SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT
- SIR GAWAYN AND THE GRENE KNIGHT
- c.1375
- THE BRUCE
- THE BRUIS
- c.1377
- THE VISION OF PETER PLOUGHMAN
- THE VISION OF PIERS PLOWMAN
- c.1385
- THE CANTERBURY TALES
- c. 1385
- THE CAUNTERBURY TALES
- c.1390
- TRACTATUS DE CONCLUSIONIBUS ASTROLABII
- c.1395
- THE LOLLARD BIBLE: Chapter 15 of the Prologue
- THE LOLLARD BIBLE:
- THE GOSPEL OF JON
- HOW CLASS WAR DULLED ENGLISH LITERATURE (BUT NOT EVERYWHERE)
- A SCOTS FLOWERING BETWEEN TWO BIBLES
- c.1435
- THE KINGIS QUAIR
- 1436
- THE BOOK OF MARGERY KEMPE
- c.1450
- THE SHEARMEN AND TAILORS' PAGEANT
- THE CRUCIFIXION
- c.1477
- WALLACE
- 1484
- THE CANTERBURY TALES
- 1484
- LE MORTE D'ARTHUR
- 1490
- THE BOKE OF ENEYDOS
- c.1495
- THE TRETIS OF THE TUA MARIIT WEMEN AND THE WEDO
- c.1495
- THE TESTAMENT OF CRESSEID
- c.1513
- ENEADOS
- c.1515
- EVERYMAN
- c.1516
- MAGNYFYCENCE
- A NEW WORLD: WHY ERASMUS WANTED YOUTH AGAIN
- ENGLISH REFORMS
- 1526
- THE GOSPELL OF S. JHON
- 1529
- DIALOGUE CONCERNING HERESIES
- 1530
- THE PENTATEUCH
- 1531
- BOECE'S CHRONICLES OF SCOTLAND
- 1534
- THE NEW TESTAMENT
- 1535
- THE BIBLE IN ENGLISH
- 1540
- THE THRIE ESTAITIS OF SCOTLAND
- 1540
- THE GREAT BIBLE
- 1546
- THE LABORIOUSE JOURNEY AND SERCHE FOR ENGLANDES ANTIQUITEES
- 1549
- The BOOKE of COMMON PRAYER, Sacramentes & other Rites & Ceremonies of the Churche of England
- 1557
- SONGES & SONETTES by the Right Honourable
- 1560
- CONFESSION OF FAITH AND DOCTRINE
- Belevit and professit be the Protestantis of Scotland
- 1563
- ACTES AND MONUMENTES OF CHRISTIAN MARTYRS
- 1565
- Ovidius Nasos METAMORPHOSIS The Fyrst 4 Bookes
- 1570
- THE SCHOLEMASTER
- 1579
- PLUTARKE'S LIVES OF THE NOBLE GRECIANS AND ROMANES
- 1587
- THE HISTORIE OF ENGLAND
- 1588
- THE NEW FOUND LAND OF VIRGINIA
- THE ARMADA INTERLUDE: PEACE PROCLAIMS OLIVES OF ENDLESS AGE
- A GREAT FLOWERING
- 1589
- THE PRINCIPALL NAVIGATIONS, VOIAGES and DISCOVERIES of the ENGLISH NATION
- c.1590
- THE JEW OF MALTA: A TRAGEDY
- c.1590
- TWO TRAGICALL DISCOURSES OF MIGHTY TAMBURLAINE, THE SCYTHIAN SHEPHERD
- c.1590
- THE TRAGICALL HISTORY OF THE LIFE AND DEATH OF DOCTOR FAUSTUS
- 1590
- THE FAERIE QUEENE
- 1592
- GREENES GROATS-WORTH OF WITTE, Bought with a Million of Repentance.
- 1593
- OF THE LAWES OF ECCLESIASTICALL POLITIE
- 1596
- The MOST EXCELLENT and LAMENTABLE TRAGEDIE of ROMEO and JULIET
- 1598
- The SECOND PART of HENRY the FOURTH
- c.1599
- THE LIFE OF HENRY THE FIFT
- 1601
- THE PROGRESSE OF THE SOULE
- 1602
- POETASTER, OR HIS ARRAIGNEMENT
- 1603
- ESSAYES of MICHAEL, LORD of MONTAIGNE
- 1605
- First Booke of THE PROFISCIENCE & ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING, Divine & Humane
- 1611
- THE ILIADS OF HOMER, PRINCE OF POETS
- 1611
- THE HOLY BIBLE
- 1613
- THE KNIGHT OF THE BURNING PESTLE
- 1614
- THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD
- 1621
- THE ANATOMY OF MELANCHOLY
- THE AUTHOR'S ABSTRACT OF MELANCHOLY
- 1629
- The INSTITUTES of THE LAWS of ENGLAND or, a Commentary upon LITTLETON
- PRELUDE TO REVOLUTION: 3 NATIONAL BODIES REJECT THEIR HEAD
- BETWEEN TWO REVOLUTIONS
- 1643
- RELIGIO MEDICI
- 1646
- POEMS
- 1648
- HESPERIDES, or The Works both Humane and Divine of
- 1651
- THE RULE AND EXERCISES OF HOLY DYING
- 1651
- THE LAW OF FREEDOM ON A PLATFORM
- Or, True Magistracy Restored.
- 1651
- LEVIATHAN, or the Matter, Forms and Power of a Commonwealth, Ecclesiasticall and Civil
- 1653
- THE COMPLEAT ANGLER or the Contemplative Man's Recreation
- 1653
- GARGANTUA AND PANTAGRUEL BY DOCTOR FRANCIS RABELAIS
- 1660
- DIARY
- 1663
- HUDIBRAS
- 1667
- THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, for the Improving of Natural Knowledge
- 1668
- PARADISE LOST
- 1670
- POEMS OF FELICITY
- 1675
- THE COUNTRY-WIFE, A COMEDY
- 1678
- THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS from this world to that which is to come delivered under the similitude of a dream
- 1681
- THE ROVER: PART TWO
- 1688
- OROONOKO: The History of The Royal Slave
- 1681
- THE INSTITUTIONS OF THE LAW OF SCOTLAND
- 1687
- THE HIND AND THE PANTHER
- ALTERATIONS: A BODY TAMES ITS HEAD
- THE ESTABLISHMENT
- 1690
- DON SEBASTIAN, KING OF PORTUGAL
- 1697
- THE WORKS OF VIRGIL IN ENGLISH: THE AENEIS
- 1690
- AN ESSAY CONCERNING HUMANE UNDERSTANDING
- 1704
- A TALE OF A TUB WRITTEN FOR THE UNIVERSAL IMPROVEMENT OF MANKIND
- 1704
- OPTICKS or, A Treatise of the Reflections, Refractions, Inflections and Colours of Light
- 1709
- HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS
- 1710
- THE WAY OF THE WORLD
- 1710
- A TREATISE CONCERNING THE PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE
- 1711
- THE TATLER, VOLUME 4
- 1711
- THE SPECTATOR, FIRST NUMBER
- 1714
- THE FABLE OF THE BEES or PRIVATE VICES, PUBLICK BENEFITS
- 1715
- THE ILIAD OF HOMER
- 1722
- THE FORTUNES AND MISFORTUNES OF THE FAMOUS MOLL FLANDERS, &c.
- 1724
- THE EVER GREEN
- 1728
- THE BEGGAR'S OPERA
- 1729
- THE DUNCIAD, VARIORUM
- 1734
- AN ESSAY ON MAN
- 1739
- A TREATISE OF HUMAN NATURE an Attempt to Introduce the Experimental Method of Reasoning Into Moral Subjects
- 1742
- The History of the Adventures of JOSEPH ANDREWS, and of His Friend Mr. Abraham Adams.
- 1747
- CLARISSA
- 1755
- A DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
- 1760
- FRAGMENTS of ANCIENT POETRY collected in the Scotish Highlands & translated from the Galic or Erse by
- 1760
- THE LIFE AND OPINIONS OF TRISTRAM SHANDY, GENTLEMAN.
- 1765
- COMMENTARIES ON THE LAWS OF ENGLAND
- 1768
- ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA
- 1771
- THE EXPEDITION OF HUMPHRY CLINKER
- 1771
- AUTOBIOGRAPHY
- 1776
- A FRAGMENT ON GOVERNMENT
- or, a Comment on the Commentaries
- 1776
- THE HISTORY OF THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
- 1776
- AN INQUIRY INTO THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF THE WEALTH OF NATIONS
- 1776
- THE AMERICAN DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
- 1777
- A VOYAGE TOWARDS THE SOUTH POLE, AND ROUND THE WORLD
- 1787
- POEMS: CHIEFLY IN THE SCOTTISH DIALECT
- FRANCE REMADE: AN INTERLUDE
- THE DISTURBED ESTABLISHMENT
- 1790
- REFLECTIONS ON THE REVOLUTION IN FRANCE
- 1791
- RIGHTS OF MAN, Being an answer to Mr. Burke's attack on the French Revolution
- 1791
- THE MARRIAGE OF HEAVEN AND HELL
- 1792
- VINDICATION OF THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN: with strictures on political and moral subjects
- 1798
- LYRICAL BALLADS, with a few other poems
- 1799
- POEM, LATER CALLED THE PRELUDE, ADDRESSED BY WORDSWORTH TO S. T. COLERIDGE
- 1798
- ESSAY ON THE PRINCIPLE OF POPULATION
- 1800
- CASTLE RACKRENT, An Hibernian tale from the manners of the Irish squires, before 1782
- 1802
- NATURAL THEOLOGY: Evidence of Existence & Attributes of the Deity, collected from appearances of Nature
- 1804
- JERUSALEM
- 1813
- A NEW VIEW OF SOCIETY, Essays on the Formation of Human Character
- 1814
- WAVERLEY
- 1816
- KUBLA KHAN, a Vision
- 1818
- NORTHANGER ABBEY
- 1818
- ENDYMION: A POETIC ROMANCE
- Dedicated to Thomas Chatterton
- 1819
- DON JUAN
- 1820
- PROMETHEUS UNBOUND
- a Lyrical Drama in Four Acts with other poems by
- 1827
- THE PARISH OR THE PROGRESS OF CANT
- 1828
- THE AMERICAN DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
- 1831
- POEMS
- 1831
- FRANKENSTEIN or The Modern Prometheus
- 1832
- THE MIDSUMMER CUSHION
- 1832
- THE MEMBER, An Autobiography
- REFORMING AN EXPANDED MIDDLE
- LIBERAL ENGLISH
- 1843
- PAST AND PRESENT
- 1847
- THE PRINCESS
- A MEDLEY
- 1848
- THE BOOK OF SNOBS By One of Themselves WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY
- 1849
- HISTORY OF ENGLAND
- 1849
- UNPUBLISHED PREFACE TO SHIRLEY
- 1850
- KARL MARX: THE COMMUNIST PARTY MANIFESTO
- 1851
- TWICE-TOLD TALES
- 1851
- MOBY-DICK, OR, THE WHALE HERMAN MELVILLE
- 1851
- LONDON LABOUR AND THE LONDON POOR HENRY MAYHEW
- 1852
- UNCLE TOM's CABIN
- or Life Among the Lowly
- 1854
- BLEAK HOUSE
- 1855
- LEAVES OF GRASS
- 1855
- THE SONG OF HIAWATHA
- 1859
- THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES
- 1862
- UNTO THIS LAST
- 1866
- FELIX HOLT, THE RADICAL
- 1869
- THE SUBJECTION OF WOMEN
- 1871
- MIDDLEMARCH
- 1872
- THE MARTYRDOM OF MAN
- 1874
- THE CITY OF DREADFUL NIGHT
- 1876
- THE HUNTING OF THE SNARK
- 1876
- THE WRECK OF THE DEUTSCHLAND
- 1879
- MIXED ESSAYS
- 1884
- THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN MARK TWAIN
- 1884
- FERISHTAH'S FANCIES
- 1889
- THE MASTER OF BALLANTRAE
- 1891
- THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY
- 1892
- BARRACK-ROOM BALLADS
- 1896
- JUDE THE OBSCURE
- 1897
- THE NIGGER OF THE "NARCISSUS"
- 1898
- PREFACE TO AN UNWRITTEN BOOK
- 1905
- THE IRRATIONAL KNOT
- 1907
- THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD
- 1920
- POEMS
- POSTSCRIPT
- INDEX OF HELPERS
- PORTRAITS OF CONTRIBUTORS
- eCopyright
