The History of Mr. Polly

By

Subjects: Life change events -- Fiction

Description: <p>This work by <a href="https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/h-g-wells"><abbr>H. G.</abbr> Wells</a> was first published in 1910. In contrast to Wells’ early speculative fiction works like <a href="https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/h-g-wells/the-time-machine"><i>The Time Machine</i></a>, this is a comic novel set in the everyday world of the late Victorian and early Edwardian era in England. Despite the less than happy life-story of <abbr>Mr.</abbr> Polly, it is an amusing book, enlivened by Polly’s inventive attitude towards the English language.</p> <p>Alfred Polly’s mother dies when he is only seven, and he is brought up by his father and a stern aunt. He is indifferently educated, and leaves school in his early teens to be employed as a draper’s assistant. As the years pass, he finds himself more and more disenchanted with his occupation, but it is too late to change it. Eventually his father dies and leaves him a legacy which may be enough to set up in business for himself. He sets up his own shop in a small town and stumbles into an unhappy marriage. The business is not profitable, and in his middle-age, unhappy and dyspeptic, <abbr>Mr.</abbr> Polly comes up with an idea to bring an end to his troubles. Things, however, do not go as he planned, and lead to an unexpected result.</p> <p>Wells’ later work often displays his passion for social reform. Here, that passion is less obvious, but nevertheless he demonstrates his sympathy for middle-class people raised like <abbr>Mr.</abbr> Polly with but a poor education and trapped into either dead-end jobs or in failing retail businesses.</p> <p><i>The History of <abbr>Mr.</abbr> Polly</i> was well-received by critics at the time of publication and was subsequently made into both a film and two different <abbr>BBC</abbr> television serials.</p>