Pelham: Adventures of a Gentleman

Description

First published in 1828, Pelham caused a sensation at the time, being a ‘silver fork novel’ that drew inspiration from the life of Beau Brummell. The book follows the adventures of young aristocratic dandy Henry Pelham across London, Paris and Cheltenham, painting a vivid portrait of Regency life among the bon ton. The latter portion of the novel becomes a murder mystery with Gothic overtones, when Pelham’s old friend is accused of killing a man and faces execution unless Pelham can find the true murderer. The novel was an inspiration to Edgar Allan Poe. Bulwer-Lytton has been credited with bringing Gothic terror out of the past, and out of Central Europe, into the streets of crime-ridden 1820s and 1830s London. This is is the second edition from 1846, following the three-volume edition of 1828, and shows signs of age, with foxing to some pages. The leatherbound cover, however, is in good condition.