This delightful tale of thwarted ambition and forbidden love follows the adventures and
fortunes of an endearing young rogue, Frank Softly. Originally appearing serialized in Household
Words in 1859, the Rogue is one of Collins's most richly comic creations.

Propelled into society by his ever-hopeful father, Frank is introduced to a variety of professions in order
to make his fortune. Not industrious by nature, however, Frank finds working life a challenge, and by
his twenty-fifth birthday, he has failed medicine, portrait-painting, caricaturing, and even forgery.
Disenchanted with life, he despairs of ever finding something to commit tountil he meets Alicia Dulcifer
and her inexplicably wealthy father.

Proffering his own take on picaresque storytellingand with many a grain of truth for twenty-somethings
todaythis is Wilkie Collins at his entertaining best.