Published in London in 1767, The Man of Feeling made its author famous and became his most well-known work. The author of this story was a true man of his time and fell under the influence of sentimentalism. However, the idea of sentimentalism had lost its appeal by the time the writer finished this work. It cost him a lot to publish this story, for no one wanted to do that. After a long period of search, he published it anonymously. Although the process of publishing had proved to be difficult, the novel was sold out extremely quickly. There was even a false claim for authorship on the novel.
One of the peculiarities of this story is its fragmentation. Some chapters and parts are missed, but it doesn’t influence comprehension of the text. It is relatively easy to follow the narration. This approach is supposed to create a sense of sensibility.
This work is an illuminating example of the Romantic novel, which doesn’t only concentrate on people’s feelings but rather important issues such as British Invasion in India, social injustice and even violation of law. Moreover, this work help to stimulate attention to Scottish culture in the 18th century.
