because of any particular character link: annotated manuscripts dating back to the birth of the printed word, including poetical works by Donne, Marvell, and Spenser; not one but two copies of the First Folio of Shakespeareâs works, one of them belonging to Edward Knight himself, the book-holder of the Kingâs Men and the presumed proofreader of the manuscript sources for the Folio, and containing his handwritten corrections to the errors that had crept into his particular edition, for the Folio was still being proofread during the printing of the book, and there were variances between individual copies; and what Mr. Berger suspected might well be notes, in Dickensâs own hand, for the later, uncompleted chapters of The Mystery of Edwin Drood .
This latter artifact was discovered by Mr. Berger in an uncatalogued file that also contained an abandoned version of the final chapters of F. Scott Fitzgeraldâs The Great Gatsby , in which Gatsby, not Daisy, is behind the wheel when Myrtle is killed. Mr. Berger had glimpsed Gatsby briefly on his way to visit Anna Karenina. By one of the miracles of the library, Gatsbyâs quarters appeared to consist of a pool house and a swimming pool, although the pool was made marginally less welcoming by the presence in it of a deflated, bloodstained mattress.
The sight of Gatsby, who was pleasant but haunted, and the discovery of an alternate ending to the book to which Gatsby, like Anna, had lent his name, caused Mr. Berger to wonder what might have happened had Fitzgerald published the version held by the Caxton instead of the book that eventually appeared, in which Daisy is driving the car on that fateful night. Would it have altered Gatsbyâs eventual fate? Probably not, he decided: there would still have been a bloodstained mattress in the swimming pool, but Gatsbyâs end would have been rendered less tragic, and less noble.
But the fact that he could even think in this way about endings that might have been confirmed in him the belief that Annaâs fate might be recast, and so it was that he began to spend more and more time in the section devoted to Tolstoyâs works, familiarizing himself with the history of Anna Karenina . His researches revealed that even this novel, described as âflawlessâ by both Dostoevsky and Nabokov, presented problems when it came to its earliest appearance. While it was originally published in installments in the Russian Messenger periodical from 1873 onward, an editorial dispute over the final part of the story meant that it did not appear in its complete form until the first publication of the work as a book in 1878. The library held both the periodical version and the Russian first edition, but Mr. Bergerâs knowledge of Russian was limited, to put it mildly, and he didnât think that it would be a good idea to go messing around with the book in its original language. He decided that the libraryâs first English-language edition, published by Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. of New York in 1886, would probably be sufficient for his needs.
The weeks and months went by, but still he did not act. Not only was he afraid to put in place a plan that involved tinkering with one of the greatest works of literature in any language, but Mr. Gedeon was a perpetual presence in the library. He had not yet entrusted Mr. Berger with his own key, and still kept a careful eye on his visitor. Meanwhile, Mr. Berger noticed that Anna was becoming increasingly agitated, and in the middle of their discussions of books and music, or their occasional games of whist or poker, she would grow suddenly distant and whisper the names of her children or her lover. She was also, he thought, taking an unhealthy interest in certain railway timetables.
Finally, fate presented him with the opportunity he had been seeking. Mr. Gedeonâs brother in Bootle was taken seriously ill, and his departure from this earth was said to be imminent. Mr.
This latter artifact was discovered by Mr. Berger in an uncatalogued file that also contained an abandoned version of the final chapters of F. Scott Fitzgeraldâs The Great Gatsby , in which Gatsby, not Daisy, is behind the wheel when Myrtle is killed. Mr. Berger had glimpsed Gatsby briefly on his way to visit Anna Karenina. By one of the miracles of the library, Gatsbyâs quarters appeared to consist of a pool house and a swimming pool, although the pool was made marginally less welcoming by the presence in it of a deflated, bloodstained mattress.
The sight of Gatsby, who was pleasant but haunted, and the discovery of an alternate ending to the book to which Gatsby, like Anna, had lent his name, caused Mr. Berger to wonder what might have happened had Fitzgerald published the version held by the Caxton instead of the book that eventually appeared, in which Daisy is driving the car on that fateful night. Would it have altered Gatsbyâs eventual fate? Probably not, he decided: there would still have been a bloodstained mattress in the swimming pool, but Gatsbyâs end would have been rendered less tragic, and less noble.
But the fact that he could even think in this way about endings that might have been confirmed in him the belief that Annaâs fate might be recast, and so it was that he began to spend more and more time in the section devoted to Tolstoyâs works, familiarizing himself with the history of Anna Karenina . His researches revealed that even this novel, described as âflawlessâ by both Dostoevsky and Nabokov, presented problems when it came to its earliest appearance. While it was originally published in installments in the Russian Messenger periodical from 1873 onward, an editorial dispute over the final part of the story meant that it did not appear in its complete form until the first publication of the work as a book in 1878. The library held both the periodical version and the Russian first edition, but Mr. Bergerâs knowledge of Russian was limited, to put it mildly, and he didnât think that it would be a good idea to go messing around with the book in its original language. He decided that the libraryâs first English-language edition, published by Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. of New York in 1886, would probably be sufficient for his needs.
The weeks and months went by, but still he did not act. Not only was he afraid to put in place a plan that involved tinkering with one of the greatest works of literature in any language, but Mr. Gedeon was a perpetual presence in the library. He had not yet entrusted Mr. Berger with his own key, and still kept a careful eye on his visitor. Meanwhile, Mr. Berger noticed that Anna was becoming increasingly agitated, and in the middle of their discussions of books and music, or their occasional games of whist or poker, she would grow suddenly distant and whisper the names of her children or her lover. She was also, he thought, taking an unhealthy interest in certain railway timetables.
Finally, fate presented him with the opportunity he had been seeking. Mr. Gedeonâs brother in Bootle was taken seriously ill, and his departure from this earth was said to be imminent. Mr.
Similar Books
