''Augustus Carp, Esq., By Himself: Being the Autobiography of a Really Good Man'' is a
satire
Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming ...
, originally anonymous, first published in the United Kingdom in May 1924 and, later that year, by
Houghton Mifflin
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star.
Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...
in the United States.
The author was an English physician, Sir
Henry Howarth Bashford
Sir Henry Howarth Bashford (13 January 1880 – 15 August 1961) was a distinguished English physician, becoming Honorary Physician to King George VI. He was also an author, most notably of satirical novels.
Early life
Bashford was born in Ke ...
(1880–1961), and the illustrations were by "Robin" (
Marjorie Blood
Marjorie is a female given name derived from Margaret, which means pearl. It can also be spelled as Margery or Marjory. Marjorie is a medieval variant of Margery, influenced by the name of the herb marjoram. It came into English from the Old Fren ...
).
In his preface to a 1986 edition of the book,
Anthony Burgess
John Anthony Burgess Wilson, (; 25 February 1917 – 22 November 1993), who published under the name Anthony Burgess, was an English writer and composer.
Although Burgess was primarily a comic writer, his Utopian and dystopian fiction, d ...
wrote:
[''Augustus Carp Esq, by himself: being the autobiography of a really good man''. First published in Bookmasters, 1985, by the Boydell Press, an imprint of Boydell and Brewer Ltd, Fifth Printing, 1986 ]
The book you have in your hands or hand or on your knee is one of the great comic novels of the twentieth century.
In the same edition of that book,
Frank Muir
Frank Herbert Muir (5 February 1920 – 2 January 1998) was an English comedy writer, radio and television personality, and raconteur. His writing and performing partnership with Denis Norden endured for most of their careers. Together they wro ...
wrote:
One of those little masterpieces that seems to pop up from nowhere: a sovereign cure for morbid thoughts and lack of lustre.
Kenneth Williams
Kenneth Charles Williams (22 February 1926 – 15 April 1988) was an English actor of Welsh heritage. He was best known for his comedy roles and in later life as a raconteur and diarist. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the 31 Car ...
also greatly enjoyed the book:
I had a great deal of trouble at the microphone when I read ''Augustus Carp'' for the BBC, caused by the need to stifle my laughter.
References
{{authority control
External links
Full text of the novel with illustrationsReview of ''Augustus Carp, Esq.''
on The Neglected Books Page
''The Neglected Books Page'' is a book review website. The site features reviews of books that have been, according to the site, "neglected, overlooked, forgotten, or stranded by changing tides in critical or popular taste." The site was founded i ...
1924 books
Satirical books