Description:
A semi-autobiographical novel detailing multiple generations within the tumultuous Pontifex family. The Way of All Flesh, by Samuel Butler, was written over an 11-year period and published shortly after his death in 1902. The author uses the Pontifex's many trials to critique the rigid standards and practices of Victorian society.
Brief description:
Samuel Butler (1835-1902) was an English author whose turbulent upbringing would inspire one of his greatest works, The Way of All Flesh. Butler grew up in a volatile home with an overbearing father who was both mentally and physically abusive. He was eventually sent to boarding school and then St. John's College where he studied Classics. As a young adult, he lived in a parish and aspired to become a clergyman but had a sudden crisis of faith. He decided to travel the world and create new experiences fueling his literary career.