This comic novel by brothers George and Weedon Grossmith remains as entertaining and relevant today as the day it was first published. When it first appeared as a Punch magazine serial in 1888-89, The Diary of a Nobody became a minor sensation for its quirkiness and wit. George Grossmith was already an accomplished musical entertainer, having contributed to Gilbert and Sullivan's comic operas during the 1870s and 1880s, while Weedon was a notable actor and playwright. Combining their talents into this book, the result is an astute and amusing social satire with plentiful relevance even today. Much of The Diary of a Nobody's humour is derived from the protagonist's unwarranted sense of self-importance. Charles Pooter commonly affirms his sense of worthiness the text, but in actuality undergoes a series of small humiliations in social life, all the while striving for goals which had become common tropes of the lower-middle classes in English society.

With an Introduction and Notes by Michael Irwin, Professor of English Literature, University of Kent at Canterbury. The Diary of a Nobody is so unassuming a work that even its author, George Grossmith, seemed unaware that he had produced a masterpiece. For more than a century this wonderfully comic portrayal of suburban life and values has remained in print, a source of delight to generations of readers, and a major literary influence, much imitated but never equalled. If you don't recognise yourself at some point in The Diary you are probably less than human. If you can read it without laughing aloud you have no sense of humour.

‘I fail to see – because I do not happen to be a “Somebody” – why my diary should not be interesting’

Mr Pooter is a man of modest ambitions, content with his ordinary life. Yet he always seems to be troubled by disagreeable tradesmen, impertinent young office clerks and wayward friends, not to mention his devil-may-care son Lupin’s unsuitable choice of bride. Try as he might, he cannot avoid life’s embarrassing mishaps. In the bumbling, absurd yet ultimately endearing figure of Pooter, the Grossmiths created an immortal comic character and a superb satire on the snobberies of middle-class suburbia – one which also sends up late Victorian crazes for Aestheticism, spiritualism and bicycling, as well as the fashion for publishing diaries by anybody and everybody.

This edition contains the original illustrations by Weedon Grossmith, further reading and an introduction by Ed Glinert discussing the novel’s initial serialization in Punch, reactions to Pooter, the growth of suburbs and the figure of Mrs Pooter.

The Diary of a Nobody is a comic masterpiece that has been hugely influential since its first publication in 1892.

Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition features Weedon Grossmith’s original illustrations and an afterword by novelist Paul Bailey.

Proud to be ensconced with his wife Carrie at ‘The Laurels’ in the desirable London suburb of Holloway, bank clerk Charles Pooter decides to keep a diary. From the frequent visits from his dear friends Mr Cummings and Mr Gowing to the ups and downs of his feckless son Lupin, the self-regarding Mr Pooter considers, mistakenly, that all aspects of his life are worthy of note. The result is a hilarious spoof and a perfectly pitched satire on late Victorian society.

This comic novel by brothers George and Weedon Grossmith remains as entertaining and relevant today as the day it was first published. When it first appeared as a Punch magazine serial in 1888-89, The Diary of a Nobody became a minor sensation for its quirkiness and wit. George Grossmith was already an accomplished musical entertainer, having contributed to Gilbert and Sullivan's comic operas during the 1870s and 1880s, while Weedon was a notable actor and playwright. Combining their talents into this book, the result is an astute and amusing social satire with plentiful relevance even today. Much of The Diary of a Nobody's humour is derived from the protagonist's unwarranted sense of self-importance. Charles Pooter commonly affirms his sense of worthiness the text, but in actuality undergoes a series of small humiliations in social life, all the while striving for goals which had become common tropes of the lower-middle classes in English society.