The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom Preface

In which the reader is introduced to a novel by Tobias Smollett that departs from his usual vigorous and lively style, presenting characters and incidents with a melodramatic and romantic air rather than the familiar Georgian hustle and bustle. The work reveals a more structured, imaginative narrative that prefigures later romantic and detective fiction, though it frequently lacks the vitality and humour found in Smollett's earlier compositions.