Sir Andrew Wylie of That Ilk - (The Edinburgh Edition of the Works of John Galt) by John Galt (Hardcover)

About the Book

An eccentric young Scot moves south and re-vitalizes the English familial, judicial, and political systems

Book Synopsis

This witty novel can be seen as a reworking of Tobias Smollett's Roderick Random, albeit one in which the Scottish protagonist is able to navigate England with greater skill and adaptability. Galt offers a robust vision of Scottish masculinity, implying that it is the solution for a multitude of English problems, ranging from the familial to the judicial and the political. As a three-volume novel, Sir Andrew Wylie provides an example of how Galt was able to bridge the difference between the earlier, shorter 'theoretical histories' he crafted and the form of literature that was most popular at the time.
As the first scholarly edition of this work, the introduction places the novel within its historical context and maps out its significance as well as providing a textual background and a discussion of the contemporary reception of the novel. The edition includes ample editorial notes and a glossary.

Review Quotes

Sharon Alker's excellent new edition of Sir Andew Wylie provides readers with everything they need to enjoy this optimistic tale of a Scottish orphan who achieves celebrity status in the legal profession but who never forgets the values learned in childhood. The detailed introduction covering the composition process, the historical contexts, and reception, complemented by ample notes and a helpful glossary, should win new appreciation for a book that marks an important step in Galt's writing career.--Clare A. Simmons, The Ohio State University

About the Author

John Galt was a Scottish novelist, entrepreneur, and political and social commentator.

Sharon Alker is the Mary A. Denny Professor of English at Whitman College, USA. Most recently she has cowritten, with Holly Faith Nelson, an article on "Defoe and War" for the Oxford Handbook of Daniel Defoe and co-published a monograph, Besieged: Early Modern British Siege Literature, 1642-1722 (McGill-Queens University Press, 2021). She is also widely published in the field of Scottish literature, including articles and book chapters on Mary Brunton, John Galt, James Hogg, and Tobias Smollett. She co-edited several books, including James Hogg and the Literary Marketplace (Ashgate, 2009) with Holly Faith Nelson and Robert Burns and Transatlantic Culture (Ashgate 2012) with Leith Davis and Holly Faith Nelson.