Sign-In
Cart
The Unfortunate Traveller: Or, the Life of Jack Wilton
Paperback
Historical FictionLiterary Fiction
ISBN13: 9781026064870
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 160
Weight: 0.51
Height: 0.34 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
The Unfortunate Traveler: Or, the Life of Jack Wilton is a seminal work of Elizabethan prose and is widely considered the first picaresque novel in the English language. Written by the celebrated satirist Thomas Nashe, the narrative follows the irrepressible Jack Wilton, a page in the court of Henry VIII, as he embarks on a series of adventures and misfortunes across 16th-century Europe. From the battlefields of France to the opulent yet treacherous cities of Italy, Wilton's journey serves as a vivid canvas for Nashe's sharp wit and experimental prose style.
The work is distinguished by its gritty realism, dark humor, and macabre descriptions, diverging sharply from the refined romanticism common in literature of the era. As Jack Wilton encounters major historical figures such as Erasmus and Thomas More, the story expertly blends fact with fiction, offering a cynical yet fascinating glimpse into the political and social upheavals of the Reformation. The Unfortunate Traveler remains an essential text for readers and scholars alike, showcasing a unique blend of travelogue and satire that played a foundational role in the evolution of the modern novel.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
Also from
Nashe, Thomas
Shorter Novels Elizabethan & Jacobean: Jack of Newberieâ€"The Unfortunate Travelerâ€"Carde of Fancie
Nashe, Thomas
Deloney, Thomas
Greene, Robert
Hardcover
Shorter Novels Elizabethan & Jacobean: Jack of Newberieâ€"The Unfortunate Travelerâ€"Carde of Fancie
Nashe, Thomas
Deloney, Thomas
Greene, Robert
Paperback
Also in
Literary Fiction
Elizabeth Spencer: Novels & Stories (Loa #344): The Voice at the Back Door / The Light in the Piazza / Knights and Dragons / Stories
Spencer, Elizabeth
Hardcover
James Fenimore Cooper: The Leatherstocking Tales Vol. 1 (Loa #26): The Pioneers / The Last of the Mohicans / The Prairie
Cooper, James Fenimore
Hardcover
The Underworld U.S.A. Trilogy, Volume I: American Tabloid, the Cold Six Thousand; Introduction by Thomas Mallon
Ellroy, James
Hardcover
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)
Stevenson, Robert Louis
Paperback
Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams: Short Stories, Prose, and Diary Excerpts
Plath, Sylvia
Paperback
The Patrick Melrose Novels: Never Mind, Bad News, Some Hope, and Mother's Milk
St Aubyn, Edward
Paperback