From Writer to Reader: Studies in Editorial Method

by Philip Gaskell

Originally published by Oxford U. Press in 1978 (and subsequently reissued in the UK by St. Paul's Bibliographies in 1985). Gaskell (author of A New Introduction to Bibliography ) presents extracts from the early texts of 12 works of literature, chosen because of their importance as works of art and because of the quality of surviving textual evidence. He follows them through the stages from writer to reader, showing editors' work at its best. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Genres: Grad School

268 pages, Paperback

First published October 5, 1978

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first ten pages are a whirlwind intro to what he's going to be talking about in detail the rest of the book: twelve examples of how books took shape, from author's notes and manuscript through the printed copies within the authors' lives. He picks these 12 for reasons of interest, and there is a wide range of experience from 1591 through the 1970s (though all are white men). There's a balance here - some might even say a contradiction - between the seeming science, the black/white right/wrongness of sound editorial method, and the places where judgement is called for and there is no one right answer.