Gryll Grange, Thomas Love Peacock's final novel (1861), is a witty satirical comedy set on a Victorian country estate. The story centers on Mr. Falconer, a wealthy, scholarly bachelor who prides himself on his independence from matrimony, and his circle of cultivated friends, including the genial Epicurean Reverend Doctor Opimian. Through elegant dinner-table conversations filled with classical allusions, songs, and repartee, Peacock satirizes contemporary fads—spiritualism, utilitarianism, the electric telegraph, and fashionable social reforms. When Falconer encounters the enchanting Morgana Calidore, his bachelor principles are tested. Blending romance, parody of medieval chivalry, and utopian dreaming, the novel celebrates civilized conversation, good living, and gentle irony.
