H. G. Wells's Non-SF Novels: Kipps, Tono-Bungay, Mr. Polly, and More

[Extollager]

I've been reading Wells's 1905 novel Kipps, about a lower-class young man who unexpectedly inherits a small fortune and sets himself to learn respectability. It's one of those very readable Edwardian tales and was a popular success.

Here's a place to discuss this and other such books by Wells, but not his science fiction or nonfiction except incidentally. There's also Mr. Britling Sees It Through, Ann Veronica, The New Machiavelli, and perhaps others.

 

[dask]

Started this a while back but got sidetracked. Talked a lot about his non-sf but don't remember getting too excited about seeking it out.

 

[galanx]

Read Kipps and Mr. Polly- good, but not great.

Years ago, before the Internet, I had a very interesting bathroom book called The Fontana Dictionary of Modern Thought, most of which was very good, but I recall the section on H.G. Wells which concluded something like "His books describing lower middle-class life in Edwardian times are likely to be his lasting influence on literature".

Right- like these will be remembered and influence other writers long after The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, and The Island of Dr. Moreau are forgotten.

 

[Extollager]

That was a dud prediction, Galanx!

Or so it seems. I suppose it is remotely possible that in fifty years the picture will have changed...

Nah.

 

[Vladd67]

Had to read The History of Mr Polly for English O level many years ago. The cover of the book had Andrew Sachs in the BBCs mini series.

 

[galanx]

That was a dud prediction, Galanx!

Or so it seems. I suppose it is remotely possible that in fifty years the picture will have changed...

Nah.

Yea- I put it down to lingering intellectual snobbery against SF, even as late as the 1980s