Samuel Butler

The Way of All Flesh Samuel Butler

"The Way of All Flesh" is the best known of Victorian novels that thumbed its nose at Victorian novels. For this reason, it's frequently mentioned in talks of literary history, though it could also be praised from an artistic perspective. Though it may seem dry at first glance, readers may be surprised to find themselves caught up in the story and finding it actually very funny--though it may take a second read to catch the very best of the humor. Butler's novel is one of a genre intended to deflate the pompous bubble of Victorian morality. There is a maturity to Butler's writing, however, that is not present in other Victorian writers. This novel feels much more modern than anything else written pre-1900, and even feels more modern than some books written after. Unlike Dickens, whose characters are either all good or all bad and have about as much depth as the characters you'd find in a comic book, Butler's characters seem very much alive and flawed. The scathing criticism of religious hypocrisy and moral bombast exhibited by the majority of people in Ernest's life can be funny, especially if you agree with it, but the story itself is much more interesting than the social commentary. Though 'The Way of All Flesh' isn't a page turner, it can consistently hold reader interest. Just remember that it's supposed to be funny.