The Adventures of Roderick Random

A bit autobiographical by Dr. Smollett about a poor boy Roderick Random from Scotland, alone, scared, aimless, naive but boisterous who constantly puts one foot ahead of the other in his journey to salvation...he hopes....Mother dies his despondent father flees to parts unknown, the wealthy grandfat......more

Compared to Humphrey Clinker, RR is a bit lacking. Compared to all the world's other novels, though, it's great. As ever with the 18th century, you need to adjust your expectations: the characters are 'flat,' there's no psychologizing, the plot meanders with little internal purpose, and there's no p......more

I’m wondering if there used to be something wrong with me, or perhaps if I’ve got thicker over the years, because I took great pleasure in reading Smollett’s ‘Humphrey Clinker’ when I was an undergraduate but I’ve just found ‘Roderick Random’, which I’ve been eager to read for years, a bit of a slog......more

Though not into reading this likely drudge at first, it proved overtime a funny collection of foul tricks played at Roderick's expense. The language and amusing use of nicknames prevents it from being a mere harrowing account of misfortunes but turn it into a jumble of errands, sprinkled with wit! Re......more

'Roderick Random' was Smollett's first novel, and it is his best. It is a brawling, picaresque romp, like Fielding crossed with Dickens: less polished than Fielding, much coarser than Dickens, but always great fun. It is a fascinating insight into the society of its day, and demonstrates Smollett's......more