H.G. WELLS
By
J.D. BERESFORD
H.G. WELLS
By
J.D. BERESFORD
NEW YORK
HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY
First Published in 1915
CONTENTS
| I. | INTRODUCTION | 9 |
| II. | THE ROMANCES | 17 |
| III. | THE NOVELS | 58 |
| IV. | SOCIOLOGY | 97 |
| BIBLIOGRAPHY | 117 | |
| AMERICAN BIBLIOGRAPHY | 121 | |
| INDEX | 125 |
[Transcriber's Notes for e-book:
The spelling and punctuation are consistent with the original scanswith the following exceptions. If you are using this book for research, pleaseverify any spelling or punctuation with another source.
- I added ["] at end of phrase: "to recover the full-bodiedself-satisfaction of his early days."
- In the following sentence, I changed 'succeded' to 'succeeded': AndBensington, the other experimenter, succeeded in separating a foodthat produced regular instead of intermittent growth.]
TO
R.A.A.B.
THIS ESSAY IS FRATERNALLY
DEDICATED
I
INTRODUCTION
THE NORMALITY OF MR WELLS
In his Preface to the Unpleasant Plays,Mr Shaw boasts his possession of"normal sight." The adjective is theoculist's, and the application of it is MrShaw's, but while the phrase is misleadinguntil it is explained to suit a particularpurpose, it has a pleasing adaptability, andI can find none better as a key to the worksof Mr H.G. Wells.
We need not bungle over the word"normal," in any attempt to meet theacademic objection that it implies conformityto type. In this connection, thegifted possessor of normal sight is differentiatedfrom his million neighbours by thefact that he wears no glasses; and if a fewhappy people still exist here and there whohave no need for the mere physical assistance,the number of those whose mentaloutlook is undistorted by tradition, prejudiceor some form of bias is so small that weregard them as inspired or criminal accordingto the inclination of our own beloved