Memoirs of a Foxhunting Man · Chapter
Prefatory Note explained
The author provides a brief explanatory preface for the first single-volume edition of the Memoirs, noting the composition dates of each volume and stating that the work is intended to be self-explanatory.
What happens
The author provides a brief explanatory preface for the first single-volume edition of the Memoirs, noting the composition dates of each volume and stating that the work is intended to be self-explanatory.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the psychological peak where the narrator’s personal vend…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingKey passages
“I have been asked to write an explanatory preface to these Memoirs, on the occasion of their first appearance in a single volume.”
The author was requested to provide a preface for the first combined edition of the memoirs.
Sets the context for the prefatory note as a response to a request for explanation.
“From the first word to the last I have tried to make these Memoirs explain themselves as they go along. No further explanations are possible, or, in my opinion, necessary.”
The author intended the memoirs to be self-explanatory and believes no additional commentary is needed.
Expresses the author's philosophy that the narrative should stand on its own.