The Nature of a Crime · Chapter
Preface II explained
The narrator reflects on the forgotten origins of 'The Nature of a Crime,' recalling the collaborative process with his friend, the intense seriousness of their writing sessions, and the eventual decision to republish the work posthumously
What happens
The narrator reflects on the forgotten origins of 'The Nature of a Crime,' recalling the collaborative process with his friend, the intense seriousness of their writing sessions, and the eventual decision to republish the work posthumously to prevent misattribution.
Themes in this chapter
Time and Memory
The narrator's struggle to recall the details of writing contrasts with the vivid return of phrases from other works, highlighting the selective nature of memory.
Art and the Poet
The collaborative writing process is described with intense seriousness, emphasizing the craft and the oral recitation of prose.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
Reflects on the forgotten details of writing and the collaborative process.
- Edward Burden
Mentioned as the collaborator, though not by name in this preface.
Key passages
“No, I find nothing to contradict, for, the existence of this story having been recalled to my mind by a friend, the details of its birth and its attendant circumstances remain for me completely forgotten, a dark, blind-spot on the brain.”
I have no objections, but the story's origins and surrounding details are entirely lost to me, like a blind spot in my memory.
The narrator admits to a complete lack of recollection about the writing process.
“I was at once possessed by a sort of morbid craving to get the story republished in a definitive and acknowledged form.”
I suddenly felt an intense, almost unhealthy desire to see the story republished in a final, credited edition.
The narrator's anxiety about posthumous misattribution drives his need for a definitive publication.