The Caxtons: A Family Picture

In Short

Edward Bulwer Lytton’s novel chronicles the domestic life and ambitious awakening of Pisistratus Caxton, a young man determined to emigrate to Australasia to repair his family's fortunes. Alongside his scholarly father, veteran uncle, and devoted mother, Pisistratus prepares for his voyage by gathering a motley crew of companions, including a reckless debtor, a reformed poacher, and a radical democrat. Blending domestic realism with philosophical digressions, the book endures through its affectionate portrayal of eccentric family dynamics and the poignant universal tension between holding fast to home and chasing the horizon.

The Story

The narrative opens as Pisistratus Caxton decides to leave England for the colonies, securing the reluctant support of his uncle Roland by playing on the old soldier's disdain for the legal profession. He next approaches his scholarly father, who is initially lost in academic abstractions before realizing that his son's desire for emigration is deep and unshakeable. Moved by his mother's quiet grief, Pisistratus briefly wavers and declares he cannot leave, but she ultimately insists it is for his good, prompting him to open his heart about his higher aims and the hope of restoring the family's honor and his father's renown.

With his departure set, Pisistratus spends over a year training in rural crafts and preparing those he leaves behind. He acquires companions for his expedition, notably Guy Bolding, a reckless and extravagant young man whose debts forced him from Oxford, whom Pisistratus takes under his wing as a partner. He also wins over Will Peterson, a daring local poacher known as the "Will o' the Wisp," and Miles Square, a fiery village democrat whose radical anti-property doctrines soften under the care of Pisistratus and his mother. Each of these flawed men ultimately joins the enterprise, finding purpose and eventual success in the new world.

Pisistratus carefully arranges the lives of his family to soften the blow of his absence, convincing his uncle and mother to share their home and income, urging his father to push forward with his "Great Book," and purchasing a local apothecary practice for Squills. Amid these preparations, news arrives of the sudden death of Lord Castleton, a tragedy that brings a sobering sense of the fragility of worldly greatness and youth. In the final weeks before his journey, Pisistratus sits in the spring twilight with his young cousin Blanche, sharing philosophical reflections on memory and imagination, and entrusting her with the sacred duty of comforting the household while he is away.

How It Unfolds

• The project takes root — Pisistratus carefully steers his uncle and scholarly father toward endorsing his emigration to Australia.
• The domestic surrender — Confronted by his mother's silent sorrow, Pisistratus momentarily abandons his plan, only for her to urge him forward for his own good.
• The pastoral apprenticeship — Pisistratus masters rural crafts and sets about repairing local fixtures while assembling an unlikely band of fellow travelers.
• The recruitment of partners — The young emigrant reforms and enlists a fast-living Oxford debtor, a notorious poacher, and a radical democrat.
• The domestic arrangements — Before his departure, Pisistratus successfully reorganizes his family's household and secures his father's commitment to writing.
• The shadow of mortality — News of a young lord's sudden death prompts deep reflections on the fleeting nature of human ambition and fortune.
• The parting twilight — Pisistratus sits in the churchyard with his cousin Blanche, imparting a tender final trust before his long voyage.

The People

• Pisistratus Caxton wants to escape a stagnant future and build a prosperous life abroad; what stands in his way is his deep devotion to his family, and he ends up transformed into a capable, pragmatic leader of men.
• Captain Roland wants to uphold military honor and family pride; his erratic, old-fashioned prejudices stand in his way, and he ends up reconciled to his nephew's wandering path and more socially engaged at home.
• Mr. Caxton wants to pursue his scholarly studies and ethnological theories undisturbed; his own absent-mindedness and deep paternal affection stand in his way, and he ends up galvanized to complete his life's literary work.
• Guy Bolding wants excitement and an outlet for his boundless, restless energy; his absolute lack of financial restraint stands in his way, and he ends up a willing and successful partner under the careful stewardship of Pisistratus.
• Miles Square wants social equality and the overthrow of established property laws; his own bitter isolation and extremist doctrines stand in his way, and he ends up finding practical success and a grounded sense of duty in the colony.
• Blanche wants closeness to her cousin and a quiet inner life; her youth and a tendency toward melancholic pining stand in her way, and she ends up bearing the emotional mantle of the household as its comforting angel.

In Its Own Voice

"Alas, yes! But what the impulse of genius is to the great, the instinct of vocation is to the mediocre."

Pisistratus explains to his father why he feels an irresistible pull toward the colonies rather than a conventional path at home.

"A more bold and dexterous poacher did not exist."

The narrator introduces Will o' the Wisp, a local terror of the squirearchy whom Pisistratus transforms into a loyal bush companion.

"There is a certain melancholy in the evenings of early spring which is among those influences of Nature the most universally recognized, the most difficult to explain."

Pisistratus meditates on the mysterious, quiet sorrow that pervades the twilight just before his departure.

What It's Really About

The novel explores the tension between intellectual life and practical enterprise, arguing that human beings require active purpose to truly thrive. It examines the dynamics of family sacrifice, asking how parents and children balance their mutual need for security against the individual's call to adventure. Beneath the plot lies an inquiry into human malleability—how the restless impulses of youth, the radical anger of the dispossessed, and the reckless extravagance of the spendthrift can all be constructively channeled through patience, empathy, and meaningful labor. It is fundamentally an exploration of how civilization is painfully and lovingly reconstructed, both within the quiet study and out in the untamed wilderness.

Why Read It Today

Readers who love rich, slow-paced Victorian prose, deeply eccentric characters, and gentle philosophical digressions will find immense charm here. Reading it feels like sitting by a warm hearth while an erudite, affectionate storyteller rambles through memories, blending sharp social observation with sentimental domesticity. Modern readers must navigate certain Victorian attitudes, archaic vocabulary coined by the characters, and a leisurely pacing that lingers long over trivial details before moving the plot forward. Yet these very difficulties reward patience, offering an immersive window into a 19th-century family portrait. What stays with you long after closing the book is the profound warmth of the Caxton household, the vivid absurdity of its secondary characters, and the bittersweet courage required to leave everything you love behind for the sake of an untried future.