“A Labor of Death and a Labor against Death”: Scott’s Cenotaphic Paratexts

摘要

Shortly before his death, Walter Scott began work on a new edition of his collected works that came to be known as the Magnum Opus edition (1830). For this edition, Scott added paratexts in the form of notes, new introductions, a new general preface and so on. The Magnum Opus apparatus thus adds yet another layer to the already ornate framing apparatus and paratextual glosses Scott had included with the original publication of the Waverley Novels. This essay argues that these paratexts must be seen as essential components of his historiography. Through the paratexts, Scott offers a complex reading of his own historiographic work, one that denies any simple claims to recapturing or revivifying the past in favor of an honest reckoning with the way in which all historical projects become cenotaphic replacements for that which they seek to memorialize.View full textDownload full textRelated var addthis_config = { ui_cobrand: "Taylor & Francis Online", services_compact: "citeulike,netvibes,twitter,technorati,delicious,linkedin,facebook,stumbleupon,digg,google,more", pubid: "ra-4dff56cd6bb1830b" }; Add to shortlist Link Permalink http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10509580903556997