"For the inconsistencies in the book, and I am aware that there are not a few, I must ask the indulgence of the reader. The blame, however, lies chiefly with the Erewhonians themselves, for they were really a very difficult people to understand." (Preface) Erewhon: or, Over the Range is a novel by Samuel Butler, published in 1872. The title is also the name of a country, supposedly discovered by the protagonist. It is not revealed where Erewhon is, but it is clear that it is a fictional country. Butler meant the title to be read as the word Nowhere backwards, even though the letters "h" and "w" are transposed, therefore Erewhon is an anagram of nowhere. The book is a satire on Victorian society. In the sequel, Erewhon Revisited Twenty Years Later, the Original Discoverer of the Country and His Son returns.