Smollett << SMOL iht >>, Tobias George (1721-1771), was one of the great early English novelists. His novels are loosely constructed accounts of amusing and sometimes vulgar incidents in the hero’s life. They are read for their eccentric characters, their bitter social satire, and their broadly comic high spirits.
Smollett was born in March 1721 near Dumbarton, Scotland, and became a doctor. After an adventurous life at sea as a ship’s doctor, he settled in London. His first two novels, The Adventures of Roderick Random (1748) and The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle (1751), draw heavily on his sea experiences. The Expedition of Humphry Clinker (1771) is generally considered his best novel. Told in letters, it portrays a bizarre family traveling through England and Scotland. Smollett died on Sept. 17, 1771.
