7 h 9 minAudiobook13 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 7 h 9 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What happens when a trusting heart meets false friends, empty flattery, and the schemes of the powerful?
Dr. Charles Primrose believes in plain living, honest work, and the goodness of others. In Oliver Goldsmith’s The Vicar of Wakefield, this country clergyman tells his family’s story himself. But money entrusted to a merchant is lost, and their comfortable life gives way to an uncertain new home.
His wife Deborah wants her daughters to rise in the world. Olivia welcomes admiration, while Sophia values honest character. A friendly traveller, Mr. Burchell, offers warnings; their charming landlord, Squire Thornhill, takes an interest in the daughters. As troubles gather, the vicar must hold his family together without losing his faith.
What you’ll discover
- A narrator with blind spots See the world through a kind, learned man whose vanity makes his own account quietly funny.
- A household full of hopes Meet parents and children whose affection lives alongside pride, ambition, and very human mistakes.
- Charm worth questioning Watch wealth and flattery test a family eager to believe the best of others.
- Goodness under pressure Explore what honesty and trust demand when money troubles and false friends shake a settled life.
- Humour with a gentle edge Enjoy Goldsmith’s warm, teasing irony as good intentions meet clever sellers and social ambition.
Who will love it
You will enjoy this if you love warm family stories, gentle satire of vanity, and eighteenth century country life. It suits readers who like a talkative narrator and heroes who stay kind under pressure.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A good man's faith faces loss
- A generous household has a weakness
- Pride meets sudden financial ruin
- Social ambition invites flattering strangers
- Confidence makes the family easy prey
- The family rejects a warning
- Mercy survives a succession of losses
- Forgiveness does not mean approval
- Loss reveals the family's character
Who’s who
- Dr. Charles PrimroseThe vicar and narrator, a kind, proud and stubborn clergyman who loses his fortune and tries to keep his family and principles intact.
- Deborah PrimroseThe vicar's wife, a proud and capable housekeeper who dreams of a grand marriage for her daughters.
- OliviaThe eldest daughter, a lively beauty who wants admirers and falls for the charming squire.
- SophiaThe younger daughter, gentle and sensible, who is quietly drawn to the poor and plain-spoken Mr. Burchell.
- Squire ThornhillThe young landlord, rich and charming, who pursues the family's daughters and means more harm than he shows.
- Mr. BurchellA poor wandering gentleman who tells stories to children, warns the family against the squire and is not welcome for it.
- George PrimroseThe eldest son, a scholar who goes to London to make his way and wanders far from home.
- Ephraim JenkinsonA swindler with a gift for learned talk who cheats the vicar at the fair and meets him again later.
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The Vicar of Wakefield
by Oliver Goldsmith · 1766
A kindly parson loses his fortune, trusts the wrong people and holds his family together as one blow follows another.
Medium level2–5 hours to read2 languages
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In short
What happens to a good man when everything he owns is taken from him, one piece at a time? Dr. Charles Primrose, the vicar of this story, begins with a quiet parish, a loving wife named Deborah, six children and a house famous for its gooseberry wine.
The Vicar of Wakefield at a glance
- Reading time
- About 4 h 10 min3 h 20 min fast, 5 h slow
- Length
- 59,700 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1766by Oliver Goldsmith
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A vicar's happy home, seen through his eyes
The book opens with Dr. Charles Primrose describing his family with open pride. He chose his wife, Deborah, as she chose her wedding dress, for lasting qualities and not for a glossy surface. She is a fine cook and a confident manager, though her plans never make them richer. They have six children, and the vicar counts them as a gift to his country.
George, the eldest, studies at Oxford. Olivia is the lively beauty who wants many admirers, while Sophia is gentler and wants only to win one. The vicar gives his small church income to the widows and orphans of clergy. He has written pamphlets that nobody buys. He even writes a flattering epitaph for his wife while she is alive and hangs it over the fireplace.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 13 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1766
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 4 h 35 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Goldsmith, Oliver. The Vicar of Wakefield. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-vicar-of-wakefield.
Goldsmith, O. (2026). The vicar of Wakefield. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-vicar-of-wakefield (Original work published 1766)
Goldsmith, Oliver. The Vicar of Wakefield. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-vicar-of-wakefield.
@book{goldsmith2026vicar,
author = {Goldsmith, Oliver},
title = {The Vicar of Wakefield},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-vicar-of-wakefield},
note = {First published 1766}
}
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What is The Vicar of Wakefield about?
It follows Dr. Charles Primrose, a kindly clergyman, and his family as they lose their money, move to a farm, meet a charming squire and face a run of misfortunes that test their faith, pride and loyalty.
Who is Mr. Burchell in The Vicar of Wakefield?
He is a poor, cheerful wanderer who befriends the Primrose children and rescues Sophia from a stream. The family first thinks him a ruined spendthrift, and the story keeps asking who he really is.
When was The Vicar of Wakefield written?
Oliver Goldsmith's novel was published in 1766. It is a work of fiction, not a true story, though it draws on the manners, politics and prisons of eighteenth century England.
The author
Oliver Goldsmith
1728–1774 · Anglo-Irish novelist and poet
Oliver Goldsmith was an Irish writer of the eighteenth century whose range spanned the novel (The Vicar of Wakefield), poetry, and the stage. She Stoops to Conquer remains one of the most enduring comedies in English.
More by Oliver Goldsmith
See all their booksMore like this
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