The Vicar of Wakefield

First published in 1766, this novel is narrated by Dr Primrose, a country vicar whose family loses its fortune when a merchant fails. They take a humbler living, where the daughters Olivia and Sophia attract the rakish Squire Thornhill and the open-handed Mr Burchell. Seduction, a false marriage, abduction, fire, and the vicar's imprisonment follow, as Primrose tries to hold his household to patience and virtue. Rural neighbourliness and city sharp practice share the stage. The book is a sentimental comic tale of a family's fall, not a tract only and not a gothic romance.

Bound in maroon cloth, covers blocked with a white pattern. Green leather spine label. Dark red slipcase.