The History of Mr. Polly
by H. G. Wells
'The History of Mr. Polly ' Summary
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, 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". 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. 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. 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.
Book Details
Author
H. G. Wells
England
He was most prominent as a forward-looking, even prophetic social critic who devoted his literary talents to the development of a progressive vision on a global scale. A futurist, he wrote a number of...
More on H. G. WellsDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
My Life: The Story of a Provincial by Anton Chekhov
A provincial youth of wealth and noble status refuses to employ himself in the typical occupations of the higher classes, thus acquiring a reputation...
The Maroon by Thomas Mayne Reid
The story follows the adventures of a young man named Redwood, who becomes stranded on a remote island after his ship is attacked by pirates. He soon...
Queen Sheba's Ring by H. Rider Haggard
It is a classic adventure novel that takes readers on a thrilling journey to Africa. Published in 1909, the book follows the story of a young man name...
The Young Idea by Noël Coward
The Young Idea is a play about two siblings, Gerda eighteen and Sholto twenty-one, who attempt to engineer the reconciliation of their divorced parent...
The Last Drive by Rex Stout
The story revolves around the murder of a wealthy businessman and the investigation conducted by Nero Wolfe, a brilliant detective, and his assistant,...
The Cossacks by Leo Tolstoy
The Cossacks is a short novel by Leo Tolstoy, published in 1863 in the popular literary magazine The Russian Messenger. It was originally called Young...
Summer Boarders; or The Great Jewel Mystery by Josephine Van Tassel Bruorton
Summer Boarders; or The Great Jewel Mystery is a book that tells a story involving a mystery involving jewels. A rich widow or two. An owner of 1000...
The Prairie Wife by Arthur Stringer
It tells the story of a young woman named Jessie Drummond, who travels to the Canadian prairies to marry her fiancé, but soon finds herself caught up...
The Last Chronicle of Barset by Anthony Trollope
The Last Chronicle of Barset features the receipt of a cheque by the indigent but learned perpetual curate of Hogglestock, the Reverend Josiah Crawley...
In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway
In Our Time is the title of Ernest Hemingway's first collection of short stories, published in 1925 by Boni & Liveright, New York, and of a collection...
Reviews for The History of Mr. Polly
No reviews posted or approved, yet...