piMelmoth the Wandereri 1820 is a novel by Charles Maturin. Written toward the end of Maturin's life, iMelmoth the Wandereri was the author's fifth and most successful novel. Inspired by the story of the Wandering Jew and the Faustian legend, the novel is a powerful Gothic romance divided into nested stories, each one delving deeper into the mystery of Melmoth's life. Often interpreted for its criticisms of 19th century Britain and the Catholic Church, iMelmoth the Wandereri is considered one of the greatest novels of the Romantic era. Following a lead from a story told at his uncle's funeral, John Melmoth, a student from Dublin, begins an obsessive search into his family's mysterious past. Little is known about the man called Melmoth the Traveller. A portrait dated 1646 suggests that he has been dead for over a century. Despite this, he discovers a manuscript from a stranger named Stanton who claims to have seen Melmoth on several occasions over the past few decades. John tracks him d