There are no words laudatory enough to describe the genius of this book. It is probably the funniest novel I have ever read - I was smiling the whole way through and burst out laughing several times. Peacock masterly pokes fun at the reigning philosophies and literary movements of his time - which he himself was in the middle of. He was friends with Shelley and Byron but he had no problem mocking that kind of person in his work. This is a very unusual story in that it's not about the plot at all, it's all about the characters and they're without exception complete caricatures. He makes references to a lot of different ideas and people, so it's not always easy to read. If you know a little about early 19th century ideas though, you can understand enough to appreciate Peacock's genius.