Wringhim believes himself to be one of the elect, predestined for salvation and exempt from moral law, who embarks on a career as a murderer under the influence of a mysterious double. Hogg's terrifying masterpiece is presented in a new edition with an introduction that explores his remarkable career and the novel's originality and sophistication. [The] Oxford Worlds Classics edition provides concise background information enough to allow the reader to understand the references without feeling that s/hes reading a history book and a glossary and notes which explain any unfamiliar terms or allusions. The informative introduction, by Ian Duncan, Professor of English at the University of California, Berkeley, sets the book in its historical and literary context, and provides some biographical information on the author.