The Broad Highway

The Broad Highway #1

by Jeffery Farnol

western

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Historical, Historical Fiction, Classics, Adventure, Regency

464 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1910

About the author

John Jeffery Farnol was born in Aston, Birmingham, England, UK, son of Kate Jeffery and Henry John Farnol, a factory-employed brass-founder. The marriage had three more children, two boys and a girl.] He was brought up in London and Kent. He attended the Westminster School of Art, after he had lost his job in a Birmingham metal-working firm.

In 1900 he married Blanche Wilhelmina Victoria Hawley (1883–1955), the 16 years old daughter of the noted New York scenic artist H. Hughson Hawley; they moved to the United States, where he found work as a scene painter. The marriage had a daughter, Gillian Hawley. He returned to England around 1910, and settled in Eastbourne, Sussex. In 1938, he divorced and remarried with Phyllis Mary Clarke on 20 May, and adopted her daughter, Charmian Jane.

On 9 August 1952, he died aged 73 in Eastbourne, after a long battle with cancer.

Farnol published his first romance novel My Lady Caprice in 1907. The success of his early novels led Farnol toeventually become a professional writer. He produced around 40 novels and volumes of stories, and some non-fiction and children's books. His last book was completed by his second wife Phyllis.

From Wikipedia

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An old tale of a young man’s journey to his future. I loved the gentle humor of the story and the narration by the hero, as well as how he reacts to the things that go on around him in the story.

However, I would only recommend it to adults. There is frequent swearing but of more concern is the explicit statements that “Jesus was one of many sons of God” and “miracles are just examples of faith working” (context means mind over matter, saying a true miracle isn’t possible), as well as saying “Scripture says” Eve “ate an apple, then lied” and ruined the world thereby....definitely not what the Bible teaches. Also the Preacher “teaches a Gospel not of narrowness but of good works.” Honestly, it’s got a lot of theological stuff for a general market book, even one this old. His Jeffersonian deism got on my nerves and annoyed me because it claimed to follow Scripture but was never further from it. Thus I can only recommend it to those secure in their doctrine. Lacking the Jeffersonian deism, this book could easily have landed on my favorites list.

[Tweety · Rating 5 out of 5]

, 4 1/2 I took half a star off because it starts too slowly, Winds of Fortune has a faster, livelier beginning.

(*Sigh*) It was so good…

Peter Vibart is his uncle's favorite nephew and as such, it has always been expected that he would inherit the lands, fortune and title of his uncle. But, his shocking Will says otherwise. Peter will only inherit if he marries Lady Sophia, the toast of the ton. All he will be giving to aid him is ten measly guineas.

His cousin, Maurice Vibart has the same option, but without the ten guineas. However, he has been in London, and with Sophia for a whole season. The two cousins have never met. They are like ships passing in the night, without a clue as to what the other is really like. But, one day they will met. Will they meet as friends, or enemies?

Peter has never been ambitious, he likes his books, and riding. Everything else is hazy. So when he is handed his ten guineas he packs a knapsack and goes. He travels as far from London as he can. Never dreaming that his trip would be so disastrous, so wonderful.

He meets everyone and everything imaginable… down to his cousin. Tinkers, Farmers and Highwaymen all looking to see what they can get out of him. Thankfully he isn't too daft and saves himself from a lot of it trouble. But he can't save himself from everything…

A half sane man hunts him through the woods, never loosing sight of him, firmly beliveing that Peter killed his wife. Baffled, Peter escapes him only to find that people he has never seen know him, and fear him. Why is it that so many people hate him on sight?

Peter was so unusual! He was mild and easy going. He even managed to cool down Black George, the Smith! And Sophia, she was a sweet darling! How could Peter have not guessed who she was? Maurice, we don't see much of. But the little we did see of him made him wholly unlikable.

This book had everything I love, Abductions, Highwaymen and Adventure. There was even (shudder) murder. It's free of nearly all swears, other than a few D's. It's perfectly clean too. There is a 'haunted house', which is not haunted. (a very much alive Scotsman lives there and scares people away).
Now on to the Violence. There was a round of boxing, not blow by blow thankfully. And if you don't what to hear about someone having blood dripping (not gory but it is mentioned when Peter gets a blow to the head and when a crazy man is reliving the past), then you may want to skim those two parts.

Other than that it's fine. So the violence makes a G into a PG. It's not put over nasty, but there is one creepy scene. (the crazy man)

BOTTOM LINE: I loved it! And I'm so glad my copy had pictures, it was fun seeing Old Ancient hobble around and Black George swing his hammer.

On a Side Note, there are a few 'sequels', in other words Jeffery Farnol wrote a few other books featuring some of the same characters. They are: Charmian, Lady Vibart and Peregrine's Progress.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still my favorite and probably always will be. Just a good-hearted book and wonderful characters; from the Ancient, to Black George, to sweet Prudence, mercurial Charmain, and Peter Vibart. If you want to try out Farnol's works, The Broad Highway is a great one to start and one of the great swashbucklers.

[Sylvester (Taking a break in 2023) · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5* Out of sheer disappointment. Everything was good, great, in fact - a great start, I'd say. There was more than enough groundwork for a satisfying story, one where the reader knows exactly what has to happen, but no clue how, and bad things happen to our hero but he's plucky...
And then the girl shows up.

Wet blanket. And the story died - sadly, about 20 chapters before the end of the book.

Howsomever - on a positive note: this was a Librivox recording, and some of the readers were excellent - 2 of them, one man, one woman, sing extraordinarily well. I kept on because of them.

[Nuranar · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite Farnol novels. Farnol creates a dreamlike sense of wonder that is delightful. This books is a period story of action and romance and mystery, told with humor, simplicity, power - and whimsy. Not to be missed.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this book mainly for the story and narative. I could read this again someday.
Peter and Charmain were meant to be together. Charmain was the name of the woman that played the oldest daughter Leisl in the Sound of Music Movie. From the Bard and Banker library list.

[Tania Kollias · Rating 3 out of 5]

My mum said she remembers her mother had read it, so thought it would be interesting. The 1910 romantic novel is set in her stomping grounds in Kent, and you can practically visualize a 1930s b&w film/dialogue, which reminds me of the Scarlet Pimpernel in reverse. Writing about an era 100 years before and still being in the realm of the known past for the author's (and readers') parents was astonishing.
It was the No. 1 bestseller of 1911 in the US, after first being published in the UK after the US publisher apparently passed, saying it was too England-specific.
As for an opinion, the last sentence of the NY Times review of Feb 19, 1911 pretty much sums up my thoughts: "...the astute proviso that the burden of credulity shall rest with the reader rather than the author."
Good for its time perhaps, but a little too self-congratulatory, wordy, and too many times belief must be suspended.

[Ida Hiorns · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This started off wonderfully - an exciting adventure story full of incident, humour, and eccentric characters - if it had carried on this way it would have been worthy of 5 stars.
Sadly with the arrival of the love interest it became rather overwrought and dull. Also I couldn’t understand why the author seemed to have such a fondness for the character of “Black Jarge” who spent most of the the book manhandling his neighbours, sulking or beating the hero to the point of brain damage.
It’s a shame because it started off so very promisingly

[Randall A Vermillion · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read. My wife read it before me and couldn't help giving me clues along the way. My only complaint is that the main character, 1st person Peter, went from just being non-observant to being a complete idiot. You just keep asking yourself "when is he going to figure this out" which, of course, he eventually does. The other character development was well-done and again, it was a fun read.

[Patrick Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo! What a precious story

I really enjoyed this story. Watching the young man griw up and learn how to live life and love was a great journey. Good characters, good storyline, and a nice love story. This was a good read.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Jeffrey Farnol book I read as a teenager.

[Attlerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, but a bit cringey and terribly sexist.

[A Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy days

I last read Farnol when I was a schoolboy. I enjoyed him then and enjoyed him now. I simply loved this book.

[Nicholas Whyte · Rating 2 out of 5]

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1794675...

This was the best-selling novel of 1911, a romantic tale set in about 1811 where you know what is going to happen from the very first page, when Peter Vibart is promised a vast legacy if he will marry Sophia Sefton, but declares he would rather not. He flees metropolitan life to the village of Sissinghurst in Kent, where he encounters many good-hearted comic yokels and falls in love with a mysterious woman who comes to live with him in his cottage. She has firm, well-rounded arms. (That's arms, I say, arms.) It takes Peter (unlike the reader) most of the book to work out her real identity, and to deal with his rival for the marital legacy, his rather two-dimensionally villainous cousin, though I guess he is distracted by the occasional staggering coincidence and his anachronistic inclination towards Christian Science doctrine. I had never heard of Farnol before but apparently he was one of the most successful popular novelists of the first half of the twentieth century, and I suppose I can see the attraction of his undemanding yet breathless style. (Sissinghurst, by the way, was called Milkstreet in 1811 and changed its name only later in the century; more anachronism.)

[Pippa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my grandparents' favourite book. They were born right at the very beginning of the twentieth century, and they felt that Jeffery Farnol's books described their world exactly as it was when they were growing up. This was the absolute favourite, and with their reminiscences I came to realise what a valuable historical source his books were. The mood and the characters of rural England at that time are what I remember of this book. I don't think it had a very strong plot. Well worth reading if you are interested in that period, or would like to imagine a very different time.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a classic example of the early 20th century notion of the hero as manly, mystic, bohemian laborer who has abandoned the upper class life, love as other-worldly, pure, unfathomable nature and evil as indolent, violent excess.

It reminds me a bit of those elements as found in "Green Mansions" (which was also written during the same decade) in that respect. But it has far more plot and is much more hopeful and includes some swashbuckle, so it is therefore far more readable.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the 1923 edition which I borrowed from UCLA. I remember liking it. And I remember it being vaguely related to my research at the time (the American highway as language) but I don't remember the details of the plot.

[Wyyknot · Rating 5 out of 5]

The broad highway by Jeffery Farnol (1911)

[Taralyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! It is beautiful and funny, and it reminds me of my Grandpa Untersinger and my dad, who love this era dearly.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book every summer from when I was 14 (?) to 20 or so. Silliest book. I loved it. Mistaken identity, romance, peril,adventure.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Jeffery Farnol's work. This one is no exception.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun and interesting book. Full of twists and turns on the plot, with a set of colorful characters. This book deserves to be far better known.

[Madeline Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, funny, rambly. The main character is Jason.

[Patrizia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stavolta Jeffery Farnol, pur collocando la sua storia in piena reggenza, fa gentilmente il verso ai più celebri 'romanzi di viaggio e di formazione' settecenteschi, come 'Joseph Andrews' e 'Tom Jones' di Fielding, 'Humphry Clinker' di Smollett, 'Tristram Shandy' di Sterne, 'The Vicar of Wakefield' di Goldsmith e altri ancora, in una chiara dimensione meta-letteraria che distanzia e per così dire 'sterilizza' la narrazione. Tuttavia, il lettore non riesce a non affezionarsi al protagonista, un giovane di nobile famiglia e di elevata cultura (ma quanto greco e quanto latino sapevano questi maledetti britanni!) che, trovandosi senza un soldo, decide di gettare alle ortiche la sua inutile scienza e affrontare la vita a mani nude, praticando l'arte del fabbro ferraio e passando attraverso innumerevoli avventure e disavventure.
Ma - contrariamente a quanto capita all'omologo 'Cavaliere dalla trista figura' – alla fine dei giochi dovrà riconoscere che senza i suoi studi e i suoi libri, e senza la tanto vituperata educazione da gentiluomo, non sarebbe mai riuscito a salvare contemporaneamente la pelle e la morale, e non avrebbe avuto in premio la donna dei suoi sogni.

[John Monks]

Was recommended this book by my grandmother and I've read this book a number of times since.
Classic historical romance.
Jeffery Farnol is the master of these and I've subsequently read many of his books.
Makes you feel you are living in past gone times.