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Continued Continuations of Complete Histories: Tobias Smollett and the Work of History
Author(s) -
Jones Richard J.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal for eighteenth‐century studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.129
H-Index - 11
eISSN - 1754-0208
pISSN - 1754-0194
DOI - 10.1111/1754-0208.12525
Subject(s) - continuation , narrative , work (physics) , event (particle physics) , history of england , history , literature , art , computer science , engineering , ancient history , programming language , mechanical engineering , physics , quantum mechanics
Tobias Smollett wrote one of the best‐selling historical works of the eighteenth century: the Complete History of England and Continuation . By exploring the idea of ‘continuation’ – both as a form of publication and as a narrative technique – this article seeks to recover the work in which Smollett was engaged. To do so, it considers connections with David Hume's History of England . It suggests that, unlike Hume, Smollett attempted to sustain a media event – one that was supported by his work as both critic and translator. It is this that should be understood as Smollett's work of history.