First published 1960
Ernest Pontifex grows up under the iron grip of his tyrannical father and the suffocating expectations of Victorian respectability. His childhood fills with religious terror and harsh discipline that crushes his spirit. As a young man, Ernest struggles to break free from the moral strictures imposed on him, making disastrous choices in love and career. He marries unwisely, faces financial ruin, and even serves time in prison. Through each failure, Ernest slowly learns to think for himself rather than bow to the hypocritical standards of his class and era. Butler draws from his own painful experiences to show how one man fights to escape the damage inflicted by rigid parents and a society that values appearance over truth. Ernest's journey becomes a rebellion against the very foundations of 19th-century English life.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 19th-century
Vibes: dark, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, rebellion-against-society
Setting: England
Period: 19th-Century
384 pages · Paperback · Signet Classics
Content warnings: abuse, emotional-abuse