author
Richard Head
A lively and unruly voice from the 17th century, this Irish-born writer is best remembered for The English Rogue, a rambunctious early picaresque tale full of satire, crime, and adventure. His work offers a vivid glimpse of Restoration-era humor and streetwise storytelling.
4 Audiobooks
The English Rogue: Continued in the Life of Meriton Latroon, and Other Extravagants: The Fourth Part
by Richard Head, Francis Kirkman
The English Rogue: Continued in the Life of Meriton Latroon, and Other Extravagants, Comprehending the most Eminent Cheats of Both Sexes: The Third Part
by Richard Head, Francis Kirkman
The English Rogue: Described in the Life of Meriton Latroon, a Witty Extravagant
by Richard Head, Francis Kirkman
The English Rogue: Continued in the Life of Meriton Latroon, and Other Extravagants: The Second Part
by Richard Head, Francis Kirkman
About the author
Born around 1637 in Ireland, Richard Head became an author, playwright, and bookseller whose life seems to have been as unsettled as many of the characters he wrote about. After his family was uprooted in the violence of the 1640s, he later made his way in England and built a literary career in London.
He is best known for The English Rogue (1665), the book most closely associated with his name. Its fast-moving, mischievous style helped make it one of the early English works in the picaresque tradition, blending comedy, satire, and scenes from low life in a way that appealed strongly to Restoration readers.
Head also wrote for the stage and worked as a bookseller, though his career was marked by financial trouble and uncertainty. He died before June 1686, apparently at sea near the Isle of Wight, leaving behind a reputation for energetic, rough-edged writing that captures the bustle and boldness of his age.