Young, honest Caleb Williams enters the employment of Squire Ferdinando Falkland – a cultured, kindly gentleman who harbours a dreadful secret. When his curiosity uncovers the truth, Caleb finds himself the victim of false accusations, persecution and a corrupt system of justice. His vulnerability is apparent at every turn. Published in 1794, the novel was William Godwin’s sophisticated attack on the political oppression and gross inequality that he saw all around him. It is no ordinary rich-versus-poor narrative; as gripping as a thriller, it is a multi-layered and provocative story with a searing reality at its core.
