A Damsel in Distress

Young and extremely respectable George Finch—thanks to a very substantial inheritance from his late uncle—no longer has to work for bread and butter, and so he comes to New York to try his hand at painting. Even in childhood, he wanted to be an artist. And now, George Finch is an artist. More than that: he is probably the worst artist anyone has ever tried their brush upon the canvas stretched on an easel.

Trying to find his place in this world, George becomes entangled in a web of romantic relationships, misunderstandings, and comedic mishaps. On his way he meets colorful characters, including the butler Malet and his clever friend Fanny, Mr. Hamilton Bimesh, the author of the famous “Bimesh Guides,” an officer of Garvey, and Siggsby Wadington—who has been pecked at by his wife and who longs for the endless expanses of the West.

Witty dialogues, amusing plot twists, and characters unlike anyone else in “A Novel on the Roof” are a classic example of Woodhouse’s signature style and, without a doubt, will delight all the author’s fans.