Pickwickian Manners and Customs

Name: Pickwickian Manners and Customs
Author: Percy Fitzgerald

By Percy Fitzgerald

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History - British History - Modern (1750+)

About This Book

The author surveys the characters, institutions, fashions, and social rituals portrayed in a celebrated early-Victorian comic novel, using its episodes as a guide to a vanished social world. He catalogs obsolete practices such as debtors' prisons, stagecoaches, galleried inns, polling riots, and elaborate public breakfasts, and describes changes in dress, transport, law, and public order. He contrasts enduring professional types with extinct customs, reflects on the novel's vividness as a social record, and argues that its humor and suggestiveness preserve the texture of an earlier era while inviting antiquarian attention and ongoing popular affection.

About the Author

Percy Fitzgerald

Percy Fitzgerald (1810-1895) was an English author and journalist known for his contributions to literature and theatre. He gained prominence for his works that often explored the intricacies of Victorian society, as seen in titles like "Bardell v. Pickwick" and "Pickwickian Manners and Customs," which reflect his engagement with Charles Dickens' legacy. Fitzgerald was also a keen observer of the arts, as demonstrated in his biography of Sir Henry Irving, capturing the essence of theatrical life in the 19th century. His travel writing, particularly in "A Day's Tour / A Journey through France and Belgium," showcases his ability to blend personal narrative with cultural commentary.