Pelham; Or, the Adventures of a Gentleman

Pelham, Bulwer-Lytton's second novel, is the tale of a young dandy named Henry Pelham. Pelham, a keen wit and aspiring politician, falls in love with Ellen Glanville, sister of his lifelong friend, Reginald Glanville, only to discover the friend suddenly accused of murder. Pelham must find the real killer and clear the name of his friend to take the hand of the woman he loves . . . Pelham's a fine tale, but mostly it's remarkable as a classic "Fashionable Novel" -- in its day, the Fashionable Novel was a genre unto itself, focusing on the manners, habits and lifestyles of the Rich and Famous of the first half of the 19th century -- the jet set of its day. Pelham's sparkling cynicism makes fun of the genre as it executes it gorgeously; it also sheds an amazing light on a time and circumnstance well removed from our own.