The Diary of a Nobody

The Diary of a Nobody is an English comic novel written by the brothers George and Weedon Grossmith. It originated as an intermittent serial in Punch magazine in 1888-89 and first appeared in book form, with extended text in 1892. The Diary records the daily events in the lives of a London clerk, Charles Pooter, his wife Carrie, his son Lupin, and numerous friends and acquaintances over a period of 15 months. Set in the late Victorian era, the diary accurately documents the manners, customs, trends and experiences of the time. Victorian society, social class and self-importance are just some of the themes explored in these humorous, yet strikingly familiar everyday situations. The wits and creativity with which Grossmith cautiously illustrates Victorian society and its synthetic values throughout the novel, is what truly marks the novel as a work of genius.