The Diary of a Nobody

What It's About

Presented as the daily journal of Charles Pooter, a clerk of modest but respectable standing living at "The Laurels," Brickfield Terrace, Holloway, the book records his small domestic triumphs and endless minor humiliations: awkward exchanges with tradesmen, mishaps at dinner parties, disputes over calling cards, and the general business of maintaining dignity on a limited income. Much of the comedy comes from the gap between how seriously Pooter takes himself and how trivial his concerns actually are, alongside the running exasperation caused by his wayward son Lupin and a small circle of friends and neighbours.

Key Concepts

The novel is a gentle satire of lower-middle-class Victorian respectability and social anxiety, told entirely through the unreliable, self-regarding voice of its diarist. It originated as a series of comic sketches in Punch magazine before being expanded into book form, and its close, deadpan observation of everyday suburban life has made it one of the more enduring comic voices of the period.

About the Author

George Grossmith (1847–1912) was an English comedian, singer, and writer, best known for originating many of the leading comic roles in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas at the Savoy Theatre before becoming one of the most popular solo entertainers of his day. His younger brother, Weedon Grossmith (1854–1919), was an English actor, painter, and playwright who specialised in comic stage roles and also illustrated this book.