Literary Blunders: A Chapter in the "History of Human Error"

audiobook

Literary Blunders: A Chapter in the "History of Human Error"

by Henry B. (Henry Benjamin) Wheatley

EN·~3 hours·20 chapters

Chapters

20 total

Produced by Charles Keller

12:37

LITERARY BLUNDERS - A CHAPTER IN THE - ``HISTORY OF HUMAN ERROR'' - BY HENRY B. WHEATLEY, F.S.A.

2:05

BLUNDERS IN GENERAL. - PAGE

0:21

CHAPTER II. - BLUNDERS OF AUTHORS.

0:13

BLUNDERS OF TRANSLATORS. PAGE

0:15

CHAPTER IV. - BIBLIOGRAPHICAL BLUNDERS.

0:09

CHAPTER V. - LISTS OF ERRATA.

0:13

CHAPTER VI. - MISPRINTS.

0:20

SCHOOLBOYS' BLUNDERS.

0:18

CHAPTER VIII. - FOREIGNERS ENGLISH.

0:20

Description

This witty compendium turns the often‑overlooked world of typographical slip‑ups, mistranslations and scholarly missteps into a lively tour through the history of human error. Drawing on the work of early literary scholars, the author catalogues everything from phantom words that haunt dictionaries to amusing misquotations that have shaped popular understanding. The tone is gently satirical, inviting listeners to smile at the absurdities while still appreciating the depth of research behind each anecdote. Readers will discover how even the most respected authors and translators have left behind a trail of charming blunders.

The book is organized into sections—general blunders, author‑specific mishaps, translation goofs, bibliographic confusions and school‑boy errors—each illustrated with examples and brief commentary from noted experts. It shows how misprints have survived the ages, why some mistakes were left uncorrected, and what they reveal about publishing. With a blend of humor and scholarly insight, the work serves as both an entertaining listen and a useful reference for anyone fascinated by language quirks. It promises a delightful exploration of the accidental art beneath the pages of our literary heritage.

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Details

Language

en

Duration

~3 hours (228K characters)

Publisher of text edition

Project Gutenberg

Release date

1995-12-01

Rights

Public domain in the USA.

About the author

HB

Henry B. (Henry Benjamin) Wheatley

1838–1917

A Victorian man of letters with a talent for making books more usable and the past more vivid, this British author wrote on London, Samuel Pepys, and the craft of indexing. His work helped shape how readers, scholars, and librarians navigate historical texts.

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