"An enormously useful and complete edition of an important and neglected Victorian novel."-Helena Michie, Rice UniversityJohn Halifax, Gentleman follows the fortunes of a poor orphan who is befriended by the narrator, Phineas Fletcher, the invalid son of a Quaker tanner in an English provincial town. He raises himself up from his humble beginnings, and the book reflects the changing conditions in England during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, as the Industrial Revolution and the rise of the middle class altered the social and political complexion of the country. Published in 1856, the book was immensely popular with contemporary readers. John Halifax, Gentleman was written by Dinah Craik (1826-1887), the daughter of a Nonconformist minister and his wife, who turned to writing when her father deserted his children following their mother's death.(cover image courtesy of Michal Zacharzewski)

This edition of John Halifax. Gentleman by Dinah Maria Mulock Craik is given by Ashed Phoenix - Million Book Edition

The story is narrated by Phineas, a friend of the central character. John Halifax is an orphan, determined to make his way in the world through honest hard work. He is taken in by a tanner, Abel Fletcher, who is a Quaker, and thus meets Phineas, who is Abel's son. The book follows John's adventures as he struggles to achieve success in life and it is a presentation of the ideals of English middle-class life.