Charles Palliser - The Quincunx

The Quincunx (1990) by Charles Palliser is a complex, richly detailed historical novel set in 19th-century England. Subtitled The Inheritance of John Huffam, it follows the story of a young man, John Huffam, as he tries to uncover the truth about his family’s mysterious past and a contested inheritance.

The narrative is intricately plotted, echoing the style and atmosphere of Victorian literature—particularly the works of Dickens—with themes of identity, social class, legal intrigue, and moral ambiguity. Its structure is famously elaborate, modeled after the five-part quincunx pattern, and the novel is notable for its unreliable narrators, cryptic clues, and dark, immersive world.