The History of Sir Richard Calmady

Lucas Malet’s ambitious novel follows Richard Calmady, born with a physical deformity into wealth and privilege, as he wrestles with pride, desire, and the cruelty of a society obsessed with appearances. Daring and psychologically searching for its time, it explores disability, sexuality, and redemption. Once hugely popular, it stands as a bold late-Victorian study of a man’s struggle toward self-acceptance.