The best-bred lunatics in England live in Clankwood, and Francis Beveridge is that community's newest resident. Rather than attending the asylum's Saturday dances, though, Beveridge goes on the lam in London. And thus, when a traveling German noble finds himself at the luxurious Hotel Mayonnaise without a guide to England's customs, who better to escort him than the amnesiac Englishman who materializes by his side? Beveridge provides the German with much useful knowledge, like giving a splendid tutor in bringing rail stations to a standstill, revealing the best way to fake a rabies attack, and showing how to crash London's most exclusive clubs -- quite literally. A much-loved Victorian comic masterpiece, this is the original anarchic novel that ushered in the age of Wodehouse and Waugh.

J. Storer Clouston achieved great success with the "Lunatic" series of comic novels, of which this, "The Lunatic at Large," is the first. Two of his books, "His First Offense" and "The Spy in Black," were made into major motion pictures by directors Marcel Carne and Michael Powell, respectively. Clouston was born in Cumberland, England; though his family came from Orkney and he spent most of his life there. His books include "Vanrad the Viking" (1898); "The Lunatic at Large" (1899); "The Duke" (1900); "The Adventures of M. D'Haricot" (1902); "Our Lady's Inn" (1903); "Garmiscath" (1904); "Count Bunker" (1906); "A County Family" (1908); "The Prodigal Father" (1909); "The Peer's Progress" (1910); "His First Offence" (1912); "Records of the Earldom of Orkney 1299-1614" (1914); "Two's Two" (1916); "The Spy in Block" (1917); "The Man from the Clouds" (1918); "Sermon" (1919); "Carrington's Cases" (1920); "The Lunatic at Large Again (1922); The Lunatic Still at Large" (1923); "Tales of King Fido" (1924); "The Lunatic in Charge" (1926); "Mr. Essington In Love" (1927), ed.; "The Orkney Parishes" (1927); "The Jade's Progress" (1928); "After the Deed" (1929); "Colonel Dam" (1930); "Virtuous Tramp" (1931); "Best Story Ever" (1932); "A History of Orkney" (1932); "Button Brains" (1933); "The Chemical Baby" (1934); "Real Champagne" (1934); "Our Member Mr. Mittlebery" (1935); "Scotland Expects" (1936); "Scots Wha Hae" (1936); "Not Since Genesis" (1938); "The Man in Steel" (1939); and "Beastmark the Spy" (1941).