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THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES OF FERDINAND COUNT FATHOM: ANNOTATION-FRIENDLY EDITION
Unique Elements
About The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom
The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom is a gripping and thrilling novel by the renowned Scottish author, Tobias Smollett. This gothic masterpiece follows the escapades of the dastardly Count Fathom, a notorious con artist who will stop at nothing to achieve his sinister goals.
Set against the backdrop of the 18th century, the novel is full of twists and turns, and takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride through the seedy underworld of Europe. Fathom's exploits are dark and disturbing, and the gothic elements of the novel add an extra layer of suspense and intrigue that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
But The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom is more than just a thrilling gothic tale. Smollett's writing is masterful, and his characters are complex and nuanced, making this novel a fascinating exploration of human nature and the lengths people will go to achieve their desires.
If you're looking for a captivating and thought-provoking read, The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom is not to be missed. So why wait? Get your copy today and experience the dark and twisted world of one of the greatest literary antiheroes of all time.
About The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom
The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom is a gripping and thrilling novel by the renowned Scottish author, Tobias Smollett. This gothic masterpiece follows the escapades of the dastardly Count Fathom, a notorious con artist who will stop at nothing to achieve his sinister goals.
Set against the backdrop of the 18th century, the novel is full of twists and turns, and takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride through the seedy underworld of Europe. Fathom's exploits are dark and disturbing, and the gothic elements of the novel add an extra layer of suspense and intrigue that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
But The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom is more than just a thrilling gothic tale. Smollett's writing is masterful, and his characters are complex and nuanced, making this novel a fascinating exploration of human nature and the lengths people will go to achieve their desires.
If you're looking for a captivating and thought-provoking read, The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom is not to be missed. So why wait? Get your copy today and experience the dark and twisted world of one of the greatest literary antiheroes of all time.
594 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1753
10 people are currently reading
332 people want to read
About the author
Tobias Smollett
1,707 books96 followersTobias George Smollett was born in Dalquhurn, now part of Renton, Scotland, to a prosperous family and educated at the University of Glasgow, where he studied to be a physician. Later he joined the British Royal Navy as a surgeon's mate. He was present at the disastrous battle against the Spanish at Cartagena in 1741.
He married a British woman named Anne " Nancy" Lascelles, in Jamaica, 1747,and settled in England. In London, as a writer, he became successful. The Adventures of Roderick Random (1748), a picaresque novel - like most of his books - made him a well known author. It was followed by The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle in 1751. But the failure of The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom (1753) caused financial difficulties for him. Publishing The Adventures of Sir Launcelot Greaves (1762) didn't help.
Writing poems, plays, travel and history books, essays, satires, doing translations and even becoming a literary critic and magazine editor, Dr. Smollett struggled all his short life against poverty, he traveled to Italy, to regain his health, but died of tuberculosis near Livorno, in 1771. Ironically finishing his masterpiece, The Expedition of Humphry Clinker, a few months before his death.
Charles Dickens was a great admirer of Tobias Smollett, even visiting his grave site.
He married a British woman named Anne " Nancy" Lascelles, in Jamaica, 1747,and settled in England. In London, as a writer, he became successful. The Adventures of Roderick Random (1748), a picaresque novel - like most of his books - made him a well known author. It was followed by The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle in 1751. But the failure of The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom (1753) caused financial difficulties for him. Publishing The Adventures of Sir Launcelot Greaves (1762) didn't help.
Writing poems, plays, travel and history books, essays, satires, doing translations and even becoming a literary critic and magazine editor, Dr. Smollett struggled all his short life against poverty, he traveled to Italy, to regain his health, but died of tuberculosis near Livorno, in 1771. Ironically finishing his masterpiece, The Expedition of Humphry Clinker, a few months before his death.
Charles Dickens was a great admirer of Tobias Smollett, even visiting his grave site.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 8, 2024
The hero or antihero, as some harsh readers might say in our current cynical society, of the story of Count Fathom; travels with his mother an angel of mercy and camp follower (a dubious name). She kindly puts wounded soldiers out of their misery, with a sharp knife (don't call it murder!), and picks up a few trinkets from the deceased a well deserved honor some said, beside they had no more use for them. The mother's great work for the benefit of the human race is stopped by a contemptible villain shooting her, a cowardly act some people are pure evil. A generous German officer takes the nine -year -old future count and raises the destitute boy. Learning rapidly of the facts of life and much more. Our good maybe hero later pays back his kind benefactor, by removing some items from the owner, his foster father that will hardly be missed. Borrowing his useful title also, he crosses Europe and gives lonely women his love (what a Nice guy ). Somehow jewelry and money keep appearing in his own pocket, a mystery never solved. Going to quiet England, to start a new business venture but unjust merchants there prevent his continuing good deeds by putting him in jail unjustly. Over a few unpaid bills; people are so unreasonable. These ...aaa... aaa......misunderstandings are resolved and the "Count" is freed thank heaven. Which shows you that a good man is ultimately rewarded for his vast "philanthropy "! The cantankerous author did not take any guff from anyone, hence he had few close friends surprisingly, this is hard to... ...contemplate my friends. A curmudgeon disliked because of his odd behavior, the sensitive will always be annoyed.
October 29, 2013
‘Ferdinand Count Fathom’ was the first book in which Smollett relied on invention rather than experience. The upside of this is that he creates a series of incidents which intriguingly prefigure the Gothic style of a later era; the downside is that the book is simply not very good, despite a strong opening chapter and some fine creepy moments.
As a book, ‘Fathom’ is almost entirely cynical. Its protagonist (who is certainly no hero) has almost no redeeming features. Unfortunately, this does not lend a great deal of interest to the story or the protagonist’s character. Smollett was not a cynic by nature, and his attempts to be so strike a rather forced note.
As a book, ‘Fathom’ is almost entirely cynical. Its protagonist (who is certainly no hero) has almost no redeeming features. Unfortunately, this does not lend a great deal of interest to the story or the protagonist’s character. Smollett was not a cynic by nature, and his attempts to be so strike a rather forced note.
July 4, 2025
The Adventures of Ferdinand, Count Fathom by Tobias Smollett – included on The 1,000 Novels Everyone Must Read List http://poemeglume.blogspot.com/2023/0...
7 out of 10
The Adventures of Ferdinand, Count Fathom was first published in 1753, which might mean that it is not for the tastes of readers from our times, not even middle aged ones, like yours truly (who is actually sixty in a couple of months, but like to adopt the ‘the sixties are the new forties’ slogan) who has abandoned this
Hence, the spoiler alert, warning, disclaimer to avoid being (again) censored for spam – though I did not get the inclusion in that category, a reading of the definition could help, but this being my note, until it is obliterated by the Goodreads staff, and then it will still be available at the new blog https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/ I say that spam is used for the unrequested messages we receive, meant to make us buy things
In this situation, they eliminated my ‘review’ of Cleo from 5 to 7 http://realini.blogspot.com/2023/07/c... one that I clearly, obstinately promote since they dared confront me, while they keep at number 1 for Romania, a fellow that has Nothing But Spam
Socrate does not bring Anything to those curious that belongs to him, he posts hundreds of ‘reviews’ per day, because he just uses ‘copy and paste’, so if you want to know the opinion of a reader, which is what Goodreads was meant to be about, then you do not have that chance, when they allow such a fraud.
Admittedly, these lines do not bring information, succor, mirth, well, anything, but at the very least, somebody takes the trouble to put some thoughts into it (lamentable, ludicrous, off subject as they are, but hey, the warning is up there) while the laureate only copies from others and passes it as his own…
Which brings me to Ferdinand, who is a crook that lived centuries ago, in the imagination of his creator Tobias Smollett, and has a good number of descendants, one is up there on Goodreads, as I have repeatedly written above (that is because they have infuriated me, penalizing the smaller evil, and allowing Satan to rule the realm)
Umberto Eco, the late spectacular ecrivain, has said that ‘The person who doesn't read lives only one life…The reader lives 5000…Reading is immortality backwards’ – the problem with Ferdinand, Count Fathom, would be that his life is not all that enticing, or for me, it was acceptable, mirthful for the first chapters
Looking at the more than ten hours left in the company of this crook, it felt that the jocular tone would not be compensated by something that is too familiar, Umberto Eco is right in speaking of those five thousand lives, but is they are different from what you see daily, which is what we have now
The Era of the Confidence Man http://realini.blogspot.com/2023/09/c... Trump reigns supreme, he is the Quintessential Scoundrel, and he has a multitude of replicas, smaller mostly, not every ruffian can come close to ruling, coming on top of the Western World
You have Xi, Putin, Maduro, MBS, Kim of North Korea, the king of Thailand, the list of idiots, tyrants, mad or all at the same time is long, and let me refer to a passage from a longer quote, which is listed at the bottom of this ‘Fiction's people are fuller, deeper, cleverer, more moving than those in real life…Its actions are more intricate, illuminating, noble, profound’ written by Malcolm Bradbury http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/09/t... in his masterpiece...
To The Hermitage – this is a glorious revelation, an epiphany really – read and then you have access to five thousand lives (Eco) and subscription to the world which is more illuminated, with Clever people (Bradbury) – furthermore, you have a sort of test to apply to the books you want to read, even the acclaimed ones
Is the world of this book mirthful, inspiring, awesome, better than what you see outside, what about the characters, especially the main one, does he pass the test, and in this particular instance, Ferdinand has cunning, he can be amusing, but there is little sympathy there – it may come from the genes, Smollett himself comments that "Fathom justifies the proverb, 'What's bred in the bone will never come out of the flesh"
Reading Constantin Noica https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... I found that proverbs are not what they are acclaimed to be, infinite wisdom of the masses, hoi polloi, take ‘all is fair in love and war, or appearances deceive’, what you see is most often the truth
Ferdinand’s mother was robbing dead people, she dies in the act of trying to steal from a moribund, and the son is following in the footsteps, the debate nature versus nature is solved by admitting that we have a combination of the two, for Count Fathom however, his nature is that of a villain, seducing, stealing…
He is also in danger of losing, even his life, in one instance, he is nearly knifed to death by brigands, indeed, they think they have murdered him, because he has the cunning to put a corpse in the bed, in his place…in conclusion, this is not the best comedy I have read, I strongly recommend Kingsley Amis http://realini.blogspot.com/2023/03/l... instead of Tobias Smollett
Now for a question, and invitation – maybe you have a good idea on how we could make more than a million dollars with this http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/02/u... – as it is, this is a unique technique, which we could promote, sell, open the Oscars show with or something and then make lots of money together, if you have the how, I have the product, I just do not know how to get the befits from it, other than the exercise per se
As for my role in the Revolution that killed Ceausescu, a smaller Mao, there it is http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/03/r...
Some favorite quotes from To The Heritage and other works
‘Fiction is infinitely preferable to real life...As long as you avoid the books of Kafka or Beckett, the everlasting plot of fiction has fewer futile experiences than the careless plot of reality...Fiction's people are fuller, deeper, cleverer, more moving than those in real life…Its actions are more intricate, illuminating, noble, profound…There are many more dramas, climaxes, romantic fulfillment, twists, turns, gratified resolutions…Unlike reality, all of this you can experience without leaving the house or even getting out of bed…What's more, books are a form of intelligent human greatness, as stories are a higher order of sense…As random life is to destiny, so stories are to great authors, who provided us with some of the highest pleasures and the most wonderful mystifications we can find…Few stories are greater than Anna Karenina, that wise epic by an often foolish author…’
‚parturiunt montes, nascetur ridiculus mus’
“From Monty Python - The Meaning of Life...Well, it's nothing very special...Try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations.”
Comentarii
7 out of 10
The Adventures of Ferdinand, Count Fathom was first published in 1753, which might mean that it is not for the tastes of readers from our times, not even middle aged ones, like yours truly (who is actually sixty in a couple of months, but like to adopt the ‘the sixties are the new forties’ slogan) who has abandoned this
Hence, the spoiler alert, warning, disclaimer to avoid being (again) censored for spam – though I did not get the inclusion in that category, a reading of the definition could help, but this being my note, until it is obliterated by the Goodreads staff, and then it will still be available at the new blog https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/ I say that spam is used for the unrequested messages we receive, meant to make us buy things
In this situation, they eliminated my ‘review’ of Cleo from 5 to 7 http://realini.blogspot.com/2023/07/c... one that I clearly, obstinately promote since they dared confront me, while they keep at number 1 for Romania, a fellow that has Nothing But Spam
Socrate does not bring Anything to those curious that belongs to him, he posts hundreds of ‘reviews’ per day, because he just uses ‘copy and paste’, so if you want to know the opinion of a reader, which is what Goodreads was meant to be about, then you do not have that chance, when they allow such a fraud.
Admittedly, these lines do not bring information, succor, mirth, well, anything, but at the very least, somebody takes the trouble to put some thoughts into it (lamentable, ludicrous, off subject as they are, but hey, the warning is up there) while the laureate only copies from others and passes it as his own…
Which brings me to Ferdinand, who is a crook that lived centuries ago, in the imagination of his creator Tobias Smollett, and has a good number of descendants, one is up there on Goodreads, as I have repeatedly written above (that is because they have infuriated me, penalizing the smaller evil, and allowing Satan to rule the realm)
Umberto Eco, the late spectacular ecrivain, has said that ‘The person who doesn't read lives only one life…The reader lives 5000…Reading is immortality backwards’ – the problem with Ferdinand, Count Fathom, would be that his life is not all that enticing, or for me, it was acceptable, mirthful for the first chapters
Looking at the more than ten hours left in the company of this crook, it felt that the jocular tone would not be compensated by something that is too familiar, Umberto Eco is right in speaking of those five thousand lives, but is they are different from what you see daily, which is what we have now
The Era of the Confidence Man http://realini.blogspot.com/2023/09/c... Trump reigns supreme, he is the Quintessential Scoundrel, and he has a multitude of replicas, smaller mostly, not every ruffian can come close to ruling, coming on top of the Western World
You have Xi, Putin, Maduro, MBS, Kim of North Korea, the king of Thailand, the list of idiots, tyrants, mad or all at the same time is long, and let me refer to a passage from a longer quote, which is listed at the bottom of this ‘Fiction's people are fuller, deeper, cleverer, more moving than those in real life…Its actions are more intricate, illuminating, noble, profound’ written by Malcolm Bradbury http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/09/t... in his masterpiece...
To The Hermitage – this is a glorious revelation, an epiphany really – read and then you have access to five thousand lives (Eco) and subscription to the world which is more illuminated, with Clever people (Bradbury) – furthermore, you have a sort of test to apply to the books you want to read, even the acclaimed ones
Is the world of this book mirthful, inspiring, awesome, better than what you see outside, what about the characters, especially the main one, does he pass the test, and in this particular instance, Ferdinand has cunning, he can be amusing, but there is little sympathy there – it may come from the genes, Smollett himself comments that "Fathom justifies the proverb, 'What's bred in the bone will never come out of the flesh"
Reading Constantin Noica https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... I found that proverbs are not what they are acclaimed to be, infinite wisdom of the masses, hoi polloi, take ‘all is fair in love and war, or appearances deceive’, what you see is most often the truth
Ferdinand’s mother was robbing dead people, she dies in the act of trying to steal from a moribund, and the son is following in the footsteps, the debate nature versus nature is solved by admitting that we have a combination of the two, for Count Fathom however, his nature is that of a villain, seducing, stealing…
He is also in danger of losing, even his life, in one instance, he is nearly knifed to death by brigands, indeed, they think they have murdered him, because he has the cunning to put a corpse in the bed, in his place…in conclusion, this is not the best comedy I have read, I strongly recommend Kingsley Amis http://realini.blogspot.com/2023/03/l... instead of Tobias Smollett
Now for a question, and invitation – maybe you have a good idea on how we could make more than a million dollars with this http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/02/u... – as it is, this is a unique technique, which we could promote, sell, open the Oscars show with or something and then make lots of money together, if you have the how, I have the product, I just do not know how to get the befits from it, other than the exercise per se
As for my role in the Revolution that killed Ceausescu, a smaller Mao, there it is http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/03/r...
Some favorite quotes from To The Heritage and other works
‘Fiction is infinitely preferable to real life...As long as you avoid the books of Kafka or Beckett, the everlasting plot of fiction has fewer futile experiences than the careless plot of reality...Fiction's people are fuller, deeper, cleverer, more moving than those in real life…Its actions are more intricate, illuminating, noble, profound…There are many more dramas, climaxes, romantic fulfillment, twists, turns, gratified resolutions…Unlike reality, all of this you can experience without leaving the house or even getting out of bed…What's more, books are a form of intelligent human greatness, as stories are a higher order of sense…As random life is to destiny, so stories are to great authors, who provided us with some of the highest pleasures and the most wonderful mystifications we can find…Few stories are greater than Anna Karenina, that wise epic by an often foolish author…’
‚parturiunt montes, nascetur ridiculus mus’
“From Monty Python - The Meaning of Life...Well, it's nothing very special...Try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations.”
Comentarii
November 25, 2019
This was a hard one to get through but I really enjoyed it a lot and it's such an interesting and often funny portrait of 18 the century life.
It's definitely a very uneven book though in the sense that the first half fairly zips along with incident as Count Fathom cheats, swindles and seduces person after person. In the second half although parts of his downfall are hilarious, it becomes more of a slog as we start to see him being punished for his immorality.
There's a lot of unbelievable twists and turns at the end to undo what the narrative of the first half has done. Renaldo's character by the end reminded me of Job.
It's definitely a very uneven book though in the sense that the first half fairly zips along with incident as Count Fathom cheats, swindles and seduces person after person. In the second half although parts of his downfall are hilarious, it becomes more of a slog as we start to see him being punished for his immorality.
There's a lot of unbelievable twists and turns at the end to undo what the narrative of the first half has done. Renaldo's character by the end reminded me of Job.
January 25, 2012
A series of adventures following the anti-hero Fathom. A rake and scoundrel in the 18th century.
Want to read
September 15, 2015Free download available at Project Gutenberg.
March 27, 2024
Wretched 'hero' with last chapter repentance.
June 5, 2021
It's not bad. It does feel like Smollett is getting paid by the chapter though. Similar to how Dickens goes 25% longer than necessary, Smollett is more like 33% over in this one. Part "Canterbury Tales", part Shakespearian comedy, part "Dangerous Liaisons", part "Othello", part "Flashman", Smollett takes us on a cross-continental adventure with 18th century anti-hero Ferdinand Fathom. Fathom's mother is widowed and robs dead and dying soldiers on battlefields to earn for herself and her young son Ferdinand. She meets her end all too soon. This most colorful of characters gives way to her heir.
Ferdinand is all scheme and no morals. Smollett uses Ferdinand to cross from Germany to Italy to Paris to London and other European towns. He is constantly on the move as his reputation and wronged women and friends soon discover that they have been had by a manipulative scoundrel. Unlike other notable villains, Fathom lacks even the slimmest of humanity. This makes for a difficult and dark journey. It is common to develop a level of apology and connection to even the most dastardly of characters, but Smollett does not leave an opening for this sympathy. There is too much death and ruin in Fathom's wake.
Chapter after chapter Fathom blazes his destruction through the towns he visits while taking on personas such as nobleman, soldier and doctor. Smollett is overly ambitious. He attempts to bring the world of these professions to the reader but the depictions are warped, shallow and singular to Fathom. We get a taste, but not the essence of the society, places and professions that Fathom briefly occupies.
As the book mercifully winds down, Smollett retraces his steps and brings a wronged couple into the fore. This love story of star-crossed lovers takes center stage as Smollett finally decided to lighten the mood and bring about a Shakespearian happy ending. Former victims of Fathom are revived and connected as justice finally catches up with the fiendish Fathom.
There are great moments of humor and storytelling but the pacing is too slow and torturous to keep the story moving. The conclusion unwinds numerous Fathom wrongs and Smollett is overly comprehensive in restoring nearly all of his victims in overly convenient and unrealistic fashion.
It is not an unworthy read but in comparison to the sharper storytelling and depictions of Dickens or the more outlandish and scathing tales of "Flashman", "Fathom" falls lower on the time versus value equation. I am not a fan of "Flashman" either, but the disturbing actions of that character are more provocative and thoughtful than Smollett's Fathom.
Ferdinand is all scheme and no morals. Smollett uses Ferdinand to cross from Germany to Italy to Paris to London and other European towns. He is constantly on the move as his reputation and wronged women and friends soon discover that they have been had by a manipulative scoundrel. Unlike other notable villains, Fathom lacks even the slimmest of humanity. This makes for a difficult and dark journey. It is common to develop a level of apology and connection to even the most dastardly of characters, but Smollett does not leave an opening for this sympathy. There is too much death and ruin in Fathom's wake.
Chapter after chapter Fathom blazes his destruction through the towns he visits while taking on personas such as nobleman, soldier and doctor. Smollett is overly ambitious. He attempts to bring the world of these professions to the reader but the depictions are warped, shallow and singular to Fathom. We get a taste, but not the essence of the society, places and professions that Fathom briefly occupies.
As the book mercifully winds down, Smollett retraces his steps and brings a wronged couple into the fore. This love story of star-crossed lovers takes center stage as Smollett finally decided to lighten the mood and bring about a Shakespearian happy ending. Former victims of Fathom are revived and connected as justice finally catches up with the fiendish Fathom.
There are great moments of humor and storytelling but the pacing is too slow and torturous to keep the story moving. The conclusion unwinds numerous Fathom wrongs and Smollett is overly comprehensive in restoring nearly all of his victims in overly convenient and unrealistic fashion.
It is not an unworthy read but in comparison to the sharper storytelling and depictions of Dickens or the more outlandish and scathing tales of "Flashman", "Fathom" falls lower on the time versus value equation. I am not a fan of "Flashman" either, but the disturbing actions of that character are more provocative and thoughtful than Smollett's Fathom.
Want to read
September 29, 2017* 1000 novels everyone must read: the definitive list: Comedy
Selected by the Guardian's Review team and a panel of expert judges, this list includes only novels – no memoirs, no short stories, no long poems – from any decade and in any language. Originally published in thematic supplements – love, crime, comedy, family and self, state of the nation, science fiction and fantasy, war and travel – they appear here for the first time in a single list.
Selected by the Guardian's Review team and a panel of expert judges, this list includes only novels – no memoirs, no short stories, no long poems – from any decade and in any language. Originally published in thematic supplements – love, crime, comedy, family and self, state of the nation, science fiction and fantasy, war and travel – they appear here for the first time in a single list.
May 22, 2018
Oh dear. Not very good but am giving it a second star for taking time to come up with so many different 'adventures' for Fathom and Melvil to go through - even though these weren't particularly good adventures.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews