"Had I but known" is a form of prolepsis or

foreshadowing Foreshadowing is a narrative device in which a storyteller gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story. Foreshadowing often appears at the beginning of a story, and it helps develop or subvert the audience's expectations about upco ...

that hints at some looming disaster in which the

first-person narrator A first-person narrative is a mode of storytelling in which a storyteller recounts events from their own point of view using the first person It may be narrated by a first-person protagonist (or other focal character), first-person re-teller ...

laments their course of action which precipitates some or other unfortunate series of actions. Classically, the narrator never makes explicit the nature of the mistake until both the narrator and the reader have realized the consequence of the error. If done well, this

literary device A narrative technique (known for literary fictional narratives as a literary technique, literary device, or fictional device) is any of several specific methods the creator of a narrative uses to convey what they want —in other words, a stra ...

can add suspense or

dramatic irony Irony (), in its broadest sense, is the juxtaposition of what on the surface appears to be the case and what is actually the case or to be expected; it is an important rhetorical device and literary technique. Irony can be categorized into ...

; if overdone, it invites comparison of the story to Victorian melodrama and sub-standard

popular fiction Genre fiction, also known as popular fiction, is a term used in the book-trade for fictional works written with the intent of fitting into a specific literary genre, in order to appeal to readers and fans already familiar with that genre. A num ...

. The foreshadowing may be distinguished between "advance notice": Genette, Gérard (1980). ''Narrative Discourse'', p.77 and 75. cited in Rzepka (2005), p.20. for example, "Had I but known then what I know now, I would never have set foot on Baron von Rotschnitzel's private yacht", or the more subtle "advance mention": "a 'simple marker without anticipation' intended to acquire significance later in the narrative, through

analeptic An analeptic, in medicine, is a central nervous system stimulant. The term "analeptic" typically refers to respiratory analeptics (for example, doxapram). Analeptics are central nervous system (CNS) stimulants that include a wide variety of medica ...

recovery (75).' n other words:..clues" The phrase is used to refer to a group of Golden Age

mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' Films * ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film * ''Mystery'' ( ...

writers, mostly female, who wrote novels characterized by the use of the "had I but known" plot in which the narrator keeps key pieces of evidence from the police, apparently for the sole purpose of prolonging their work. The HIBK school is associated with the works of

Mary Roberts Rinehart Mary Roberts Rinehart (August 12, 1876September 22, 1958) was an American writer, often called the American Agatha Christie.Keating, H.R.F., ''The Bedside Companion to Crime''. New York: Mysterious Press, 1989, p. 170. Rinehart published her fir ...

,Rzepka, Charles J. (2005). ''Detective fiction'', p.20. . specifically '' The Circular Staircase'' (1908), in which "a middle-aged spinster is persuaded by her niece and nephew to rent a country house for the summer. The house they choose belonged to a bank defaulter who had hidden stolen securities in the walls. The gentle, peace-loving trio is plunged into a series of crimes solved with the help of the aunt. This novel is credited with being the first in the "Had-I-But-Known" school."Roseman, Mill ''et al.'' ''Detectionary''. New York: Overlook Press, 1971. Other members of the HIBK school include

Ethel Lina White Ethel Lina White (2 April 1876 – 13 August 1944) was a British crime writer from Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales. She was best known for her novel '' The Wheel Spins'' (1936), on which the Alfred Hitchcock 1938 film '' The Lady Vanishes' ...

and Lenore Glen Offord. The HIBK school was parodied by

Ogden Nash Frederic Ogden Nash (August 19, 1902 – May 19, 1971) was an American poet well known for his light verse, of which he wrote over 500 pieces. With his unconventional rhyming schemes, he was declared by ''The New York Times'' the country's bes ...

in his poem "Don't Guess, Let Me Tell You":

References

{{Mary Roberts Rinehart, state=collapsed Narratology

See also

References