H. G. Wells, The History of Mr Polly

Joshua Grasso (East Central University)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.08: English Writing and Culture of the early Twentieth Century , 1900-1945.
Vol. editors: Chris Baldick (Goldsmiths College, University of London), Peter Childs (Birmingham Newman University), Louise McDonald (Birmingham Newman University), Andrew Radford (University of Glasgow)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1910

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

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Shortly after the success of Wells’ “scientific romances” such as

The Time Machine, The Invisible Man,

and

The War of the Worlds,

his public persona began to overtake his literary creations. Not only had Wells become an advocate for socialist causes, such as the newly-formed John Fabian society, but he had a series of well-publicized affairs, most notably with the scandalously-pregnant Amber Reeves, that obliged him to leave the country. Now in his 40s, with his entire career at stake, he wanted to become more than a would-be prophet churning out stories about Moon Men and Land Ironclads. He wanted to write about people like Amber Reeves and himself, who defied the sexual mores of his society and refused to follow convention. In short, he wanted to trade the telescope for the…

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2831 words

Citation: Grasso, Joshua. "The History of Mr Polly". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 February 2023 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=597, accessed 24 November 2024.]

H. G. Wells, The History of Mr Polly

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