Erewhon

Erewhon is a novel by Samuel Butler published in 1871 and concerning a fictional country called Erewhon which the hero supposedly discovers while exploring the interior of the South Island of New Zealand. "Erewhon" is (almost) "nowhere" spelled backwards.

The whole thing is a satirical look at various aspects of society. Both the hypocritical society being satirized and the satire belong very much to England in the Victorian era.

To most 21st century readers, it is so slow, contrived and obvious as to be almost unreadable, though it manages an occasional moment of beauty, and one or two incidents might still have some shock value.