
The Diary of a Nobody
INTRODUCTION BY MR. POOTER
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
Meet a modest city clerk who has decided that his otherwise unremarkable life deserves a record. Settling into a newly‑rented six‑roomed house on Brickfield Terrace, he describes the front garden, the locked front door, and the constant stream of tradesmen that seem to invade his peace. His diary opens with a cheerful pledge to capture the small triumphs and frustrations of domestic existence.
The entries quickly become a comic chronicle of leaky windows, misplaced umbrellas, and the occasional drunken butterman barging in for a dram. Through his earnest yet slightly pompous voice, the narrator offers a wry commentary on his friends' visits, the endless list of household chores, and his determination to be a proper ‘gentleman’ despite his modest means. The humor lies in the minutiae—broken bells, stubborn scrapers, and the perpetual negotiation with neighbours and shopkeepers. Listeners will find a warm portrait of Victorian‑era middle‑class life, where the ordinary is rendered both absurd and endearing.
Language
en
Duration
~3 hours (227K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
1997-08-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1847–1912
Best remembered for the comic roles he created in Gilbert and Sullivan’s original Savoy operas, he was one of Victorian England’s most versatile entertainers. He also wrote songs, sketches, and, with his brother Weedon, the enduring comic novel The Diary of a Nobody.
View all books
1852–1919
Best known for helping create the wonderfully awkward world of The Diary of a Nobody, this Victorian all-rounder moved easily between writing, painting, acting, and illustration. His work has endured because it treats ordinary life with warmth, sharp observation, and a very English sense of humor.
View all books
by George Grossmith

by Vinceslas-Eugène Dick

by Philippe Aubert de Gaspé

by Royall Tyler

by Abraham Cahan

by Dion Boucicault

by Maria Edgeworth

by Eliza Fowler Haywood