James Hogg (1) (1770–1835)

Author of The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner

For other authors named James Hogg, see the disambiguation page.

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About the Author

Son of a Scottish shepherd and descended from minstrels, Hogg led a life that has the fictional quality Thomas Hardy was to capture later in the century in his novels of country life. After meeting Sir Walter Scott in 1802, Hogg adopted the name "Ettrick Shepherd," a pseudonym under which he show more published original lyrics and ballads. In 1814 Hogg met William Wordsworth and enjoyed literary friendships in the Lake District, although he parodied the other poets' styles and mannerisms in The Poetic Mirror (1816). He married at age 50 and fathered five children, whom he tried to support by the same kind of unproductive farming at which Robert Burns had labored a generation before. Like Burns, his convivial nature and verbal talents won him a following in fashionable society, especially after the publication of his first novel, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner (1824), when he was 53 years old. The first novel to explore psychological aberrations, it traces the collapse of a personality under the pressure of social conformity, native superstition, and religious excess. Since the introduction by Andre Gide to the 1947 Cresset edition, it has acquired an academic following and a new popularity. There is a James Hogg Society, founded in 1982, which publishes a newsletter. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Works by James Hogg

The Three Perils of Man: War, Women and Witchcraft (Canongate Classics) (1822) 61 copies

Domestic Manners and Private Life of Sir Walter Scott (1987) 26 copies

Four tales (2001) 24 copies

The Three Perils of Woman (1823) 14 copies

Winter Evening Tales (Collected Works of James Hogg) (2002) 14 copies

Tales of Love and Mystery (1985) 12 copies

The Queen's Wake: A Legendary Tale (Collected Works of James Hogg) (1813) 11 copies

The Shepherd's Calendar (1995) 11 copies

Highland Tours (1981) 9 copies

A Tour of the Highlands in 1803 (1989) 8 copies

The Tales of James Hogg : The Ettrick Shepherd Tales 7 copies

The Mountain Bard (Collected Works of James Hogg) (1807) 7 copies

Songs, by the Ettrick Shepherd : now first collected (2014) 6 copies

Tales of the Wars of Montrose (1835) 6 copies

The brownie of Bodsbeck (1976) 6 copies

Brownie of the Black Haggs (2011) 5 copies

The Devil I am Sure 5 copies

The Poems of James Hogg 5 copies

The Jacobite Relics of Scotland in Two (2) Volumes, complete (1819) 4 copies

Altrive Tales (Collected Works of James Hogg) (2003) 4 copies

A Shepherd's Delight : a James Hogg Anthology (1985) 4 copies

Sudario de Hierro y Otros Cuentos Goticos (Spanish Edition) (1999) 4 copies

Selected stories and sketches (1983) 4 copies

Scottish Supernatural Classics : The Three Perils of Man, Thrawn Janet and Other Stories, Phantastes and Lilith (2014) 3 copies

A series of lay sermons on good principles and good breeding (1834) 3 copies

Selected poems of James Hogg (1970) 3 copies

The Brownie of Bodsbeck, and Other Tales (Vol. 1 of 2) (2012) 3 copies

George Dobson's Expedition to Hell (1827) 3 copies

Highland journeys (1802) 3 copies

A Queer Book (The Collected Works of James Hogg) (2007) 3 copies

The Mountain Bard & Forest Minstrel 3 copies

The Spy (2000) 3 copies

Anecdotes of Scott (2004) 3 copies

Queen Hynde (1998) 2 copies

Scottish Fiction Classics : The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner, The Master of Ballantrae, The… (2014) 2 copies

Scottish Gothic : The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner, The City of Dreadful Night, A Beleaguered… (2014) 2 copies

Scottish Quests : The Three Perils of Man, The Raiders, The World's Desire (2014) 2 copies

The Shepherd's Calendar (Volume 1 of 2) (2011) 2 copies

Contributions to Annuals and Gift-Books (Collected Works of James Hogg) (2006) 2 copies

Mary Burnet (2019) 2 copies

The Mysterious Bride (Short Story) (2017) 2 copies

The Collected Letters of James Hogg (Collected Works of James Hogg) (2004) 2 copies

Midsummer night dreams and related poems (1815) 2 copies

The pilgrims of the sun; a poem 2 copies

Mador of the moor, a poem 2 copies

The Shepherd's Calendar (Volume 2 of 2) 1 copy

The Jacobite Relics of Scotland; being the Songs, Airs and Legends, of the adherents to the House of Stuart. Collected… (1819) 1 copy

Tales and sketches by the Ettrick Shepherd : including several pieces not before printed with memoir of the author 1 copy

The brownie of Bodsbeck and other tales (2012) 1 copy

The poetical works of James Hogg Consisting of The queen's wake, The pilgrims of the sun, Mador of the moor, &c. Includ 1 copy

The Story of Euphemia Hewit (in Classic Victorian and Edwardian Ghost Stories - COLLINGS) 1 copy

Mary Burnet et autres contes (2004) 1 copy

Selection of Poems by the Ettrick Shepherd (1985) 1 copy

Songs and Poems of the Ettrick Shepherd 1 copy

Works of James Hogg (2013) 1 copy

The Works of the Ettrick Shepherd. Centenary Edition. Revised at the Instance of the Author's Family. by the Rev.… 1 copy

The Brownie of Bodsbeck, and Other Tales, Vol. II (of 2) (2013) 1 copy

The royal jubilee; a Scottish mask 1 copy

James Hogg Poems Selected and Edited By John W. Oliver and Published for The Saltire Society (1946) 1 copy

Contributions to English, Irish and American periodicals (2020) 1 copy

Contributions to Scottish Periodicals (Stirling / South Carolina Research Edition of the Collected) (2021) 1 copy

Scottish Pastorals: Together with Other Early Poems and "Letters on Poetry" (Collected Works of James Hogg) (2022) 1 copy

Kilmeny Poem 1 copy

Tales and Sketches, by The Ettrick Shepherd; including several pieces not before printed. Volume IV 1 copy

James Hogg: Collected Novels, Scottish Mystery Tales & Fantasy Stories: Scottish Classics: The Private Memoirs and… (2017) 1 copy

The works of the Ettrick shepherd Volume 2 1 copy

Jacobite Relics: v. 1 (The Collected Works of James Hogg) (1819) 1 copy

Memoir of the author's life ; and, Familiar anecdotes of Sir Walter Scott (1972) 1 copy

Seeking the Houdy 1 copy

The Expedition To Hell 1 copy

The Hunt Of Eildon 1 copy

Hoggs Songs 1 copy

The poetical works of the Ettrick shepherd 1 copy

Contributions to Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine: Volume 2, 1829-1835 (Collected Works of James Hogg) (2012) 1 copy

The Collected Letters of James Hogg, Volume 2, 1820-1831 (Collected Works of James Hogg) (2006) 1 copy

Memorials of James Hogg, the Ettick shepherd 1 copy

A boy's song: A poem (Occasional publications) (1986) 1 copy

Scottish pastorals, poems, songs, &c., mostly written in the dialect of the South 1 copy

Otia Christiana, or Christian Recreations 1 copy

Tales and Sketches: The Brownie of Bodsbeck. the Wool-Gatherer. the Surpassing Adventures of Allan Gordon. a Tale of… (2010) 1 copy

The bush aboon Traquair ; and, The royal jubilee (1822) 1 copy

The poetic mirror, or, The living bards of Britain [by J. Hogg.] 1 copy

Tales of the Ettrick Shepherd (1900) 1 copy

The Shepherd's Guide 1 copy

The Three Perils of Man, Vol. 1 (of 3) or, War, Women, and Witchcraft (2012) 1 copy

The Three Perils of Man, Vol. 2 (of 3) or, War, Women, and Witchcraft (2012) 1 copy

The Three Perils of Man, Vol. 3 (of 3) or, War, Women, and Witchcraft (2012) 1 copy

Contributions to Musical Collections and Miscellaneous Songs (Collected Works of James Hogg) (2015) 1 copy

Work Explorer

Associated Works

Penny Dreadfuls: Sensational Tales of Terror (1818) — Contributor — 433 copies

The Vampyre and Other Tales of the Macabre (1997) — Contributor, some editions — 409 copies

Classic Victorian & Edwardian Ghost Stories (1996) 312 copies

Isaac Asimov's Magical Worlds of Fantasy, Volume 12: Faeries (1991) — Contributor — 206 copies

Poems Bewitched and Haunted (Everyman's Library Pocket Poets) (2005) — Contributor — 186 copies

The Penguin Book of Horror Stories (1984) — Contributor — 138 copies

The Standard Book of British and American Verse (1932) — Contributor — 111 copies

The Oxford Book of Scottish Short Stories (1995) — Contributor — 100 copies

Murder Most Scottish (1656) — Contributor — 90 copies

The Treasury of English Short Stories (1985) — Contributor — 81 copies

Great British Tales of Terror: Gothic Stories of Horror and Romance 1765-1840 (1972) — Contributor — 81 copies

Scottish Ghost Stories (2009) — Contributor — 76 copies

The Everyman Anthology of Poetry for Children (1994) — Contributor — 71 copies

The New Penguin Book of Scottish Short Stories (1983) — Contributor — 70 copies

Scottish Stories of Fantasy and Horror (1971) — Contributor — 43 copies

Horror Stories: Classic Tales from Hoffmann to Hodgson (2014) — Contributor — 43 copies

Weird Gathering (1979) — Contributor — 29 copies

Dark of the Moon: Poems of Fantasy and the Macabre (1947) — Contributor — 25 copies

Polar Horrors: Chilling Tales from the Ends of the Earth (2022) — Contributor — 20 copies

Scottish Tales of Terror (1972) — Contributor — 19 copies

An Anthology of Scottish Fantasy Literature (1996) — Contributor — 14 copies

Minor Classics of Nineteenth-Century Fiction [2-volume set] (1967) — Contributor — 13 copies

Lost Souls Short Stories (Gothic Fantasy) (2018) — Contributor — 13 copies

Fairy Poems (2023) — Contributor — 12 copies

La poesía inglesa románticos y victorianos — Contributor — 4 copies

A Cabinet of Gems: Short Stories from the English Annuals (1938) — Contributor — 3 copies

Shadows from a Veiled Creation: Classic Tales of Supernatural Fiction in the Christian Tradition (2006) — Contributor — 2 copies

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Common Knowledge

Other names: The Ettrick Shepherd
Birthdate: 1770
Date of death: 1835-11-21
Burial location: Ettrick kirkyard, Scotland, UK
Gender: male
Nationality: UK
Birthplace: Ettrick, Scotland, UK
Place of death: Ettrick, Scotland, UK
Places of residence: Ettrick, Scotland, UK (birth)
Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Altrive, Yarrow, Selkirkshire, Scotland, UK
Occupations: poet
novelist
shepherd
journalist
essayist
Relationships: Scott, Sir Walter (friend)
Short biography: http://www.gis.net/~shepdog/BC_Museum...

Members

Discussions

Reading Group #35 (The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner) in Gothic Literature (January 2020)

Group Read, October 2019: The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner in 1001 Books to read before you die (October 2019)

Reviews

The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified… by James Hogg

Religion is a sublime and glorious thing, the bonds of society on earth, and the connector of humanity with the Divine nature; but there is nothing so dangerous to man as the wresting of any of its principles, or forcing them beyond their due bounds: this is of all others the readiest way to destruction. Neither is there anything so easily done. There is not an error into which a man can fall which he may not press Scripture into his service as proof of the probity of

It's a good read, but the problem is that it doesn't really go further than what you'd get from the blurb. Especially once you get to the memoir itself, you've already read "the plot" so to speak and the first person perspective is just him saying "I am part of the elect, wow this is so great" and "this guy who is blatantly the devil is telling me to murder people" and although it's well written it feels predictable and somewhat padded with more events that work out the same way and doesn't really delve into anything deeper.

A strange thing is that the narrative forces you to accept the reality of the supernatural events depicted in the main. There is never any doubt that Gil-Martin *is* the Devil, and there's no doubt he appears completely real to *everyone*, including his shapeshifting abilities. This makes interesting psychological readings harder to sustain. There are several parts which are suggestive of a kind of internal battle, but strangely the fact of the material supernatural makes understanding the sections where it appears it's somehow all in his head much harder. There are a few key sections - when Robert first meets Gil-Martin, when he comes home his mother and stepfather are convinced he has become a genuinely different person. Later on when it appears Gil-Martin is stalking his brother while Robert is sick for a month, he describes feeling like he's two people and yet not actually either person - the two are Gil-Martin and his brother. Near the end he has long gaps in his memory where he apparently both seduced a lady and forged something to force her family off their land, then later murdered her and his mother.

None of these fit in obvious ways with the behaviour of Gil-Martin in the rest of the book and the meaning is lost on me. Gil-Martin in the murders of the pastor and Robert's brother is obviously ensuring that Robert takes 100% of the responsibility (although Gil-Martin also appears to have murdered a judge by himself?) Yet on the memory lapses and the murders he's strangely vague. It feels like a lot more sinning went on and yet we're not only not privy to it but even the Devil doesn't goad him about it. I feel there was stuff going on in the ending that just passed me by

"Surely you are not such a fool," said I, "as to believe that the Devil really was in the printing office?"

"Oo, Gud bless you, sir! Saw him myself, gave him a nod, and good-day. Rather a gentlemanly personage—Green Circassian hunting coat and turban—Like a foreigner—Has the power of vanishing in one moment though—Rather a suspicious circumstance that. Otherwise, his appearance not much against him."

… (more)

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tombomp | 35 other reviews | Oct 31, 2023 |

Kilmeny Poem by James Hogg

Bonnie Kilmeny, a fair maiden, travels up the glen and transports to Paradise. The poem follows her journey through a heavenly wilderness of meadows and streams and back home again. Upon her return, animals holler and bow in their thankfulness.

The infiltration of Scottish-varied vocabulary makes the poem a challenge. However, it has a light, elegant flow and imagery. I wouldn't mind reading the broader collection with this poem, A Queen's Wake.

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leah_markum | Oct 28, 2022 |

Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg

Brilliant and engaging twice told tale.

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brakketh | 35 other reviews | Aug 15, 2022 |

The private memoirs and confessions of a justified… by James Hogg

I LOVE THIS WEIRD BOOK

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J.Flux | 35 other reviews | Aug 13, 2022 |

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