Posing as editor of this work, Richard Pennington has been credited with producing a literary hoax in the form of a biographical memoir. The book contains an editorial 'Foreword' that commences with an expeditionary statement suggesting a clear provenance for the volume's contents i.e. the 'Journal of David Peterley' which is held with the Peterley family papers at the McGill University in Montreal. While it has been generally regarded as a work of fiction, it is also equally suggested that Pennington's creation is semi-autobiographical. In a sense, it appears that the book is neither a 'memoir or fiction' but rather 'an ingenious amalgam of the two'. (Source: Holroyd, 'Preface', 1985 edition)