FREEThe Fatal Boots
by Thackeray, William Makepeace, 1811-1863
"The Fatal Boots" by William Makepeace Thackeray is a satirical novel written during the early 19th century. The story revolves around the misadventures of its main character, Bob Stubbs, who faces a series of unfortunate events largely attributed to his unfortunate obsession with obtaining a pair of fashionable boots. As Stubbs navigates through his trials, his experiences reflect themes of social class, ambition, and the often absurd nature of societal expectations. At the start of the novel, we are introduced to Bob Stubbs, whose life is marked by persistent misfortune, beginning with the circumstances of his birth. He recounts his early years, detailing his childhood experiences including his attempts to navigate school and his peculiar financial dealings with classmates. This opening portion humorously sets the stage for Bob’s character—a somewhat unscrupulous yet endearing young man who aspires to be a gentleman despite his lack of wealth and standing. The narrative plays with the irony of his aspirations against the backdrop of his comically exaggerated misadventures, highlighting the folly and struggles of pursuing one's desires in a rigidly stratified society. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Automated conservative edition review 2026-10-20T08:03:56.106Z (historical-original-en-v2), Philippines scope. English historical author Thackeray, William Makepeace, died 1863; original-language author allowlist, matching sole EPUB/catalog creator, no credited contributors, no extra artwork, no flagged editorial/translation/copyright cues in isolated text. US public-domain source label and retained Gutenberg license; EPUB CRC passed. This is rule-based screening, not a worldwide rights opinion or a claim of manual review. Source: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2844; Philippine term reference https://www.ipophil.gov.ph/copyright/. EPUB SHA256 d6d06cf7a5fd243f2a9052f4a02d6eb0b4da5b9d3f4ba7da55c40256a83a746e; RDF SHA256 b5df0d9c8dd3d749a9b68019fc977c1743f41a4075dd481a7c080d7b7ca2f187.
View source & edition information ↗