Samuel Butler
Whether you're a long-time fan of British author Samuel Butler (best known for his shrewd satire of utopian fiction, Erewhon) or you're just diving into his diverse body of work, this omnibus collection is an engaging read that's sure to catch and hold your interest. It contains excerpts from both his fiction and his non-fiction and serves as a suitable overview of his unique oeuvre.
On the verge of entering the Anglican clergy, Samuel Butler experienced a sudden change of heart and instead decided to set sail for New Zealand, where he established a sheep farm. Butler chronicles his rocky start as a rancher—and his opinions on a wide variety of current events and controversies—in this engaging series of letters to his family.
Samuel Butler was regarded as an expert on ancient Greek literature, and several of his translations of texts from the period remain authoritative and continue to be used by scholars and students. This diverse collection brings together a number of essays, sketches, short stories and other pieces that offer a comprehensive introduction to Butler's incisive and engaging style.