Anonymity A Secret History of English Literature

John Mullan — 2007

Many of the great books of English literature were first published without their authors' names upon them. But why did authors choose anonymity? And how did it excite the curiosity of their first readers? Ranging from the sixteenth century to the present day, Anonymity looks at the ways in which the disguises of writers such as Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë were first used to tease readers (and bamboozle critics). It is a gripping and fascinating fast-paced tour of many of the greatest works in English, and will enrich and reward all who love to read.

Reviews

Sarah Sammis@pussreboots

Apr 4, 2024

I spotted Anonymity: A Secret History of English Literature by John Mullan at the library right after I had been part of a couple interesting discussions on male vs. female authorship. What had come up in all the discussions was that it's not always easy to guess the sex of an author especially if the author is writing either anonymously or under a pen name. So in light of those online discussions, I checked out Mullan's book. Each chapter covers a different reason for writing anonymously. The chapters include examples of authors who fall into the category being illustrated. There are lengthy notes and citations to back up the examples. In fact I have to admit to being surprised by the scholarly nature of the book. The cover's light-hearted illustrations of all sorts of authors and the blurb in the dust-jacket set up an expectation of an informative but quick read. The book ended up requiring more time than I had budgeted. Sometime when I have more time and I'm in the right mood to really think about the nature of authorship, pen names and anonymity, I would like to revisit the book.