First published in 1748, &quot;The Adventures of Roderick Random&quot; is Scottish author and poet Tobias Smollett&rsquo;s debut picaresque novel and it is loosely based on Smollett&rsquo;s experiences in the British Navy.<br /><br />Set in the 1730s and 1740s, the narrative follows the life of the main protagonist and narrator, Roderick &ldquo;Rory&rdquo; Random, from childhood to adulthood as Roderick journeys through England, France, the Caribbean, Africa, and Latin America.&nbsp;<br /><br /><i>The Adventures of Roderick Random</i>&rsquo;s synopsis details the book as &ldquo;one of the first truly global novels [that] casts light on nearly every aspect of its time&mdash;imperialism, gender relations, slavery, urban life, colonial warfare, commerce, politics, the professions, high society, and the Hogarthian underworld.&rdquo;<br /><br />(<i>Source: supersummary.com</i>)