Caleb Williams; Or, Things as They Are

by William Godwin

"Caleb Williams; Or, Things as They Are" by William Godwin is a three-volume novel published in 1794. A humble young man enters service with the wealthy Ferdinando Falkland, whose volatile temperament conceals a dark secret. When Caleb's curiosity leads him to uncover his master's guilt in a past murder, he becomes trapped in a desperate game of pursuit and persecution. This gripping tale exposes how power and institutions destroy innocent lives, offering a scathing critique of tyrannical justice in Godwin's England.