Book Description

The Adventures of Roderick Random is a picaresque novel written by Tobias Smollett written before 1748. The book follows the misadventures of the eponymous main character, Roderick Random, as he navigates through life in 18th-century Britain. Roderick is a young man of humble origins who dreams of making his fortune and rising in society. However, he is constantly beset by misfortune and finds himself at the mercy of cruel fate and the nefarious actions of those around him. Throughout the novel, Roderick experiences a series of wild and often comical adventures, including being press-ganged into the Navy, working as a quack doctor, and falling in love with a woman who turns out to be a thief. The Adventures of Roderick Random is considered one of the earliest and most influential examples of the picaresque novel genre, which portrays the adventures of a rogue or antiheroic protagonist. It remains a beloved classic of English literature and a testament to Smollett's skill as a writer.