‘To me it seems that those who are happy in this world are better and more lovable people than those who are not.’
The Way of All Flesh is a semi-autobiographical novel that traces four generations of the Pontifex family, a typical Christian family during the Victorian era. The book was a thinly veiled account of Butler’s own upbringing and contained scathing critiques of Victorian society. Due to the controversial subject matter, Butler did not dare to publish the book during his lifetime and it was eventually published a year after his death. Since its publication, The Way of All Flesh has been considered by many to be a masterpiece and one of the best English novels of all time.
Samuel Butler was an English writer, critic, and essayist. He is best known for his satirical novel Erewhon and his semi-autobiographical novel The Way of All Flesh which is considered to be a classic.