A queer book

At first glance, this is a witty and comical collection of poems.

But the eccentric nature of many of the poems nevertheless belies the often serious historical and moral issues contained within.

As close to Hogg's final copy as possible, this collection includes many poems which have never been studied critically before. "The 1994 "Queer Book" is much more than a reprint of the 1832 text...

Hogg boasted to William Blackwood - 'it will be a grand book for the Englishers for they winna understand a word of it'." - "Journal of James Hogg Society". "The new collection, now carefully annotated by Peter Garside, revels in its own variety." - "The Review of English Studies".

After a hundred years of relative obscurity, James Hogg (1770-1835) now ranks alongside Scott and Stevenson as one of Scotland's leading writers.

Highly regarded in his own lifetime, Hogg's reputation suffered as a result of bowdlerised posthumous editions of his work.

Edinburgh University Press is proud to present the first modern authentic edition of Hogg's work, uncovering the full extent of his literary talents.Full introductions, explanatory notes and editorial comment accompany each text, making this collected edition the standard work on one of Scotland's leading nineteenth-century writers.