The Characters Series is a delightful new presentation of a classic genre, character writing. Witty and pithy, the character sketches in this series bring to life the personalities we encounter every day—the boor, the coward, the bore, the gossip, the politician, the student, the child, and dozens more. Readers are sure to recognize the human foibles portrayed.

First written by Theophrastus of Eresos, this lively genre of moral psychology is both edifying and entertaining. Each psychological sketch captures a distinct character type in a few choice paragraphs. It is the editor’s hope that The Characters Series will spark a revival of this classic genre and inspire new character writing today. 

The first three titles in this series edited by Maude Spekes (aka Maggie B):

—The Boorish Man and other characters by Theophrastus

—A Detractor and other characters by John Earle

—A Tedious Man and other characters by Samuel Butler