The Tour of Doctor Syntax – William Combe 1812 | 1st Edition

$50.00

Author: William Combe; Thomas Rowlandson Illustrator
Publisher: R. Ackermann, London, [1812]
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Fair
Size: 8vo
Attributes: First Edition

First edition, first printing. Rebound in cloth, early 20th century. Binding tight, two leaves loose, unfortunately, all the color illustrations by Thomas Rowlandson have been removed from the book. Fair.

The Tour of Doctor Syntax – William Combe (1812)

A satirical illustrated verse narrative, The Tour of Doctor Syntax follows the misadventures of the eponymous clergyman-schoolmaster as he embarks on a comically disastrous journey across England in search of the “picturesque.” With witty rhyming couplets and Thomas Rowlandson’s lively illustrations, the poem lampoons the Romantic era’s obsession with landscape tourism, social pretensions, and the follies of human nature. From highway robberies to absurd romantic entanglements, Dr. Syntax’s escapades blend humor, social critique, and a touch of picaresque charm.

If You Liked This, Try:

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The Adventures of Roderick Random (Tobias Smollett, 1748) – A picaresque romp through 18th-century Britain’s highs and lows.