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The Expedition of Humphry Clinker
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley, John Keating, Liz Pearce, Elizabeth Sastre, Jill Tanner, James Langton, Tim Gerard Reynolds
- Length: 17 hrs and 13 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Classics
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Summary
Matthew Bramble, a gout-ridden misanthrope, travels Britain with his nephew, niece, spinster sister, and man-servant, the trusty Humphry Clinker. In poor health, Bramble sees the world as one of degeneracy and raucous overcrowding, and will not hesitate to let his companions know his feelings on the matter. Peopled with pimps, drunkards, decadents, and con-men, Humphrey Clinker displays Smollett's ferociously pessimistic view of mankind, and his belief that the luxury of 18th-century English existence was the enemy of sense and sobriety.
Presented in the form of letters from six very different characters, and full of joyful puns and double entendres, Humphry Clinker is now recognized as a boisterous and observant masterpiece of English satire.
What listeners say about The Expedition of Humphry Clinker
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- Mountain
- 18-11-20
18c satire and comedy at its very finest
It is 1771 and the epistolary novel was at its peak of popularity. After Richardson, there is no finer exponent of the style in English than Smollett. This is probably his greatest work and the blend of satire with good humour is irresistible. A fine team of readers complement the author's genius .One minor puzzle -- why was the very last of the 70-odd letters read by a male actor when the letter is written by a female character?