It's NOT David Copperfield!

January 29, 2016 7:02 AM

I cannot remember this book and it is driving me crazy. When I was in France I was starving for English language books, and so came upon a relatively dense English novel about a young gentleman making his way in the world. It's not David Copperfield, but in a similar vein. The book was not an immediately recognizable to me at the time (I'm guessing it's a lesser work), but it's by a very well known English novelist, I'm thinking 18th or 19th century.

I was almost certain the author was William Makepeace Thackeray, but none of his works are jumping out at me. One other clue, I'm relatively certain the protagonist's name is alliterative, like William Wells, or Thomas Thompson, or some such.

posted by leotrotsky to Writing & Language (6 answers total)

Nicholas Nickelby?
posted by three_red_balloons at 7:06 AM on January 29, 2016

Response by poster: No, it's definitely NOT Dickens.
posted by leotrotsky at 7:07 AM on January 29, 2016

Barry Lyndon?
posted by pushing paper and bottoming chairs at 7:09 AM on January 29, 2016

Best answer: This always happens when I post an Ask Me. I think I've solved it myself. It's The History of Henry Esmond, Esq. The layout of the book is what tricked me into imagining an alliterative title.
posted by leotrotsky at 7:10 AM on January 29, 2016

Response by poster: Oh, spoiler. He's in love with the daughter for the whole book, and then marries her mom. Weird.
posted by leotrotsky at 7:13 AM on January 29, 2016

You might also have been mixing the title up with Daniel Deronda.
posted by ourobouros at 7:31 AM on January 29, 2016