Weir of Hermiston, by Robert Louis Stevenson

Book excerpt: Explores the detailed evolution of the work through its composition and on to eventual posthumous publicationStevenson's unfinished masterpiece, Weir of Hermiston, has been entirely re-edited from his final manuscript, revealing a rather different novel from the bowdlerised version produced posthumously by his friends. Stevenson revisits the conflicted Scotland of James Hogg and Sir Walter Scott as well as that of his own youth, but also responds to recently published novels. A substantial essay explores the complex early publication history of the novel on both sides of the Atlantic, and exceptionally full explanatory notes and other background information are provided.Key FeaturesComposition history drawing on draft manuscript material in various US archivesDetailed account of early publication history in UK and USADetails of early reception in UK and USAFull Explanatory Notes including citations from draft manuscript materialHistorical and Geographical Notes