Sartor Resartus

Sartor Resartus is one of the strangest and most original books of the nineteenth century. It presents itself as an English edition of a German treatise on clothes by the fictional Professor Diogenes Teufelsdrockh, but it is really a wild meditation on life, society, religion and the self. Through the baffled voice of an English editor, we piece together the Professor's life story and his philosophy, from his idyllic childhood to his spiritual crisis and eventual affirmation. The book's central joke—that all human institutions are like clothes—becomes a profound way of asking what is real beneath appearances.

Carlyle's prose is energetic, playful and often difficult, but it rewards patience with moments of startling insight and beauty.

This edition contains the complete text of Sartor Resartus, including Carlyle's appendix with the “Testimonies of Authors,” together with a new introduction, a character guide, a summary, a discussion of themes, a glossary and discussion questions for students, book clubs and general readers.