Skip to Main Content

Edmund Curll, Bookseller

Online ISBN:
9780191700002
Print ISBN:
9780199278985
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
Book

Edmund Curll, Bookseller

Paul Baines,
Paul Baines
Professor of English, University of Liverpool
Find on
Pat Rogers
Pat Rogers
DeBartolo Professor in the Liberal Arts, University of South Florida
Find on
Published online:
3 October 2011
Published in print:
25 January 2007
Online ISBN:
9780191700002
Print ISBN:
9780199278985
Publisher:
Oxford University Press

Abstract

Edmund Curll was a notorious figure among the publishers of the early eighteenth century: for his boldness, his lack of scruple, his publication of work without authors' consent, and his taste for erotic and scandalous publications. He was in legal trouble on several occasions for piracy and copyright infringement, unauthorised publication of the works of peers, and for seditious, blasphemous, and obscene publications. He stood in the pillory in 1728 for seditious libel. Above all, he was the constant target of the greatest poet and satirist of his age, Alexander Pope, whose work he pirated whenever he could and who responded with direct physical revenge (an emetic slipped into a drink) and persistent malign caricature. The war between Pope and Curll typifies some of the main cultural battles being waged between creativity and business. The story has normally been told from the poet's point of view, though more recently Curll has been celebrated as a kind of literary freedom-fighter. This book seeks to give a balanced and thoroughly-researched account of Curll's career in publishing between 1706 and 1747, untangling the mistakes and misrepresentations that have accrued over the years and restoring a clear sense of perspective to Curll's dealings in the literary marketplace. It examines the full range of Curll's output, including his notable antiquarian series, and uses extensive archive material to detail Curll's legal and other troubles, telling what is known about this strange and awkward figure.

Contents
Close
This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

Close

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

View Article Abstract & Purchase Options

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

Close