The Complete Prose Works of Martin Farquhar Tupper
Public-domain ebook
The Complete Prose Works of Martin Farquhar Tupper
Language: en1,354 downloads on Project Gutenberg
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Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #20610.
About this book
The volume gathers the complete prose output of Martin Farquhar Tupper, a prolific early‑Victorian writer whose reputation rested on a blend of fiction, essays, and apologetic tracts. The opening pages present a publisher’s commendation of Tupper’s “Proverbial Philosophy,” followed by a detailed contents list that leads directly into his rural novel, The Crock of Gold. The narrative begins with a stark, wintry morning in a modest cottage, introducing Roger Acton, a laborer whose life is framed by hard work, poverty, and a deep‑seated sense of duty. The introductory chapter sketches his physical appearance, moral character, and the social forces that shape his existence, while the second chapter expands to his family dynamics, hinting at the complex interpersonal tensions that will drive the story forward.
Tupper’s voice is unmistakably Victorian, marked by elaborate description, moralizing commentary, and a cadence that mirrors the period’s didactic literature. His prose combines a pastoral sensibility with a keen awareness of social inequities, offering a window into 19th‑century rural England. Readers who appreciate richly detailed character studies, historical social commentary, and the earnest, sometimes sermon‑like tone of early‑Victorian storytelling will find this collection rewarding.
Characters in The Complete Prose Works of Martin Farquhar Tupper
- Roger ActonYoung rural laborer, weathered face, dark hair, coarse shirt, sturdy boots
The opening · free to read
PUBLISHERS' PREFACE.
Mr. Tupper has achieved a popularity for his works, which has rarely been enjoyed by any one at so early a period of life; he being now only between thirty-five and forty years of age. Where all are so intrinsically valuable, it is difficult to determine which particular work has contributed most to his rapid and enviable advancement; yet, were an award indispensable, we should feel constrained to make it in favour of his '_Proverbial Philosophy_.' It is one of those unique productions which commends itself to all classes of readers, and from the perusal of which all cannot but derive substantial means of improvement. Familiar truths are so cogently treated therein, as to leave an indelible impression upon the mind, which could not, perhaps, have been so thoroughly made in any other manner; and the "thoughts and arguments" may be perused and reperused with an advantage but few other writings are capable of yielding.
The rapid and extensive sale of several editions, issued in other places--some of them of rather an indifferent character, as regards mechanical execution--and the increasing demand still manifested for them, has induced the present publishers to collect the entire works of Mr. Tupper, and to stereotype them in a style worthy of their excellence. Each work has been thoroughly revised, and the errors which disfigure some other editions have been carefully corrected--an advantage readily appreciable by those who discriminate in their selections for the library or the centre-table.
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