The History of Mr Polly annotated HG Wells Books
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The protagonist of The History of Mr. Polly is an antihero inspired by H. G. Wells' early experiences in the drapery trade Alfred Polly, born circa 1870, a timid and directionless young man living in Edwardian England, who despite his own bumbling achieves contented serenity with little help from those around him. Mr. Polly's most striking characteristic is his "innate sense of epithet", which leads him to coin hilarious expressions like "the Shoveacious Cult" for "sunny young men of an abounding and elbowing energy" and "dejected angelosity" for the ornaments of Canterbury Cathedral. Alfred Polly lives in the imaginary town of Fishbourne in Kent (not to be confused with Fishbourne, West Sussex or Fishbourne, Isle of Wight – the town in the story is thought to be based on Sandgate, Kent where Wells lived for several years). The novel begins in medias res by presenting a miserable Mr. Polly "He hated Foxbourne,[a] he hated Foxbourne High Street, he hated his shop and his wife and his neighbours – every blessed neighbour – and with indescribable bitterness he hated himself".[5] Thereafter, The History of Mr. Polly is divided in three parts. Chapters 1–6 depict his life up to age 20, when he marries his cousin Miriam Larkins and sets up an outfitter's shop in Fishbourne. Second Chapters 7–8 show Mr. Polly's spectacular suicide attempt, which ironically makes him a local hero, wins him insurance money that saves him from bankruptcy, and yields the insight that "Fishbourne wasn't the world", which leads him to abandon his shop and his wife.[6] Chapters 9–10, at the Potwell Inn (apparently located in West Sussex), culminates in Mr. Polly's courageous victory over "Uncle Jim", a malicious relative of the innkeeper's granddaughter. An epilogue then depicts Mr. Polly at ease as assistant-innkeeper, after a brief visit to ascertain Miriam's prosperity. The novel's principal conflict is Mr. Polly's struggle with life, told "in the full-blooded Dickens tradition".[7][b] This moral struggle is slow to develop, for Mr. Polly is a stunted, rather than a gifted or self-confident character. He is not without imagination and a flair for language, but his mind is "at once too vivid in its impressions and too easily fatigued".[9] His mother dies when he was seven, and his formal education ends at the age of fourteen, by which "Mr. Polly had lost much of his natural confidence, so far as figures and sciences and languages and the possibilities of learning things were concerned".[10] His unsympathetic father apprentices him to The Port Burdock Drapery Bazaar. Unsatisfied there, he leaves to look for work in London, and is employed for a time in Canterbury, whose cathedral pleases him greatly "There was a blood affinity between Mr. Polly and the Gothic".[11] Mr. Polly's struggles are chiefly moral he has no confidence in his intellectual powers (though he is an avid reader), and his emotions are confused and timid. The reader is invited to see things from Mr. Polly's point of view, even when this leads him to commit arson and, perhaps, manslaughter. "This is a history and not a glorification of Mr. Polly, and I tell of things as they were with him."[12] H. G. Wells's moral point of view in the novel is complex and often ironic, as Mr. Polly's musings at the end of the novel suggest "One seems to start in life expecting something. And it doesn't happen. And it doesn't matter. One starts with ideas that things are good and things are bad – and it hasn't much relation to what is good and what is bad. . . . There's something that doesn't mind us. It isn't what we try to get that we get, it isn't the good we think we do is good. What makes us happy isn't our trying, what makes others happy isn't our trying. There's a sort of character people like and stand up for and a sort they won't. You got to work at it and take the consequences"
The History of Mr Polly annotated HG Wells Books
I wanted to help the rating of this book. This is one of the most readable, most human, most entertaining history books I have ever read. If I had been given this to read in school, I would have been much more interested in History as a kid. If you are in the market for a single volume survey of history, this is EASILY the best one out there.Product details
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The History of Mr Polly annotated HG Wells Books Reviews
I am not an expert historian but know enough to appreciate what Mr. Wells was attempting to do which was to make a short outline of the planet earth using the knowledge of the time. He did a good job. Easy reading.
This is one of the books that every educated person should read. This kind of knowledge is not available normally via the traditional media. To watch television for more than an hour a day (except for special sports events) seems to me to be self-abuse. Don't abuse ourself wtih useless information. Partake of the wine of sweet knowledge. Hollybuks is a company of integrity.
This dude makes history edible. Great writer, reveals connections, trends, causes of big events and little nuisances from a British point of view. Interesting to see how non-american views europe, etc. This is the first HG Wells I've ever read and I am in love!
This novel of H.G. Wells is not one of his more famous, but I had a lot of fun reading it.
The protagonist is more interested in chatting with anyone that will listen, than in doing any work. You would think there would be little to recommend a book featuring a no-talent irresponsible lad like Alfred Polly – but here Wells has crafted a quirky character fond of coining unique words to describe people and happenings. He shows an interesting point of view. He could even be called selfish (at first, anyway). He is nearly unemployable, but has a real talent for imaginatively decorating shop windows. When his father dies suddenly, all his decisions seem made by others. Eventually he finds himself married and a shop owner. But things are not going well for him.
Late in the story, Mr. Polly’s failed suicide somehow results in him heroically rescuing his neighbor’s deaf mother-in-law (how, and why, if for the reader to discover). But at this point he begins roaming, and this leads to walking much more (and getting healthier), enjoying sunrises, and deeper thinking. He winds up in a town called Potwell, doing all kinds of jobs for a woman who runs an inn. She was “his sort”. What a transformation in his character – now he throws himself into working for her. Later, he has a fight-or-flight decision to make – whether to protect her or to run away. In the end, Mr. Polly decides to go back home (briefly) to see how his wife fared after he abandoned her – brace yourself for more surprises.
Although these volumes stop after the second world war, touching upon the Korean War and the early days of the Cold War, as a historical reference up to that time, it is the best chronological compilation I have come across so far. These days, with so many films and books focusing upon different rulers throughout history, it is nice to have a reference to go to where one can put everything in historical context.
This book is a must for all history buffs.
Unlike another version of this book I bought, this one was proofread before being published, and is therefore a pleasure to read. The book itself is excellent, full of interesting historical analysis and speculation on H.G. Wells' part. (This particular edition covers human history through 1920.) I can't imagine anyone will read this book and agree with everything Wells has to say, but he couches his arguments in such an interesting and insightful way that he makes you examine your assumptions and beliefs. The Outline of History is an excellent reminder that the human race sprang from common roots and challenges. I can't think of a better book to broaden one's horizons.
I am loving this book--so I bought HG Wells Short History of the World, too.
The Outline is outstanding, I've read lots of history books--including Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything (an all-time favorite that I frequently give as a gift), but explanations in The Outline are often simpler and clearer than many others. At 1,000 pages you'd think there'd be a mass of extraneous details but the book covers so much ground that it never gets bogged down. If you need more, HG Wells also wrote companion books that delve deeper into related scientific areas.
I wanted to help the rating of this book. This is one of the most readable, most human, most entertaining history books I have ever read. If I had been given this to read in school, I would have been much more interested in History as a kid. If you are in the market for a single volume survey of history, this is EASILY the best one out there.
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