The Adventures of Roderick Random

Tobias Smollett (1721 - 1771)

I am Roderick Random. This is the contemporary story of my struggle against the adversity of orphan-hood, poverty, press gangs, bloody duels, rival fortune hunters, and the challenge to be well-dressed through it all. In the course of recounting my adventures to you, dear reader, I will give you a front row seat to the characters of English eighteenth century life including highway robbers, womanizing monks, debt-laden gallants, lecherous corrupt officials, effeminate sea captains, bloodthirsty surgeons, and my dear friend Miss Williams, a reformed prostitute. Educated in the classics, armed with a confident conscientious attitude and my long-suffering sidekick, Strap, I fight the good fight staying, on the whole, morally upstanding throughout. Today, if there be such a thing as true happiness on earth, I enjoy it -- and without having spent a fortune on college either. After hearing me out, I expect you'll be as wonderfully transported as one dear wealthy gentleman who listened to my whole story and then blessed God for the adversity I had undergone, which, he said, enlarged the understanding, improved the heart, steeled the constitution, and qualified a young man for all the duties and enjoyments of life much better than any education which affluence could bestow. Summary by Arthur Krolman.

Genre(s): Fictional Biographies & Memoirs, Published before 1800

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 00 Author's Preface and Apologue Arthur Krolman
00:13:02
Play 01 Chapter I Arthur Krolman
00:10:47
Play 02 Chapter II Arthur Krolman
00:10:39
Play 03 Chapter III Arthur Krolman
00:10:51
Play 04 Chapter IV Arthur Krolman
00:08:26
Play 05 Chapter V Arthur Krolman
00:12:23
Play 06 Chapter VI Arthur Krolman
00:15:55
Play 07 Chapter VII Arthur Krolman
00:15:07
Play 08 Chapter VIII Arthur Krolman
00:16:36
Play 09 Chapter IX Arthur Krolman
00:12:26
Play 10 Chapter X Arthur Krolman
00:14:20
Play 11 Chapter XI Arthur Krolman
00:17:55
Play 12 Chapter XII Arthur Krolman
00:19:03
Play 13 Chapter XIII Arthur Krolman
00:17:04
Play 14 Chapter XIV Arthur Krolman
00:15:51
Play 15 Chapter XV Arthur Krolman
00:15:06
Play 16 Chapter XVI Arthur Krolman
00:19:42
Play 17 Chapter XVII Arthur Krolman
00:19:16
Play 18 Chapter XVIII Arthur Krolman
00:14:48
Play 19 Chapter XIX Arthur Krolman
00:08:52
Play 20 Chapter XX Arthur Krolman
00:12:10
Play 21 Chapter XXI Arthur Krolman
00:21:34
Play 22 Chapter XXII Arthur Krolman
00:27:21
Play 23 Chapter XXIII Arthur Krolman
00:29:18
Play 24 Chapter XXIV Arthur Krolman
00:18:51
Play 25 Chapter XXV Arthur Krolman
00:11:02
Play 26 Chapter XXVI Arthur Krolman
00:09:39
Play 27 Chapter XXVII Arthur Krolman
00:17:35
Play 28 Chapter XXVIII Arthur Krolman
00:11:38
Play 29 Chapter XXIX Arthur Krolman
00:12:23
Play 30 Chapter XXX Arthur Krolman
00:18:28
Play 31 Chapter XXXI Arthur Krolman
00:08:31
Play 32 Chapter XXXII Arthur Krolman
00:11:09
Play 33 Chapter XXXIII Arthur Krolman
00:13:24
Play 34 Chapter XXXIV Arthur Krolman
00:21:35
Play 35 Chapter XXXV Arthur Krolman
00:11:45
Play 36 Chapter XXXVI Arthur Krolman
00:13:12
Play 37 Chapter XXXVII Arthur Krolman
00:10:35
Play 38 Chapter XXXVIII Arthur Krolman
00:17:06
Play 39 Chapter XXXVIX Arthur Krolman
00:13:56
Play 40 Chapter XL Arthur Krolman
00:12:25
Play 41 Chapter XLI Arthur Krolman
00:19:58
Play 42 Chapter XLII Arthur Krolman
00:15:02
Play 43 Chapter XLIII Arthur Krolman
00:14:27
Play 44 Chapter XLIV Arthur Krolman
00:25:35
Play 45 Chapter XLV Arthur Krolman
00:33:19
Play 46 Chapter XLVI Arthur Krolman
00:24:31
Play 47 Chapter XLVII Arthur Krolman
00:19:36
Play 48 Chapter XLVIII Arthur Krolman
00:09:05
Play 49 Chapter XLIX Arthur Krolman
00:16:56
Play 50 Chapter L Arthur Krolman
00:23:50
Play 51 Chapter LI Arthur Krolman
00:18:41
Play 52 Chapter LII Arthur Krolman
00:20:27
Play 53 Chapter LIII Arthur Krolman
00:13:02
Play 54 Chapter LIV Arthur Krolman
00:16:28
Play 55 Chapter LV Arthur Krolman
00:20:57
Play 56 Chapter LVI Arthur Krolman
00:20:51
Play 57 Chapter LVII Arthur Krolman
00:18:13
Play 58 Chapter LVIII Arthur Krolman
00:12:17
Play 59 Chapter LIX Arthur Krolman
00:13:55
Play 60 Chapter LX Arthur Krolman
00:14:47
Play 61 Chapter LXI Arthur Krolman
00:13:00
Play 62 Chapter LXII Arthur Krolman
00:21:08
Play 63 Chapter LXIII Arthur Krolman
00:29:35
Play 64 Chapter LXIV Arthur Krolman
00:16:01
Play 65 Chapter LXV Arthur Krolman
00:19:25
Play 66 Chapter LXVI Arthur Krolman
00:20:14
Play 67 Chapter LXVII Arthur Krolman
00:23:03
Play 68 Chapter LXVIII Arthur Krolman
00:13:50
Play 69 Chapter LXIX Arthur Krolman
00:09:15