The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle
The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle
Book Brief
310
Novel • Fiction
Europe • 18th century
1751
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle follows the mischievous and morally questionable exploits of Peregrine Pickle, a young country gentleman in 18th-century Britain, as he navigates various social circles with impunity, disregards authority, and engages in pranks and cons from his uncle's estate to Oxford, London, and Europe, ultimately facing consequences and a change of heart. The book includes graphic violence and cruelty.
Humorous
Adventurous
Playful
Gritty
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Tobias Smollett's The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle offers a vivid satire of 18th-century society with rich characterizations and dark humor. Critics appreciate its incisive social commentary and energetic prose, though some find the narrative sprawling and the protagonist's antics excessive. Overall, it's a vibrant, albeit polarizing, picaresque novel.
Who Should Read The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle?
Readers who relish picaresque novels and satirical adventures, akin to Fielding’s Tom Jones or Defoe’s Moll Flanders, will enjoy Tobias Smollett’s The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle. Fans of 18th-century literature, with a taste for witty, roguish protagonists and social commentary, will find this classic particularly engaging.
The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle was first published in 1751 and is notable for its satirical take on 18th-century European society and its mores, often considered a seminal work of picaresque fiction.
Tobias Smollett was not just a novelist; he was a physician and traveled extensively, with these experiences often enriching his written work, including the vibrant and episodic narrative style seen in The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle.
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The novel includes a famous character, Commodore Trunnion, who is said to be inspired by Smollett's own grandfather, and his exaggerated characteristics bring a comic element to the narrative.
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310
Novel • Fiction
Europe • 18th century
1751
Adult
18+ years
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