The Broad Highway by Jeffery Farnol
The novel follows the story of a young man who leaves his home to seek adventure and fortune. He becomes embroiled in various misadventures, including a duel with a rival suitor for the affections of a woman he has fallen in love with. As he travels through Europe, he encounters a variety of characters, including a mysterious and beautiful woman who becomes a central figure in his life. The novel explores themes of love, loyalty, and identity as the protagonist navigates his relationships with these characters. Throughout the book, the author uses vivid descriptions of landscapes and cultures to create a sense of atmosphere and mood. The narrative is often humorous and lighthearted, but also touches on more serious themes such as class and social status. Ultimately, the novel builds towards a dramatic confrontation between the protagonist and his rival, which has significant consequences for the characters involved.
By Jeffery Farnol · First published 1905 · Genre: Adventure, Romance, Historical Fiction · 60 chapters · 197,615 words
First lines
"And to my nephew, Maurice Vibart, I bequeath the sum of twenty thousand pounds in the fervent hope that it may help him to the devil within the year, or as soon after as may be."
Here Mr. Grainger paused in his reading to glance up over the rim of his spectacles, while Sir Richard lay back in his chair and laughed loudly. "Gad! " he exclaimed, still chuckling, "I'd give a hundred pounds if he could have been present to hear that," and the baronet went off into another roar of merriment.
What this Textopian page supports
The Broad Highway is listed on Textopian as a novel by Jeffery Farnol, dated 1905 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Jeffery Farnol
- Date: 1905 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Adventure, Romance, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Coming-of-Age
- Length: 197,615 words
- Structure: 81 chapters, 5,475 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Broad Highway by Jeffery Farnol
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Broad Highway?
- How does this novel by Jeffery Farnol fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Adventure first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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Genres
- Adventure — The plot centers around a journey filled with exploration and personal growth.
- Romance — Themes of love and relationships are central to the character development and narrative.
- Historical Fiction — The setting and context reflect a specific historical period, influencing the characters and events.
- Literary Fiction — The writing style emphasizes character introspection and thematic depth.
Tags
Historical Fiction · Romance · Adventure · Travelogue · Humor · Satire · Social Commentary · Class Satire · English Literature · 19th Century Literature · Victorian Era · Coming of Age
Contents
- Chiefly Concerning my Uncle's Last will and Testament
- Of Storm, and Tempest, and of the Coming of Charmian
- I Set Out
- The Postilion
- Concerns itself Mainly with a Hat
- Which Bears Ample Testimony to the Strength of the Gentleman's Fists
- I Meet with a Great Misfortune
- Which, Among other Matters, has to do with Bruises and Bandages
- The Bagman
- In which I Hear Ill News of George
- What Befell me at "the White Hart"
- In which I Learn of an Impending Danger
- Of the further Puzzling Behavior of Tom Cragg, the Pugilist
- Which Narrates a Somewhat Remarkable Conversation
- Which Concerns itself with a Farmer's Whiskers and a Waistcoat
- In which I See a Vision in the Glory of the Moon, and Eat of a Poached Rabbit
- In which I Stumble Upon an Affair of Honor
- Which Relates Somewhat of Charmian Brown
- Which Relates the End of an Honorable Affair
- I am Suspected of the Black Art
- Which Relates a Brief Passage-At-Arms at "the Chequers" Inn
- A Shadow in the Hedge
- The One-Legged Soldier
- Who Comes?
- In which I Find an Answer to my Riddle
- A Pedler in Arcadia
- Further Concerning the Gentleman in the Battered Hat
- Concerning Black George's Letter
- In which I Meet with a Pedler by the Name of "Gabbing" Dick
- Which, being in Parenthesis, May be Skipped if the Reader so Desire
- How I Heard the Steps of One who Dogged me in the Shadows
- Concerning, Among other Matters, the Price of Beef, and the Lady Sophia Sefton of Cambourne
- How I Talked with a Madman in a Wood by Moonlight
- The Omen
- The Hedge-Tavern
- In which I Hear News of Sir Maurice Vibart
- In which I Become a Squire of Dames
- How I Met Black George again, and Wherein the Patient Reader Shall Find a "Little Blood"
- Concerning Daemons in General and One in Particular
- How I Came up out of the Dark
- "Journeys End in Lovers' Meetings"
- Of the Opening of the Door, and how Charmian Blew out the Light
- In which I Meet with a Literary Tinker
- In which the Ancient Discourses on Love
- Concerning Happiness, a Ploughman, and Silver Buttons
- How Gabbing Dick, the Pedler, Set a Hammer Going in my Head
- Which Introduces the Reader to the Ancient
- The Virgil Book
- Of Black George, the Smith, and how we Threw the Hammer
- In which the Reader Shall Find Little to do with the Story, and May, Therefore, Skip
- Wherein I Learn more Concerning the Ghost of the Ruined Hut
- Of Storm, and Tempest, and how I Met One Praying in the Dawn
- Which Tells how and in what Manner I Saw the Ghost
- The Epileptic
- The Highland Piper
- In which I Come to a Determination
- How Black George and I Shook Hands
- In which Charmian Answers my Question
- In which I Forswear myself and am Accused of Possessing the "Evil Eye"
- Concerning the Fate of Black George