Three Courses and a Dessert is a collection of humorous short stories with West Country, Irish, and legal settings (the "three courses") together with a more miscellaneous selection (the "dessert"). First published in 1830, it is richly illustrated by the author in a style familiar to readers of Oliver Twist, and includes a varied cast of characters who come vividly to life in the mind of the reader. These stories represent Cruikshank's biting satire at its best. Sometimes scandalous but always humorous, these stories are sure to delight a modern audience able to see in its allegories and allusions plenty that is still relevant to the social and political scene of today.