sentences:  The format of the novel is essentially that of a "bildungsroman".It tells the story of Barnabas Barty, the son of John Barty, the former boxing champion of England and landlord of a pub in Kent.At the start of the tale, Barnabas comes fortuitously into the possession of a vast fortune - £700,000, an astronomical amount by Regency standards - and determines to use this fortune to become a gentleman.