Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle
The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle
The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle
Ebook1,111 pages18 hours

The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

3/5

()

Read preview

About this ebook

The story of the fortunes and misfortunes of the egotistical dandy Peregrine Pickle, and it provides a comic and caustic portrayal of 18th century European society.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherBooklassic
Release dateJun 22, 2015
ISBN9789635248933
The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle
Author

Tobias Smollett

Tobias Smollett (1721-71) was a Scottish author best known for his novels, The Adventures of Roderick Random and The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle, following which he became a major literary figure associated with the likes of David Garrick, Laurence Sterne, Charles Dickens and Samuel Johnson. In 1755 he published the standard translation of Cervantes' Don Quixote and in 1756, he became editor of The Critical Review. His first major non-fiction work was A Complete History of England.

Read more from Tobias Smollett

Related to The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle

Related ebooks

Humor & Satire For You

View More

Related articles

Related categories

Reviews for The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
3/5

1 rating1 review

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Peregrine Pickle is a young man born to a prosperous but unprepossessing merchant, Gamaliel Pickle, who has retired prematurely to the English countryside. Sent away for schooling, Peregrine demonstrates a remarkably defiant and independent character, as well as a lifelong penchant for elaborate and excessive practical jokes. He returns from school to discover that his mother, having in the meantime born two other children, has unaccountably refused to recognize Peregrine as her own. His spineless father refuses to intervene, so young Peregrine escapes to the refuge offered by his father's neighbor, Commodore Trunnion.Commodore Trunnion, a retired seafarer, and his confederates Lieutenant Hatchway and Bosun Pipes, are the source of most of the humor in the novel, with their relentless use of nautical jargon and metaphor. Living in a house they call the "garrison," equipped with hammocks rather than beds, Trunnion and his shipmates are delighted with the high-spirited Peregrine, and the Commodore not only sponsors the young man's college education, but a trip abroad to France and Holland where Peregrine not only encounters a host of eccentric characters, but also develops unfortunately extravagant tastes and appetites.Prior to his sojourn on the Continent, however, Peregrine has met the love of his life, the beautiful and virtuous Emilia. Their on and off again love affair will dominate the latter half of the novel in a typical sequence of prideful rebuffs and jealous misunderstandings. In this respect The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle is something of a transition between the picaresque novel and the "marriage plot" convention that dominated 19th-century fiction. Love and marriage are never to be disassociated from social class and fortune, and rare is the suitor who, on bended knee, declares his love for his beloved without mentioning his net worth in the same breath.Peregrine's life is a cautionary tale on the perils of pride and extravagance. Our young hero liberally dispenses charity, but takes offense at its being offered to him when he, in turn, is in need. He goes through a disastrous spell as a high-roller, attempting to ingratiate himself into English society, only to learn that an aristocratic title conveys neither good character nor sound judgment. At his high points he rejects his friends (and Emilia) as beneath him; at his low points he refuses their help and love in shame. The novel is flawed, perhaps fatally, by lengthy digressions into the life stories of characters who have little or nothing to do with Peregrine. The first and longest of these, subtitled "The Memoirs of a Lady of Quality," is the story of a young woman who marries first for love, then after the death of her husband, is talked by her father into an arranged marriage with a despicable English lord. The lady, in her attempt to free herself from her despised spouse, eventually becomes the mistress of a succession of noble patrons. This is an interesting digression into the sad plight of women caught in a legal system that favors the husband, but its telling is devoid of anything that will emotionally engage the reader. Likewise the later digressions into the life histories of disinherited youths. Satire is the chief purpose of the novel. Smollett pokes fun at the English aristocracy and clergy, but also shows the inferior characteristics of French autocracy. He also settles what is obviously a personal vendetta against publishers and untrustworthy sponsors.One of the more interesting episodes of the novel is when Peregrine, frustrated at Emelia's defense of her chastity, resolves to bed the first wench he sees. He literally buys a teenage girl from her indigent mother, then takes pleasure in educating her, a la Pygmalion's Galatea and "My Fair Lady," and passing her off at Court as a member of the gentry. Smollett also pokes fun at the medical profession: "His noble patron was seized with an apoplecitc fit, from which he was recovered by the physicians that they might dispatch him according to rule."Though this is not a bawdy novel, there is more sexual candor in this 1751 publication than you will find a century hence. There is a revealing episode in debtors' prison in which it is admitted that male and female inmates routinely cohabitate (prisoners being obliged to rent their apartments from the warden). The double standard is much in evidence, as Peregrine consorts frequently with courtesans and common whores but wouldn't dream of marrying a woman who wasn't a virgin.Altogether Peregrine Pickle is more an interesting novel than an enjoyable one. It gives us a memorable picture of mid-18th century life, but overlong digressions, a predictable plot, and limited humorous diversion after the opening chapters make the middle half of the novel more tedious than entertaining.

Book preview

The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle - Tobias Smollett

1^book_preview_excerpt.html}ے#Gr寠%3TVJ]4Қ4,gvvȵ1= ƌBOB}9jllU%/Ǐ5}x}w_]2bw0-qw8>:,]Cn|4]q/m&\8'|Ie]?]{l. n:"o.q^B;`7_s'&6;<wmpR zF0 Lj,_.i{~$<<`׾`'~\qmzeu _nwsfvxniw M򰗶O;z^%&yq9Ɲlbnⰴg|sd5βqU|k]I+ .{ٷ:˓" %~eԅwG,Bmщ$*/G>|E9I,Mx "!O"q8ް= xfm' Ԟ.L­'`3`T,Qޯ,3wM\x:ɻ˳ȫ[sd=exFn.05[=%?'yˊ͵Mm1úg95N?| Sr>}(vUCeFJ<DE]Oy/{g[d'# ,-ui"eE̢{׿_uq=;KO,k|6%٪J+}lI;ޔmE>wYNrGn x 87x*;L"]bΣ)ݾa\eycy;Kk o?C;7Yns{|J9CM'}qw{(P,.%W tb!% rht{x_[N :K:(gY5H0O]-])ȗH P bDo@q=۳|1<~s )ϯ4qkm p #OFz9C:/FQDnQn=eXX* )gvǖˋfE-זİv&(P'yZMw{^xJBˁX+UȲ'*2< NP8mu}@Q5kب &(slخ*;)yC8z\B~ډ^1vy-wwiJ8G"~KT]RXdlSI|JWgժOx\ ]J۸.Oa61ˊ'6~xؘ>JvvG맱h_L;Ө{x I>QĖLp(\# [|zjb7Ra~cK?p s/9x%w?. 6[\t 7 uwWk(Ʒh唿azLS'Җq^'A qzlOFȿN[p(GD#_!4=\5Q{SQnHPXU| 1n0B`\ݭ:v.E X'o# }X1O).+"8$rZC_AчaɈoZq,k+6O: xD/nl1tբp+<̂} Gӥ瞯I̥\c)biSRAȆT[ͬdc`hFU<܊NFYH:V_lrSux ^꼭CJA-eV*mfѐ٦\I4Ϊqc)ws믝a7ԭ _P*gW"K; D p Ip O|Cb,ҽjy_c3m:ޫbN4XJ|4 kpP329msVsp ;z03qWT?swOV!lJeQ}M.c E8w#aD  F SךwI꓿0T>TwBH=/@ZiOM{< ձ(ܻo/ Ϣ8GlŰAZ$Kϭ DYloQ?k;@;QtIui@_hJ2C>zo@qa35fAd k-1<07D9s摋; vZq6aVQDxG$$.+(x&ddMÃ@0]в~žfXּ۴EI pOXBoJ/ni(U6Tv/&;8(ebÀ#o{#u`ogjJvDخ1i1B#Qrt郩`ƶӗʦ| ّSNo&жQb;)O7I Yl(A%>|uz} jǡKV TgdoTlz +wDtspD0-p\ OP'H*UhQ73 capc!&0<0ekaB63Co \CC^n!&y}6t 6Z} a@lEK<))_me` .p*J}& q|AV '$Hg L bG*]Ζٰ%FvprЄO} @O7Fj݉W0O%˪V@L",c&dĒq;"M 2ǩč{ *< tl8%?\[ .Yܖ\ɢ1KPD)MF|paZ;Jn™`u[&֬cF=^jrD$3Y0}^&q`PœgA1%;2نSΕ7@$g/-3SAEN&~eMFO Q⽃A5TvP QO˙m'sDxko ,# B p73JGL /_:X 0X'An5D_|xg|O^Ƕ1OJA3 {i LЄ뒋`!#vԒ*LvKŴw-T_hlG(]*\"EX ,+3W-< vIeP0gOa%2/Ԯ ΍kz>uy^ԭ&J)<=8+bA2W~wmABIz_=9E͘BA@#@Xf DСx 3V4 }/# `gc&J!5JdTo*3/ b/x6KeUZAIa͔"a;\kˑO1%1 ,GvJ4# GMl.F^DBGL re}8lEtIR.AԔѶ.y!ml|<f#1kciI1 5e)0;̧QX$>:0: NlbmEhǒAeϢ D)6ޤų>w93ǢNbw,jP9qH7Ql^K_!xh3ぁڒ;%hl&g `Alb/Vbxz9 KBMkS] LeɸKnYa'mR8'3 #nX Lg报j3^'v# p߶x =NI(o%kK4f"2eP6$@a֮sG;hX-|1ȋş#G]tu=-Na,̨EQ $ޞT3}zYh=)g@ !t pos\}9yxe=T/L`yY_VJg5E;wr@o/X=.@Mߵ 1#=!F獱F4XZQ%'DZBޯsלX7s+ &c.A2EPeN1܉͸ߋ'du ޝT4ZI} u@m픀4j@l08aln!VKd&LJοW RS(D:#0;͖xE&@CCW։^Nb彝=WG^4L")&p:@3xhm=fڄ?H6BGID߫A:ygeҫݫ#\ifY5J}vXe ?@O^9."B%%pX0iU5[|7VNJTwya·c. BoOߛp\`WoS/j`!34D+/oIL)9Jr%A*ɟgv:b>^‚6@Og#f| .~.kZae+\2bEpѧ?6|$Vcrd(n ;",Crtɚ:҂IZ̄AZcgĈXkVP rk/W'f,Up%qюDKgiNSϖz-cp d/_:wI5}l@Eng@8Qy+7v,t~~M@H[I"DS\&,8 %:gP$ ^WsB\XYpu%]:"K5zRŢV;oLwSg(qfK1 6cje{4J F)޼^]k9"ἊXsi=[ъ8=\ 2 IG9]UK/gebɫݚ_ j-μ\cW-NIbrU,Mƙso4&!Ws?'4[/~ #DC\ʋ[%5/A0"{>buZpķ-QL,T12 f.+q6 )k~Ήq>;jysٽC\F}i~iA3$9by=LHr 5vڑ^SƚSWy@vȧGnPUsU5KQ%I.u)5nc9UgXLaeFǂ'Bm|OF绝';yyHS"khѴZ't>X ;ADJ .8ժ.l-K9!!R,U]bbnj4:{&2Koè 8J/"dTSPC  L  Y\׭JZ_y @'낄PL`TLU}|SES(]\0sҳ(FASϾq:\AG)?Nyu2$qgRU9-q9WtN$0uP2[dOTI `=Ϛ (!Q'1]6dZ7u1)z!DHѣ?e Z($ւ`-NU3oc|Rz]cP_: ֥QiмYbGYL%9,l:)3a" @;yjuX!=@Mh%@$ZoOu/A+k7P_<6!}Zuƒ4͉ܲ%6%.m 2TdFT6eAK_6E;B Cتo}m;Ji!xu08J~rvm\V-.S/2Rr -boʚwUكB. T^;(qaEi1R"P5}~bg0 bnRbpbYkR mv Xדw`% 80 :ڲf;}g`|7&2s)#++}kĉER L,4 y5k({,;n[܇Tpj(﵂C!.qI$D>r#?- +Pl9ʀu]bW{ѝ+,yr'݆~%-[7w %⼳`Ov'i;|Xhd:gsǏeF ו;63jFLDF I7Pi|-L;ɂ`-Dns!Y|f?dTW!3 OkQEr1EOapi*-Cl2w 1.yJ!VO4R5fo(+I@J!߈Q|SmsPXnd ;c<~޷mK2Z #.&eyxuV00Fb29Q_\NЫϬ *iȰe{BjK3Q",ilK5ꦆP=hņU=ڻ뜫s>^CI ^;z6!_c:$(׹ؖI :ۮ5j2Ie%{mM*aq_he0&Q E[G^o:ëS!Ό i0_i\;YEI4%kr%ɕ P T(ijl6NY`Hq堭9cE ,Z"`wc&Hk.kG1|Pw}0y;2Ke ߄Ą|y&Y`+(|ɀR*^;tK-/^B1 84os]wN!RƄ駼1=7-3qٷ'8[qr7\1 yxpI$%/%-z#jY&vψh-V~啱f)0|,2:J`x zL0z)6M<쳝eѷ*: 閳ijATSADh/c7@DkObƋAF"b/ 0G#vm^,?G C#lϽe2 xkUd,zF!sv?NͳǓ{B`h11,a2+_ cYHBY6w9Cd%%9@PNg5=FPZ4 V+ O@!FV%iK"q"5ngBa5Hr/mbӑVRK. W4s/ɀC>}V4`@mY^OH~VmQӪ$&PE OJx_r;TRN2aDZ)N8gT.B6!06mDMSvR'=Z[ gt?S $XY.,,XM}^Y`k# |CwےRW}1PJfmI YUy差 V.\൷\%W%qC[@O쨔ivXd V˹FTnł8YsV.tCyAι=T rcwWA ˍ'9(QFBy |Rpdk "l۽-w42Z[LB$dee Q fbaGiBbuA~aŕE/h$:thl̟襺6d I?$-[W@br孰C3z0q&+8+V2䌰AaU@miPh-48Uz"+4_cnVS4sT"7a2Xmv IlyY{W]}Ȋ謪]UbQ9,Ov^PSnȆjٻp@4Єz#Nw uc=:07j cփYXM pl<*CN\9[ tY&H422$yjYme鳈h)0m1#-*,)i8 #4hl!*/Kq`AVs`f6T8Z ggcZ@pV7;8v\tc5crߏmB8)Gݹ9Uf̒`eE޶0bwh2V*y_6yi2H:Å '"-%4:ff$:ҋw oL:lm訅]",ϘK"ڗ2Յӫ ]p,wk^U*bkY_BO}jPh-+2e3a΅5B٢AOU+:e\ZH+B ,dku#lS&Y9*J'=d ]Ԩ3c$20 MkBj&eac3#CFYY_yJ, K@h8'U@u7DSҌɝOh֯q!9j-EĈHmk>ӯqzQ# ،d]Kr"ђ d-l@x(6wkYRU>؂}5#EbX3)$."V~z(@;p$ 2`Q*Q}y1K:FF{G@y }*"gr).ݓE"]c}D}Jn.q +lЃ;Ը-#OޖzՓqcawT"ͅeĨ=wK9\褁V-6AS#  QURh wB,I[/WEoy]5!\R4FialU/J$ǫM3͊l{QXjBǨ}y E0(]*ƩN]~L7وs' =\ؚ7<+kizwŔƋB`VQoJAXǘEwu"G藇d䊖_3Ӛ4Uz>4acÙXb,0yR]d*=WȌdF.޾'59o[Dy[ҞhP\slg?jKX"ܑi14Ξc$=.c2~m )ƀ+W9=ߝܒ-PG 8E;<4Z0wʹL.m/ښ;dZƛ.HܼK~%qtDf2`g]Dv^,C#ެ< mo8^Z;ȩd: {Di;|sjg{N͕Y8 :̫Q:eHOz(Bu#1eem+![NȲ2h(ކOXV'z +Lg[rq~ݪ:}VT^.6:/$*OAis$U1fLQJ/b˙-bp@ V++9(hcywt;k=8&#\}̂''DT-8ΘOLu\Cu`~0IʠV8(}]ՒNS3ѡu d9U;B;{KAy7 [qebߨvA+X:G}ʹ]A. n3tFk^~,ȗ/Y [%2:Z46apmFl| <\܈E 2iEAM^GrÄa\\h;2sOIXʌjz }n-Iheu`}gm^gt_E{IhѸm+1ޞ9 amniGAK:q7[vb:j. P3߲] ~@`XG-lᬞΥaˮU+*Aw>+DQ%zvs vLt%ۣC<4e:Ϊ#r\e6|\ߚ924Z L:/;hTM;mrD|ďXчR5ldKpoa|l_LU+ZO #mnSyw*`S8k8_=~;=CЄY[댒 UT&,#-U`JeLaM'm%'{`#H9- Lx+$v~s>*,=b L:b'Dl=/f@xA[dg!wf1s{hU(\=.IxOV =ɋCbg6mFQ }k͜w|9LFҝZ- Fd ]܅ 1úxT {TrPA鷌> 'h?CcJiL_-0GsKtLKlʝ77m)Lb6q`4oㄴ9)] @d(|ZT]6!,v⚘+DyTa6eDJ--RLx(NuDbv`l2\wֹ:ǠRdSI1OķwMPԼwNS񫙁%MdʷQ|,b^ Cnܳ;=,کGkwBd/[x&.AAkQxsM>CAQf^WUlP"YO{ x8v4P"!sJQP:M.j:{0WMc<1;5]=>29'Dǿ\UmyEIS'BGDww2SrXz/֍MWҗDyKt€h 1G!SC|9C6Y斻:xkc9 'kR]Dm̖ hC3sKcbe@Ru' hE$2%!͂WD=hyV %lch}(M[rc $JRzoT'J]Ikva=1ʖMZҭPl@) لt,Ω)R< \9 %eH{<Lmy:ő挵QBw+l7X"іV mFWJ~ilТ:Hg>!Y^؏վi1;gkWDkv4EہXF< FIn*s;)54IMCc=-|h HԑI+CUEsOGO~a b;΍&/qezw?d^ܗP-)vQ3ܴ;y=W)R<:M񫃧J[\2Ef Wp*LW.B#olpt ?jU"HV@ufZiS>r8Q:oЌɟ,uK}nSG?m i87b$>~vF]ρY0>;A5s1j}4dF4SJ"7l3aEu g6f69s7ܜ'mGyMz)F1#Y&B1RI36zRXt8;r{}$n۬F}s[oiwnFx}:`dV 箑#f│.Sp_ٮ/nJaұUL_sQLBvClD`t?<$QVHN΍u(=|^Ffڜ< Eܬ3!VIk]#5:إ~ 6QO#WtXwhN!.]̴gR5^oe|e ۫PiejqJ:*W*XUT2>F~ S.Kd҉Tau`&4(GsG(@~Tϧ̥ԬN 8{fU\'YJ"9f7,R6$($@wymlC>`c)RCxJ"{VXڕ)DYn'8jE ,iuFcn>PBsU]'r.{Qo2e^=.VRVOV\ S!o oDvҥ |.oNIP>iq^5rwzթ<|L'71eNCLD6(hHHs H2U]B1[*ss#bz A u1A.R1 8\Ml乻me^y@}f[FlJ-;(~О U9ENC<ՉϘ]zi\ y.E֟bnEF>Gɐx p#ΕgAdb;q~Q=4Bɴ!h͸mAoN%Nay)ЁBzYsdF#JAeD"y}D^hcQ4YJDֶ ڴ@'[w/3]D;;G{S 6C&){H0#vqNkD\kzv&\4WQ[ $WbEM^ٻwtK++[z{LI Pǒlv;Iu)PӐ'JiYsJgF? } xΎ6`?noZVles%h &⏚f:Xv1PӨ=%Ol:&-0`^YQ췝d $u.QBf_✠oT4ьt-l R{FW&QmEf 曬Amh>Vmg΢Hɬeٴ7*!N#F#֕!%]4$2m|fo>NGC+ϒ;zbGx`^nJ$5]|3}&jŁQF{4vdtsS^$dxpW2NZhva~^1Ѯ |8.6F!Дyr;iǖ_jxԓʖqT댘pN2tOAgP_/:j*`OS[/L>SN@Gj FVL"0:O,E.0wWb~kFy',8Td+Q:[dk#p(yq?*^KkBw5u$ BGm=LbTZ)CWxFqgPa7_У^TY11.PlGtc7@?¿Ʌ2y3t"( D2@:m)':p6dRN}(1<x /Se| |]K?#ߡ*/֌B:w&ГEr*wPXYb(iN Ws*jHGk6zմmtB֔Ivma{Y@1_U`Q>ꋴV;#UJH'* t=O_ S1EF\Qumyv,5@-s<׳+`·',c`?bPiFi6eBL䎐gMkXy8*C?JX<ι4]<pOb4J]X͵cMyD:)Zc*5@F}t[nS)QU}| Do$)谧`Qx*$x faY D#V;tڀΛ]l)ٞdӛ%~E m)Yթ8hȴiK=#2-/;Ʉ8@ },ZjH+s`ϝnIObAs%֤ A vG UŁ1Jo^ b5g_zm3ȭMzfH)s|b Q#e :M[#L(5mA ! ߦ` xҰDQثZ:Y6IOE Ygu*ORM\@St€'H_A[iZ}vvBjc@T"1ר|:cϑ? `{4g4I(8W깚Lϫz5!Xy^ ּrUUd?MVgr0Z?!ؿDEY|)׽Yj4YkW34fP̕;.ašF`lN#p<&þ2S &'U^u֥$ȎE >Y$G4wY4y.`AI@.Ҋ>=b8EmJ5$ kz :AA vSBLe.i]^õfԵ*Vj{/i&.wmZq!b8͕0G 0;'<6 >.I=Y+f ^^F| 7w*Roʐ5]ް/+AE3Mmjי0)9D u`)լo:|Uۻ WV]#h io*(JIm11Dq>s.P-mQ|pRJ/ܟߴs6ͷZL+[_bw3T`֮ަ=W +_u-BNV.l6M"f:mP5߲˸iON,2( ~Ġq!L8u7?'Vq`Gn:;6xġW QGE8'0CJ]H Bc^4aξ3-P~RiH[pEɉ sN@ v_S7L1_•.FjޮHY>JGZ<ȟ(W',5 amN֗a*?΁17s*%42]JG\01 =G[;@ "&؄'SHA6 $QUu֧ C뽒i ٕZhEGGj yyW&WT-![-RyL:ýԺ!d񐱮 {U0 3V Y>-x QDW.ծ95e*xW1etU>{bÀ z͚"N)qZiJm/TZ1;$hn?GZmi:ϥoǺ>o]~gՕd~hf=ZH1 O@8HXӧ[.WmR㟈]:v!fίr^|ݗʧH`w7,oRv:4jRYx&K7UFd82/V5lhu 11v[>8m5zjЃ;he(Fțlv;ޯ[ӬFtsÍ4ζ9ĩ*KENoy !=M\tbQ'L2-x9EڳDA:g%T9ʬ=O!cbڷ;TB۷$jD [;]~ ۖ%Q͜!tg\)W)n\]4i!IG,yh O+znƞJ';k-4#=1NnIOz~i f j|IE8؇ ePpnO{2Uc[c.ɖ W0C+*0X߂*.imm;ogb]O9/䤯rxX,ܾʬv`/BUnHcӮ_0Fdq朝Ǭ*ͼ2Ji52Q@d& w$a 60g`-==Zzuc)!UU⽬K&(@ߖ)b qqJfQyrnZ:ăj?K6ZѻDPR, xw;ݺ V Y (IQ܏ c2GLNG+pQ1/ +Y)[s"S v*.V2*.xyE3 DZz>{<-2aNnm-~y4F2hntխS6_qD}nswe?
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1