Bulwer-Lytton published "Falkland" in 1827, a novel which was only a moderate success. But "Pelham" brought him public acclaim in 1828 and established his reputation as a wit and dandy. Its intricate plot and humorous, intimate portrayal of pre-Victorian dandyism kept gossips busy trying to associate public figures with characters in the book. "Pelham" resembled Benjamin Disraeli's first novel "Vivian Grey" (1827). The character of the villainous Richard Crawford in "The Disowned", also published in 1828, borrowed much from that of banker and forger Henry Fauntleroy, who was hanged in London in 1824 before a crowd of some 100,000.