Chapter 3: Colofon – Summary & Analysis
!!! SPOILER NOTICE
This chapter is the book’s colophon—a page of publication metadata. It contains no story, so there is nothing to spoil. Read on for a breakdown of what the colophon tells us.
Summary
Chapter 3 of the Dutch edition of Demon Copperhead consists entirely of the colophon. It provides technical and legal information:
- ISBNs for the paperback (978-90-290-9865-6), e-book (978-94-023-2196-8), and audio (978-90-528-6703-8).
- Original title: Demon Copperhead.
- Cover design by Bloemendaal & Dekkers, with image credits.
- Translators: Monique ter Berg and Jetty Huisman, with a project subsidy from the Nederlands Letterenfonds.
- Publisher: Meulenhoff Boekerij bv, Amsterdam, 2024.
- A credit for Shakespeare’s Richard III translation used on page 210.
- Copyright notice and all-rights-reserved statement.
No characters appear, and no plot advances.
Key Events
None. This is a static copyright page.
Character Development
Not applicable.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
None evidenced.
Why This Chapter Matters
This “chapter” is a paratextual element, not part of the narrative. It confirms the translation sources and gives bibliographic reference for an embedded Shakespeare quote. For academic purposes, it documents the edition’s provenance. In a reading experience, it marks the formal boundary between front matter and the story (or, in this edition, is simply a required publishing page).
Study Questions and Answers
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What is the purpose of a colophon in a book? A colophon provides technical and legal metadata about a publication, including ISBNs, copyright, translation credits, cover design, and printer details. It serves as a record of the edition’s production.
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Why might a chapter be titled “Colofon”? In some editions, the colophon is listed in the table of contents as a chapter-like section, especially in digital formats. It formally separates the book’s apparatus from the story.
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What does the translation credit reveal about this edition of Demon Copperhead? The translators Monique ter Berg and Jetty Huisman received a grant from the Dutch Foundation for Literature, indicating that the translation was supported as a literary project. The credit also shows that Shakespeare’s Richard III was quoted from a specific existing Dutch translation (by H.J. de Roy van Zuydewijn).