The Last Man

Abstract

The novel occurs during the twenty-first century and follows Lionel Verney, a man who rises from poor shepherd/poacher to a better station by befriending the son of the last king of England, Adrian – now the Earl of Windsor. Though the first part of the novel focuses on the lives of Verney and those around him – from his sister Perdita and her husband Raymond, a friend of both Verney and Adrian, to Verney’s own marriage to Adrian’s sister, Idris, among others – most of the narrative revolves around a devastating plague that spreads throughout the world and its impact on the lives of the central cast of characters. As the disease continues ravaging the planet and the population slowly dwindles, Adrian (and Verney, by association) steps up to a leadership role within England, eventually leading the few survivors – now less than two thousand – on a voyage to Europe, in search of a better climate where they may live out the rest of their days. Through their travels to and within Europe, more people fall to the plague and other dangers, and Verney eventually finds himself alone in Italy. Desperate to find other survivors, so as not to be the last man on Earth, the novel ends with Verney deciding to embark on further travels to Africa and Asia to continue his search.