A man made of money

In Short

This satirical novel follows the life of Solomon Jericho, a man who achieves his desperate, ill-conceived wish to become a "man made of money." As he physically transforms into the currency he craves, his humanity, family bonds, and social standing disintegrate. The narrative serves as a biting critique of Victorian materialism, contrasting Jericho’s hollow opulence with the honest, agrarian aspirations of those seeking a new life. It remains a sharp, imaginative exploration of the human cost of greed and the emptiness of status-driven existence.

The Story

Solomon Jericho is a man obsessed with money, frequently badgered by his wife for funds and deeply invested in the maintenance of his social "respectability." In a moment of existential frustration, he prays to be turned into a lump of money, a wish that is granted with disastrous irony. As the story progresses, Jericho finds himself increasingly detached from the natural world, his emotions hardening into cold, financial calculation. He enters the political arena, purchasing a seat in Parliament at the urging of his opportunistic associates, Candituft and Hodmadod, believing that "property ought to prop the nation."

Meanwhile, his daughter’s suitor, Basil Pennibacker, stands in stark contrast to the Jericho household. Basil is a man of principle who refuses to accept money from his future father-in-law, viewing such wealth as "forged drafts" on the soul. He plans to leave England for a new, honest life in the colonies, accompanied by the earnest Bessy Carraways and her family. The Carraways, once prosperous but now reduced to poverty, are desperate to escape the crushing weight of their failed social status, looking toward a "virgin country" where they might start anew.

Jericho’s life becomes a grotesque farce. He engages in a duel with the volatile Colonel Bones, surviving only because his heart has turned to cold metal. His arrogance grows, leading him to view the very landscape—the clouds and the sunset—as his personal property, begrudging the common man for enjoying the view. As his transformation deepens, he becomes an object of horror and mockery. His family continues to chase status, attempting to secure marriages for his daughters with members of the aristocracy, but these arrangements crumble under the weight of his increasing madness and the social disgrace that follows his erratic behavior.

The climax arrives when the illusion of Jericho’s wealth finally shatters. His diamonds turn to charcoal, his gold to soot, and the clothes of his family turn to tinder. Jericho himself expires in a final, fiery dissolution, leaving his former associates holding nothing but ash. While his family is left in the ruin of their own vanity, Basil and Bessy successfully board a ship bound for a new life. The novel concludes with the voyagers finding hope in the "virgin country," leaving behind the "ungrateful earth" of a society obsessed with status, brick, and mortar.

How It Unfolds

The wish is granted Driven by domestic pressure and his own greed, Mr. Jericho makes a fateful, desperate prayer to be transformed into money. Two metaphysical fleas, perched upon his night-cap, observe his transformation into a living currency, noting the miserable nature of human gluttony.

The social ladder Jericho attempts to cement his status by purchasing a seat in Parliament and hosting lavish gatherings at his estate. He is surrounded by sycophants who cater to his vanity while he increasingly views the world through the lens of ownership.

The moral divide Basil Pennibacker emerges as a foil to Jericho, rejecting the man's tainted fortune in favor of honest labor. He organizes an exodus for the Carraways, planning to trade the social constraints of England for the promise of agricultural independence.

The disintegration Jericho’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic, leading to a duel and an eventual breakdown of his family's plans. The social fabric surrounding him begins to fray as his peers realize his wealth is not a sign of prosperity, but of a soul lost to greed.

The final dissolution The story reaches its end as Jericho’s physical wealth literally turns into dust and ashes, signaling the ultimate bankruptcy of his lifestyle. The dreamers of a better life successfully depart by sea, finding their salvation in a new, unburdened existence far from the reach of the "man made of money."

The People

Solomon Jericho begins as a man weary of his wife's financial demands and ends as a hollowed-out monument to greed. He wants to embody wealth, but his success leaves him incapable of human connection or genuine joy.

Mrs. Jericho is a woman driven by the social expectations of her class. She views her husband as a source of capital rather than a companion, and she remains tethered to the superficial markers of success until the very end.

Basil Pennibacker serves as the moral compass of the narrative. He wants to build a life based on work and independence, standing firmly against the "forged drafts" of the status-obsessed world.

The Carraways are a family trying to recover from the loss of their status. They represent the human victims of societal failure, ultimately choosing to leave their old lives behind to build something real in a new land.

The Hon. Cesar Candituft is the quintessential parasite. He represents the parasitic class that feeds on the vanity of the wealthy, constantly maneuvering to preserve his own comfort while pushing others toward ruin.

In Its Own Voice

“Miserable craving race! You hear, my son; man, in his greed, never knows when he has wherewithal.”

The two fleas, perched on Jericho’s nightcap, serve as ironic observers of the protagonist's insatiable desire for wealth.

“This, I own it—this interferes with my righteous sense of property.”

Jericho reveals the extent of his madness by claiming ownership over the very clouds and sunsets that pass over his land.

“And thus were all things of the Man made of Money—things of dust and ashes.”

The narrator provides the final verdict on the legacy of a life built entirely upon the accumulation of wealth.

What It's Really About

At its core, this book examines the psychological and moral corruption of capitalism in the Victorian era. It argues that the pursuit of wealth as an end in itself strip-mines the soul, turning human beings into objects. Jericho’s transformation from man to currency is a metaphor for how commodification destroys the capacity for empathy and appreciation for the natural world. The book questions the validity of a social hierarchy built on "property" rather than merit or character. Ultimately, it suggests that true independence is found not in the acquisition of gold, but in the rejection of artificial status in favor of honest, productive labor—a radical, agrarian defiance of the industrial age.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy biting, surrealist satire will find this book particularly rewarding. It reads like a cautionary fairy tale for the modern age, filled with a dark, often cynical humor that feels surprisingly contemporary. The language is rich and evocative, though modern readers should be prepared for the dense, Victorian prose and the occasional period-specific attitude that can feel alien.

The story’s true power lies in its relentless pacing; it never lingers too long on its own moralizing, preferring to let the absurdity of Jericho’s situation do the heavy lifting. You will likely walk away from it thinking about the "price" of your own ambitions and the way society continues to worship the same hollow idols that doomed Mr. Jericho. It is a rewarding challenge for those who value literary invention over straightforward plotting. While the Victorian setting provides a clear distance, the underlying themes regarding greed, the performative nature of class, and the dream of escaping a soulless system are as relevant now as they were in the nineteenth century. If you have ever felt the crushing weight of material expectations, you will find a strange, dark comfort in watching this man made of money finally crumble into ash.