Thomas Love Peacock's first novel, Headlong Hall, sets the pattern for his other novels of talk. It features a country-house, the titular Headlong Hall, populated by a diverse set of characters, each embodying a particular intellectual obsession and each tirelessly advocating his or her ideas in the frequent debates on which the novel turns – debates that are often learned, sometimes absurd, but always spirited. Plot is rudimentary, frequently depending on slapstick relieved by a love interest or two, with marriage providing a comic resolution. While highly eclectic intellectually, the typical Peacock novel is unified by some idea that runs through the novel's debates.
Headlong Hall turns on the idea of …
Please log in to consult the article in its entirety. If you are not a subscriber, please click here to read about membership. All our articles have been written recently by experts in their field, more than 95% of them university professors.