The Way of All Flesh Samuel Butler 9781469947587 Books
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The Way of All Flesh
The Way of All Flesh Samuel Butler 9781469947587 Books
It has been about 75 years since I last read "The Way of All Flesh." Now that I am 90 years old the book takes on a whole new meaning, The satire and humor is quintessential British. I love the rich language written at a time when words were cherished. Going back more than a century is a wonderful form of time travel. This is a classic, as it was in my youth.Product details
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The Way of All Flesh Samuel Butler 9781469947587 Books Reviews
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!
I might not have had the patience to read this 19th Century classic when I was young but, having aged a bit, I thoroughly enjoyed the rich writing style, the gentle humor, and the word portrait the book created of another place, time, and sensibility.
I found the better part of this book good enough to overcome some of it's trivial (duller) content.
How the author chose the title... or how it relates to the book
is still a mystery to me.
A very readable book, especially for it's genre!
Salman Rushdie proclaims that understanding one life requires a knowledge of the entire history of the world. This immense book doesn't quite accomplish this goal, but it does provide enough background to give true insight into the protagonist. The pace is slow, and this might dissuade some readers, but the quality of the writing rewards patience. This is a classic that lives up to its acclaim.
Published in 1903 (but written in the 1870s), this book is ranked 12th on the Modern Library list of 100 Best English Language novels of the 20th Century -- and it is quite good.
If you love big sprawling novels you can get lost in, you will enjoy this book. Spanning multiple generations, it is the tale of the Pontifex family, but focused mostly on the unlucky Ernest Pontifex. Hampered by a set of hypocritical and nasty parents, Ernest spends the first part of his life stumbling from mistake to mistake. It's handled in a witty way that makes it a comical tragedy. Butler was a very talented writer -- not only does he create wonderful characters, he brings their world to life and make you care about things like "high" versus "low" church debates. The narrator's voice is dry and enjoyable -- the book is packed with magnificent one-liners and well-phrased observations. Butler has a point to make about how parents treat children and the best way to grow to full maturity, but he doesn't neglect his story to make it.
As far as formatting, the version has pretty standard formatting. You don't have lots of white space between chapters (do you really need this to enjoy a book?) and you don't have a active table of contents -- but these aren't standard for free classics anyway. What you get is a free classic in a format that is perfectly readable with virtually no errors.
Butler didn't want this book published until after his death, and I can see why. his views on real morality, as well as religion, would certainly have been scandalous to many Victorian era Brits. This is one of those long books you don't want to end, though the end was satisfying. The writer is clever and coy, and though he writes about one character, he is sure that an equally important character is the narrator himself. It is fun to read when you have the time to enjoy some side reading into the little excursions into philosophy and history he offers.
It has been about 75 years since I last read "The Way of All Flesh." Now that I am 90 years old the book takes on a whole new meaning, The satire and humor is quintessential British. I love the rich language written at a time when words were cherished. Going back more than a century is a wonderful form of time travel. This is a classic, as it was in my youth.
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