A forgotten masterpiece, William Makepeace Thackeray’s first novel, Catherine, has languished in obscurity, in part due to its author’s own unhappiness with it. He had set out to write a satire of the Newgate novels of the 1830’s with their glorification of criminals, but instead turned out a tale of a roguish heroine much in the mould of the equally roguish heroine of Vanity Fair: Becky Sharp. Also like Vanity Fair, this novel provides some wry social commentary through the mouth of its cynical narrator.

This COVE edition of Michael Field’s Whym Chow: Flame of Love will make accessible the privately printed collection of poems, and situate the volume within a larger Victorian fascination with animals and animal culture. In addition to scholarly discussions of aestheticism, late nineteenth century publishing, and implications of imperialism, this edition focuses on Michael Field’s engagement animal treatment in the 19^th century and the centrality of animals in Victorian literature and culture.