1916. Butler spent a good many years writings this extraordinary book, and finished it a good many years ago, but in 1902, on his deathbed, gave for the first time permission to have it printed, characteristically reversing the conventional deathbed repentance and confession. He, who had abandoned all faith except his own infallibility, ardently believed in his posthumous fame, which has become a reality. This novel is a "life" novel, it is a biography. Three generations of the hero's family are portrayed with much detail; the plot of the story is simply chronological; the only agreeable woman in the book was a personal friend of the author.
The Way of All Flesh (Dover Thrift Editions)
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Browse the best books of summer including blockbusters, beach reads, and editors' picks in our Summer Reading Store. |
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
Review
Autobiographical novel by Samuel Butler, published posthumously in 1903 though written almost two decades earlier. Beginning with the life of John Pontifex, a carpenter, the novel traces four generations of the Pontifex family, each of which perpetuates the frustration and unhappiness of its predecessor largely as a result of parental repression. Only Ernest Pontifex, the great-grandson of John, is able to break the cycle. After being ordained a minister, serving a prison term because of a naive misunderstanding, and unwittingly entering into a bigamous marriage with the family's sluttish servant girl, Ernest providentially inherits enough money from a favorite aunt to change his life and become a writer. -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
From the Publisher
Founded in 1906 by J.M. Dent, the Everyman Library has always tried to make the best books ever written available to the greatest number of people at the lowest possible price. Unique editorial features that help Everyman Paperback Classics stand out from the crowd include: a leading scholar or literary critic's introduction to the text, a biography of the author, a chronology of her or his life and times, a historical selection of criticism, and a concise plot summary. All books published since 1993 have also been completely restyled: all type has been reset, to offer a clarity and ease of reading unique among editions of the classics; a vibrant, full-color cover design now complements these great texts with beautiful contemporary works of art. But the best feature must be Everyman's uniquely low price. Each Everyman title offers these extensive materials at a price that competes with the most inexpensive editions on the market-but Everyman Paperbacks have durable binding, quality paper, and the highest editorial and scholarly standards.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
85 of 86 people found the following review helpful
By brewster22
Format:Paperback
"The Way of All Flesh" seems to be best known as the Victorian novel that thumbed its nose at Victorian novels. For this reason, it's frequently mentioned in talks of literary history, but I don't ever hear of anyone praising Samuel Butler's novel from an artistic perspective. Actually, I find the book more interesting for its story than for its place in the development of 19th and 20th century literature.
I tried to read this novel once and only got through the first 100 pages or so. I found it remarkably dull and dry, and the tone of the first-person narrator (Mr. Overton), who stops the action every 10 pages or so to offer personal asides that reveal more about him than about the characters he's writing about, I thought to be snide and irritating.
But I hate not finishing a book, so I picked it up again, this time understanding that it would be a dry read and prepared to appreciate it for its historical context. To my surprise, I found myself caught up in the story and thought the whole thing very funny. I can't believe I missed all the humour the first time through.
I hesitate to give this novel too much credit for deflating the pompous bubble of Victorian morality, because other authors writing at the same time as Butler were doing the same thing (Dickens for one can be incredibly caustic). But there is a maturity to Butler's writing that is not present in other Victorian writers. This novel feels much more modern than anything else written pre-1900, and even feels more modern than some books written after. Unlike Dickens, whose characters are either all good or all bad and have about as much depth as the characters you'd find in a comic book (this isn't a criticism--I like Dickens), Butler's characters (at least Ernest, his protagonist) seem very much alive and flawed. Ernest is easily influenced by everyone around him and makes decisions based on how he thinks he should act rather than how he wants to act. He doesn't know what he wants out of life, he's a screw up, he's got lousy luck. All of these things make him quite endearing because they make him so human. The scathing criticism of religious hypocrisy and moral bombast exhibited by the majority of people in Ernest's life can be funny, especially if you agree with it (as I do), but the story itself is much more interesting than the social commentary.
I would definitely recommend this book. It's not necessarily a page turner, but it consistently held my interest. Just remember that it's supposed to be funny. Think of Butler as a 19th century Evelyn Waugh, and you should do just fine.
39 of 41 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The Way of All Flesh covers six generations of strife in the Pontifex family, and spans a period from 1750 to 1880. However, the bulk of the story concerns the life of Ernest Pontifex, from about age 5 up to age 28, and describes his unsatisfactory relations with his parents, his school, his church, his wife, and his friends. Sometimes we feel sorry for Ernest, because many of his problems are caused by unbelievably cruel or thoughtless people, and sometimes we're furious with him, because he himself is the author of at least half of his troubles, but either way his misfortunes make him stronger and move him steadily along the path to maturity. Throughout, the book remains an easy read, although the writing is very witty and often rewards close examination.
Even today, 100 years after the book's publication, a reader finds many things to identify with. Anyone who felt unjustly treated by his or her parents or teachers will find much to sympathize with here. Anyone who has wrestled with the conflict between Reason and Faith will find much to think about here. Given how much change the last century has seen, it's surprising how many of the issues still seem fresh and relevant, and the book definitely makes you think about them. It is easy to see how many people have described reading The Way of All Flesh as a turning point in their lives.
A point worth keeping in mind: the characters are all described from Ernest's point of view. Several clues tell us that Ernest exaggerates the cruelty of various characters - some of whom seem evil beyond belief, and I think it's quite clear that, at these points, we're supposed to smile at Ernest - not shake our heads at the author. This is most obvious with Ernest's schoolmaster, Dr. Skinner, whom Ernest consistently sees as a pompous fool, but who we also know is very popular with the best students, and who shows other signs of being a much better man than Ernest believes him to be.
The footnotes in my edition (Penguin Classics 1986) are very skimpy, focusing on comparing elements from Ernest's fictional life to Samuel Butler's real one. The failure of the notes to translate passages in French or Latin, or to explain very contemporary references, is inexcusable. (E.g. but for the recent controversy over his Beatification, we'd have no clue that "Pio Nono" was Pope Pius IX.) Hoggart's introduction (1966) is decent but a bit dated, not having weathered as well as the book itself!
32 of 34 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I read this book after reading all the reviews on Amazon not knowing what to expect: Incredibly boring or amazing insightful? I have read many books written in that same time period. I believe this to be the most mature work to come out of England in the late 19th Century(although it was published later). I enjoy Dickens, Hardy, and Eliot very much, but Butler makes their works look like grocery store fiction. I can see how many people might be bored if they were expecting a great story. While the story is excellent, it is more a book about ideas. Butler uses his hero to voice his commentary on Victorian ideals. Most of it is still very relevant today, though. I think it will be most relevant for people that have been exposed to the religious right wing who still hold many Victorian values. I enjoyed the characters and the story was compelling. There are many beautiful passages. It was very funny at times and somewhat sarcastic. The narrator reminded me of Hemmingway born 50 years earlier in England. What impressed me the most was Butler's modern style of writing. Much less wordy than Dickens. Dickens would have taken 800 pages to express the same thoughts. I also felt a real kindred to the main character Ernest. This is ultimately a coming of age book which most people will be able to relate to in one way or another (unless you haven't grown up yet). I would recommend it to all serious readers.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Flesh governs soul
Flesh is what governs the soul. Much of the book contains a scathing, satirical appraisal and condemnation of church, clergy, christianity, and the hypocrisy, dogma and deliberate... Read more
Published 2 months ago by marvin chester
2.0 out of 5 stars
The Way of All Flesh
The Way of All Flesh I am sure it is a great book.... but I personally did not think it a good "read"
I REGRET BUYING IT...
I REGRET BUYING IT...
Published 4 months ago by Cynthia H. Odom
5.0 out of 5 stars
Top 100 Novel; Modern Challenges
Samuel Butler wrote the main content of The Way of All Flesh by 1867, although it was not published until 1902, in order to avoid conflicts with the prevailing societal norms,... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Tom K.
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Story but Too Verbose
I found myself alternately loving and hating this book. I loved it when Butler was busy telling the story of Ernest, a boy brought up in a Victorian household by overbearing... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Donna Hill
5.0 out of 5 stars
Startlingly Modern
I really had to keep making sure that this book was actually written in the late nineteenth century because aspects of it reflected such a modern type of dissatisfaction with one's... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Justice
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE WAY OF ALL FLESH
A great book. This is a piece that is deserving of its #12 rating on Modern Library's list of 100 Best Novels. And I would readily recommend this book to a friend. Read more
Published on February 6, 2011 by J.E.T.O.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic Novel Well Worth the Effort
There's a truism coined by someone in years past that you will best appreciate a novel when you are at approximately the same age that the author was when he wrote it. Read more
Published on November 8, 2010 by Guy the Gorilla
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding late-19th Century literature: why this book is just tops!...
I'll share all the book details momentarily but here's the core of the story first:
Over the course of a century three generations of the Pontifex men transpired from... Read more
Over the course of a century three generations of the Pontifex men transpired from... Read more
Published on March 11, 2010 by Patrick W. Crabtree
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very good as an audio book
I have been working my way through the classics on my commute and I picked up this audio book because of the good reviews and I have always enjoyed satire. Read more
Published on August 13, 2009 by Jeffrey Van Wagoner
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting Read
Very interesting character study of an abused boy in a dysfunctional family and how that played out in his life. A little tedious writing but worth staying with it.
Published on May 23, 2009 by Mark L. Hess
