A Queer Book

James Hogg. Edited by Peter Garside and Douglas S. Mack

Witty, humorous and comical as the title implies, the eccentric nature of many of the poems collected here nevertheless belies the often serious historical and moral issues contained within. Including many of Hogg's best-known longer pieces, this is the first edition of A Queer Book to be published since 1832 - although the similarity between the two editions ends at the poems' running order. While the text for the earlier version was substantially reworked by the publisher to smooth out Hogg's use of Scots, this volume brings together manuscripts from all over the world to provide material as near to his final copy as possible. The result is a vibrant collection including many poems which have never been studied critically before. A thorough introduction to the best of Hogg's poetry.