The present volume of the Edinburgh Edition of the Works of John Galt brings together three short novels that display different facets of Galt's creative abilities. Glenfell is his first publication in the style of Scottish fiction for which he would become best known; Andrew of Padua, the Improvisatore is a unique synthesis of his experiences with theatre, educational writing, and travel in the Mediterranean; and The Omen is a haunting gothic tale. Each story was originally published in one short volume – a form that Galt preferred, but one that found little favour with publishers, circulating libraries, and readers in an age dominated by triple-decker novels. Thus, the history of how these tales came to be written and published demonstrates Galt's entrepreneurial efforts to bring shorter fiction onto the literary market. With their easily readable scope and their vivid themes, each of the three stories has a distinct charm. At the same time, they cast light on significant phases in Galt's career as a writer and on his versatility in experimenting with new themes and styles.

The Periodical Novelist, or The Circulating Library

Glenfell and Andrew of Padua were part of the same publishing venture: a series of short novels for which Galt, albeit anonymously, seems to have been a prime mover.