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

Henry B. Wheatley’s Literary Blunders, a historical study of human error in writing, examines the kinds of mistakes that arise in literature, with particular attention to errors in writing and translation. Drawing on the idea that many blunders are fueled by mental confusion, he contrasts blunders with ordinary mistakes and presents them as both potentially humorous and sometimes consequential. The work begins with a preface that frames its purpose through a reference to Augustine Caxton’s unrealized History of Human Error, setting the tone for a wider discussion. Wheatley previews how later chapters will consider examples such as ghost words, misprints, and errata, as well as unintended shifts in language that lead to stories being wrongly attributed.