Augustus Carp Esquire By Himself

There are good men, there are very good men, and then there is Augustus Carp, Esquire, a gentleman so magnificently convinced of his own moral superiority that one suspects even the Almighty might occasionally find him a little exhausting. Fortunately, Augustus has undertaken the important public service of writing his autobiography, thereby ensuring that posterity will never be deprived of the opportunity to appreciate his extraordinary virtues. Whether posterity actually requested this service is, naturally, beside the point.

Augustus Carp, Esquire, by Himself (1985), by Henry Howarth Bashford, is one of the great neglected masterpieces of English comic literature, a gloriously wicked satire of hypocrisy, self-righteousness and the peculiar human ability to mistake personal unpleasantness for moral excellence.

Originally published anonymously in 1924, the novel presents itself as the autobiography of a thoroughly respectable Christian gentleman whose devotion to duty, propriety and righteousness is matched only by his astonishing lack of self-awareness. Augustus is a man who sees wickedness everywhere except in the mirror, where he encounters nothing but an inspiring example of public virtue.

From his upbringing in a household saturated with religious certainty to his adult adventures in moral supervision, social disapproval and the vigorous condemnation of other people’s shortcomings, Augustus conducts himself with an unwavering conviction that he is always right. Unfortunately for those unfortunate enough to encounter him, this conviction is entirely independent of the available evidence.

Bashford’s great achievement is allowing Augustus to condemn himself through his own words. The narrator remains blissfully unaware that the reader is laughing at him rather than admiring him, producing a sustained exercise in comic irony that grows more delicious with every fresh demonstration of his supposed goodness.

The novel gleefully skewers religious pomposity, middle-class respectability, petty authoritarianism and the endless opportunities for cruelty afforded to people who believe themselves incapable of wrongdoing. Augustus does not merely occupy the moral high ground; he has apparently purchased the entire mountain and is charging admission.

Bashford, who was also a distinguished physician and poet, demonstrates an extraordinary ear for the pompous language of self-justification. His fictional creation belongs in the distinguished company of English literary eccentrics whose greatest comic achievement is their complete failure to recognise that they are ridiculous.

Published by The Boydell Press in 1985, this edition offers a welcome opportunity to rediscover a brilliant and surprisingly timeless piece of British humour. Anyone who has encountered an officious busybody, a sanctimonious committee member or a neighbour determined to improve everybody else’s behaviour will recognise Augustus immediately.

Condition: Good. A previously owned copy showing the ordinary signs of age and handling, but retaining considerably more dignity than its unfortunate narrator.

Offered by Crappy Old Books, an establishment whose modesty is so profound that we have deliberately incorporated an insult into our own trading name. Augustus Carp would undoubtedly disapprove of such commercial conduct, which is perhaps the finest recommendation we could possibly offer.

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