Diary of a Nobody

Diary of a Nobody, an English comic novel written by the brothers George and Weedon Grossmith, first appeared in the magazine, Punch, in 1892. It is generally considered a classic work of humour.

The diary is that of Mr Pooter, a middle-class man with social pretensions. Other characters include his wife, his son Lupin, his friends Mr Cummings and Mr Gowing, and Lupin's unsuitable fiancee[?], Daisy. The humour comes from Pooter's unconscious gaffes and self-importance; he believes himself to be witty with a good sense of humour, but he is in fact utterly humourless.

Project Gutenberg has the book available:

• HTML version (http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/etext97/dnbdy10h.htm)
• Text version (http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/etext97/dnbdy10.txt)