This book was very early (written in 1822) political satire. Reading it you realize that the more things change the more they remain the same. Political corruption has gone on forever and will likely never go away. It was amusing(but very sad)reading Mr. Pawkie's (the main character) constant bragging of all his good works for the town and realizing that most was for his own betterment. The story took place in Scotland and there was heavy use of old Scottish dialect. This made the story more authentic feeling but was time consuming to understand.Using a comedic touch, John Galt delves into the issues of use and misuse of power. The Provost, one of Galt's the Tales of the West novels, is heralded as his one true masterpiece.

The Provost is an ironic look at the career of a small town merchant and politician. Set in Irvine, Scotland, it follows the life of James Pawkie, the Provost of the title. Starting as a humble apprentice, he progresses to owning his own shop and eventually acquiring a large portion of Irvine. Simultaneously, he begins involvement in local politics with a seat on the town council. Eventually, he is elevated to the supreme position of local power, the Provost, where he uses his position and wealth to manipulate the residents of Irvine to do his bidding.

John Galt (2 May 1779 – 11 April 1839) was a Scottish novelist, entrepreneur, and political and social commentator. Because he was the first novelist to deal with issues of the Industrial Revolution, he has been called the first political novelist in the English language. He was the father of Sir Alexander Tilloch Galt of Montreal.