Only a clod

About the book

Stationed in Tasmania, Harcourt Lowther regards his circumstances with the dissatisfaction of a man convinced that his talents and social position deserve better. His helpful servant, the private soldier Francis Tredethlyn, seems to occupy a much humbler place in the world. News of a wealthy uncle's death changes that arrangement: Francis inherits an enormous income, while Harcourt must confront his own envy. The fortune also raises troubling questions about the uncle's missing daughter Susan, whom Francis remembers with affection. Braddon builds her novel around the unequal meanings people attach to money, birth, and personal worth. Francis's generosity offers one measure of character, but newly acquired wealth exposes him to judgments and expectations that kindness alone may not equip him to navigate.

• Wealth and character
• Class prejudice
• Family obligation

Why read it

The contrast between Harcourt's wounded vanity and Francis's first reactions to wealth makes the social reversal immediately revealing.

English John and Robert Maxwell stereotyped edition