

                                 Samuel Butler

                           Erewhon, or Over the Range

                            Preface to First Edition

The Author wishes it to be understood that Erewhon is pronounced as a word of
three syllables, all short - thus, E-re-whon.
 

                           Preface to Second Edition

Having been enabled by the kindness of the public to get through an unusually
large edition of »Erewhon« in a very short time, I have taken the opportunity of
a second edition to make some necessary corrections, and to add a few passages
where it struck me that they would be appropriately introduced; the passages are
few, and it is my fixed intention never to touch the work again.
    I may perhaps be allowed to say a word or two here in reference to »The
Coming Race,« to the success of which book »Erewhon« has been very generally set
down as due. This is a mistake, though a perfectly natural one. The fact is that
»Erewhon« was finished, with the exception of the last twenty pages and a
sentence or two inserted from time to time here and there throughout the book,
before the first advertisement of »The Coming Race« appeared. A friend having
called my attention to one of the first of these advertisements, and suggesting
that it probably referred to a work of similar character to my own, I took
»Erewhon« to a well-known firm of publishers on the 1st of May 1871, and left it
in their hands for consideration. I then went abroad, and on learning that the
publishers alluded to declined the MS., I let it alone for six or seven months,
and, being in an out-of-the-way part of Italy, never saw a single review of »The
Coming Race,« nor a copy of the work. On my return, I purposely avoided looking
into it until I had sent back my last revises to the printer. Then I had much
pleasure in reading it, but was indeed surprised at the many little points of
similarity between the two books, in spite of their entire independence of one
another.
    I regret that reviewers have in some cases been inclined to treat the
chapters on Machines as an attempt to reduce Mr. Darwin's theory to an
absurdity. Nothing could be further from my intention, and few things would be
more distasteful to me than any attempt to laugh at Mr. Darwin; but I must own
that I have myself to thank for the misconception, for I felt sure that my
intention would be missed, but preferred not to weaken the chapters by
explanation, and knew very well that Mr. Darwin'
