The Vicar of Wakefield
Oliver Goldsmith, Arthur Rackham
Hardcover
(David McKay Co., March 15, 1929)
The story, a portrait of village life, is narrated by Dr. Primrose, the title character, whose family endures many trials-including the loss of most of their money, the seduction of one daughter, the destruction of their home by fire, and the vicar's incarceration-before all is put right in the end. The novel's idealization of rural life, sentimental moralizing, and melodramatic incidents are countered by a sharp but good-natured irony.