Samuel Butler
Samuel Butler was born on December 4th, 1835. Samuel passed away June 18th, 1902 at 66 years old. Samuel Butler was born in Langar, Nottinghamshire, England. Butler attended St John's College, Cambridge where he received a first degree in Classics.
Samuel Butler was an English critic and novelist best known for the semi-autobiographical novel
The Way of All Flesh and the utopian satire
Erewhon. He was also a thinker, essayist, and painter who explored themes of personal rebellion, evolution (both biological and societal), and religious critique.
From a very early age, Butler was expected to follow the family tradition and enter the clergy. Raised by a strict and domineering father—a clergyman who adhered rigidly to Old Testament principles—Butler later described his childhood as a period of domestic misery, repression, and confinement.
Despite his unhappy upbringing, Butler was a gifted student. By the age of 13, he had already mastered Greek and Latin grammar. He initially followed his family’s wishes and prepared for ordination in the Church of England. However, a brief six-month period spent working in a parish deepened his doubts about Christianity, which had developed gradually over the years. As a result, he abandoned the path to ordination, much to the disappointment of his father.
Seeking independence, Butler pursued a career in painting. When this displeased his father, the elder Butler instead offered him financial support to emigrate to New Zealand and become a sheep farmer. In New Zealand, Butler found the autonomy and freedom he had long craved, along with the time to read, think, and write.
He returned to London in 1864, having successfully doubled the money his father had given him through savvy farming and business acumen. Back in England, Butler resumed painting and even exhibited several works at the
Royal Academy, though he never gained critical acclaim in the art world.
By 1886, he had returned to writing, drawing on his extensive travels and life experiences to fuel his literary work. His writings often presented both extraordinary and ordinary people and situations with satirical insight and philosophical depth.
Butler died at a nursing home in
St. John’s Wood, London, in 1902.
His most famous work,
Erewhon, was published anonymously in 1872. It is a satirical novel that critiques Victorian society through the lens of a fictional land where complex machinery is banned, criminal behavior is treated as illness, and illness is considered a crime. In this allegorical setting, Butler explores themes of technological advancement, religion, and morality, offering thought-provoking reflections on the contradictions of his time.
In 1901, Butler published a sequel titled
Erewhon Revisited. In it, the protagonist, Higgs, returns to Erewhon and discovers that he has become a messianic figure known as the Sunchild. He reconnects with Yram, his former lover and the mother of his son, George. The novel satirizes the formation of organized religion, as Higgs becomes a target of two professors, Panky and Hanky, who see him as a threat to the belief system built around his myth.
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Samuel Butler: F.A.Q
When was Samuel Butler Born?
Samuel Butler was born on December 4th, 1835.
When did Samuel Butler die?
Samuel Butler died on June 18th, 1902 at 66 years old.
Where was Samuel Butler Born?
Samuel Butler was born in Langar, Nottinghamshire, England.
What was the first book Samuel Butler wrote?
The first book written by Samuel Butler was Erewhon, published in 1872.
What was the most recent book Samuel Butler wrote?
His most recently released work was The Correspondence of Samuel Butler with His Sister May on October 31st, 1962.
How many books has Samuel Butler written?
Samuel Butler has written 22 books excluding contributions to anthologies. 2 books in the Erewhon Series, 2 Standalone Novels, 2 books in the Samuel Butler Translations, 16 books in the Non-Fiction Books.