Hmmm. An 18th century epistolary novel. A queer beast. Told in the manner of letters from a mixed bag of characters, this is a challenging but rewarding read.

The vastly different perspectives of our motley crew of narrators generates much fun in itself. I did enjoy the contrasting reflections on Bath. The older Bramble’s, “…the wreck of streets and squares disjointed by an earthquake, which hath broken the ground into a variety of holes and hillocks; or as if some Gothic devil had stuffed them altogether in a bag, and left them to stand higgledy piggledy”; and the younger niece Lydia – “…an Earthly paradise”.

There is a meandering plot of course – with romance, illegitimacy, and some extremely colourful chancers along the way. Yes, there is a challenge with some of the antiquated terms and phrases, but this is a genuinely warm, funny and insightful exploration of the human condition.