Tab Article

ratings: ★★★★☆ (4.1/5)
Genre: Classic Literature, Fiction, Social Satire, Comedy

Book Review:
When you think of H.G. Wells, you probably think of The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, or The Invisible Man. You think of pioneering science fiction, of Martians and time travelers. But Wells was a writer of immense range, and his novel Kipps reveals a different side of his genius: a warm, witty, and deeply humane social satirist.

Kipps is the story of Arthur ''Artie'' Kipps, a young man of modest intelligence and even more modest prospects. He works as a draper's assistant in Folkestone, a job he hates, living in constant fear of his boss and dreaming of a better life. He is a simple soul, good-hearted but painfully aware of his lack of education and social graces. His life is one of quiet, resigned desperation.

Then, everything changes. Kipps inherits a fortune. Overnight, he is transformed from a nobody into a gentleman of means. But money, Wells shows us, cannot buy happiness or ease. Kipps is thrust into a world he does not understand, a world of social codes, pretensions, and hypocrisy. Well-meaning but condescending friends take him in hand, trying to mold him into a proper gentleman. He becomes engaged to a beautiful and sophisticated young woman, Helen Walshingham, but he is deeply uncomfortable in her world.

Kipps is a delightful social comedy. Wells has a sharp eye for the absurdities of the Edwardian class system, and he gleefully skewers the snobbery of the upper classes, the pretensions of the middle classes, and the desperate aspirations of those, like Kipps, caught in between. But the novel is never cruel. Wells clearly loves his protagonist, and he portrays his struggles with warmth and sympathy.

The novel is also surprisingly modern in its themes. It is a story about identity, about the difficulty of staying true to yourself when the world wants you to be something else. It is about the question of whether money can really buy happiness (spoiler: it can't). And it is a reminder that true worth is not a matter of class or wealth, but of character and heart.

This Everyman Classics edition, published by Hachette India, is particularly valuable. It is edited by Peter Vansittart and includes a comprehensive introduction, notes, a text summary, selected criticism, and a chronology of Wells's life and times. It is a superb resource for students and general readers alike.

Kipps is a gem of a novel, a book that will make you laugh and think in equal measure. It is a perfect introduction to the work of H.G. Wells for those who only know his science fiction, and a treat for anyone who appreciates great storytelling, sharp social observation, and a genuinely lovable hero. Highly recommended.