The Way of All Flesh

Written by Samuel Butler

Narrated by Frederick Davidson

Every generation finds in The Way of All Flesh a reaffirmation of youth’s rightful struggle against the tyranny of harsh parents and its admirable will for freedom of personal expression. This is a fascinating character study of a young man who survives the influence of a hateful, hypocritical father, a doting mother, and a debauched wife to emerge as a decent, happy human being. It is also a stinging satire of Victorian gentry and of the same traits that exist in our time.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blackstone Audio
• Release date: Jan 1, 2006
• ISBN: 9780786119462

Samuel Butler

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.

Reviews for The Way of All Flesh

[linenandprint · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is becoming a lost classic. It is very specific, very English novel that surprisingly captures enduring human feeling, from politicians that are too good to how it feels when you can no longer return to a place where you lived.

[schmerguls · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I did not appreciate the author's sneering attitude to things, as I recall

[hellcold · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A huge book following lots of people leading boring lives; almost redeemed by its historical flavor but unfortunately let down by its self-righteous author.Just like the Bible, and just as (un)interesting.

[auntieknickers · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

At first I was really enjoying this book, for I like the prolixity of Victorian novels and their comments on society. However, as the story of Ernest Pontifex wore on, and on and on, I found too much philosophizing with only occasional bits of dialogue, action and humor to break it up. The book was not published until 1903, years after the author's death, and is a good argument for the editor's blue pencil, which might have improved it. It was a book that was supposed to blow the lid off the Victorian family, not to mention the Church and society in general. Anyone who's read Anne Perry's Victorian historical mysteries will have come across far worse things happening to children in perfectly respectable families than anything that happens to Ernest. The narrator's voice grates more and more as he allows himself to give way to his desire to philosophize. I'd much rather be reading Trollope.

[markfinl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Way of All Flesh tells the story of the Pontifax family over four generations, focusing on the last two generations, the loathsome Theobald and his son George. I loved the book. It is a sarcastic, scathing indictment of nearly every aspect of society. It is one of the funniest books I have ever read.

[lucybrown_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this back in the early 80s. If I happen to find a review I wrote at that time I will add it. I remember liking the book very much

[fiverivers_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

My second pass of this much-acclaimed early 20th century novel, and now I remember why I didn't remember -- verbose, pompous writing, author-intrusive and a window into Butler's navel.

[soylentgreen23 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've always been fond of erudite books where the author isn't afraid to digress in order to tell you something insightful or just simply interesing, and Butler's most famous novel is a great example. His story follows the life of a young man, an everyman who carries in him Butler's beliefs, and reflects the society he lived in.

[hansel714_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The 19th century novel tells a story of six generations of the Pontifexes through a disinterested narrator, Mr. Overton. The narration is both brilliant and flawed as Overton has access to even the inner thoughts of the characters. Brilliant because it is as if Mr. Overton is Ernest Pontifex, the protagonist, like how when you ask for advice, you would say, "My friend has this problem," and that "friend" is you. But if this is a veiled autobiography, then we must know that Overton is prejudiced and inaccurate about his evaluation of the characters.The dark-humored, Daniel-Defoesque novel starts off very slowly but the third volume of the book picks up and is in fact quite exciting. There are two great flaws which prevent the novel from being canonical: it has too many references to politicans, theologians, scientists and poets in 19th century so contemporary readers will fail to understand the book; and as an invective against against society and religion, this book uses the rhetoric of religion (didactic cant), which fails.

[humdog · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

this book is a magnificent satire right up there with jonathan swift. it is a 19th century mommy dearest.

[jenknox · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The first and last few chapters are great...unfortunately, the middle of the book happens.Still, it has one of my favorite quotes from any book (its in one of the first few chapters): "We must judge men not so much by what they do, as by what they make us feel that they have it in them to do."