Summary
Tobias Smollett’s The Adventures of Roderick Random is a classic 18th-century picaresque novel that follows the raucous, often tragicomic misadventures of a young Scotsman trying to survive in a harsh and corrupt world.
Roderick “Rory” Random, the illegitimate son of a nobleman and a poor woman, is cast out into the world with little more than wit, pride, and determination.
From a miserable childhood to misadventures at school, to being cheated out of a military commission, Random faces constant hardship and injustice—most of it brought on by his lack of wealth, status, and proper connections.
Driven by a desire for recognition and social advancement, Random roams across England and beyond: serving as a ship’s surgeon in the Royal Navy, surviving naval battles, duels, kidnappings, and poverty, while encountering a colorful cast of rogues, fools, hypocrites, and the occasional true friend.
Through Random’s sharp observations and biting wit, Smollett paints a scathing portrait of 18th-century British society, particularly the cruelty of class distinctions, the incompetence of institutions like the navy and medicine, and the moral failings of the wealthy and powerful.
Published in 1748, Roderick Random was Smollett’s first novel, and it helped establish the picaresque form in English literature.
Based in part on Smollett’s own experiences as a naval surgeon, the novel combines realism, satire, and adventure in a way that both entertains and critiques.