
WELLS, H.G.
The History of Mr. Polly.
London: Thomas Nelson and Sons , 1910.
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First Edition of H.G. Wells' The History of Mr. Polly; From the Library of Christopher Priest
First edition of Wells’ comic yet poignant social novel chronicling the frustrations and unexpected renewal of an ordinary Edwardian life. Octavo, original publisher's cloth, pictorial endpapers, frontispiece. From the collection of British science fiction author Christopher Priest. Priest’s most famous works include The Inverted World (1974), the interconnected “Dream Archipelago” series, and The Prestige (1995), which was adapted into the 2006 Academy Award nominee film of the same name by Christopher Nolan and starring Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, and Michael Caine. In very good condition with a small closed tear to the crown of the spine, and rubbing.
The History of Mr. Polly (1910) by H. G. Wells is a comic yet quietly poignant novel that follows the life of Alfred Polly, a dissatisfied draper trapped in the routines and disappointments of lower-middle-class Edwardian England. Through irony and sharp social observation, Wells traces Polly’s failed ambitions, unhappy marriage, and eventual attempt at self-destruction, transforming what begins as satire into a story of unexpected renewal. The novel balances humor with empathy, critiquing the constrictions of class and convention while affirming the possibility of reinvention. Both a social commentary and a character study, it remains one of Wells’ most humane and enduring explorations of ordinary life.
The History of Mr. Polly.
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