The Potiphar Papers

The Potiphar Papers is a novel written by George William Curtis. The story is set in New York City during the mid-19th century and follows the life of a young man named Frank Potiphar. Frank is a wealthy, ambitious, and socially ambitious man who is determined to climb the social ladder and become a member of the city's elite.The novel is written in the form of a series of satirical essays and sketches, which provide a humorous and insightful commentary on the social and cultural norms of the time. Through these essays, Curtis explores themes such as the pursuit of wealth and status, the role of women in society, and the corruption of the political system.As Frank navigates his way through the social hierarchy, he encounters a variety of colorful characters, including his wife, Julia, who is more interested in fashion and socializing than in her husband's ambitions, and his business partner, Mr. Vanderlyn, who is more concerned with making money than with ethics or morality.Despite his many successes, Frank eventually realizes that the pursuit of wealth and status has left him feeling empty and unfulfilled. In the end, he decides to turn his back on his former life and start anew, embracing a simpler and more meaningful existence.Overall, The Potiphar Papers is a witty and insightful commentary on the social and cultural norms of mid-19th century America, and a timeless exploration of the human desire for success and fulfillment.We might reply that it is necessary to know something of a subject before writing about it, and that if a man wished to describe the habits of South Sea Islanders, it is useless to go to Greenland; we might also confess a partiality for pate, and a tenderness for truffes, and acknowledge that, considering our single absence would not put down extravagant, pompous parties, we were not strong enough to let the morsels drop into unappreciating mouths; or we might say, that if a man invited us to see his new house, it would not be ungracious nor insulting to his hospitality, to point out whatever weak parts we might detect in it, nor to declare our candid conviction, that it was built upon wrong principles and could not stand.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.