Maturin’s most acclaimed novel is a series of interlocking tales all featuring the figure of the Wanderer, who has made a bargain with the Devil for long life and forbidden knowledge. Each of the novel’s tales recounts Melmoth’s temptation of another prospective victim.

The structure and form of Melmoth reflect its initial conception as a series of short stories. They also reveal the chaotic and haphazard process by which Maturin wrote the text under severe pressure from the publisher to fulfil his contractual obligations.

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Citation:

Charles Robert Maturin, Melmoth the Wanderer: A Tale, 4 vols, (Edinburgh, 1820).

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Marsh's Library Exhibits: ‘Ragged, Livid, & On Fire: The Wanderings of Melmoth at 200’ curated by Christina Morin and Jason McElligott,
accessed May 21, 2025,
https://web.marshlibrary.ie/digi/exhibits/show/Melmoth/item/752