H.G. Wells - Marriage: “Once you lose yourself, you have two choices: find the person you used to be, or lose that person completely.”

by H.G. Wells

Herbert George Wells was born on September 21st, 1866 at Atlas House, 46 High Street, Bromley, Kent. He was the youngest of four siblings and his family affectionately knew him as ‘Bertie’. The first few years of his childhood were spent fairly quietly, and Wells didn’t display much literary interest until, in 1874, he accidentally broke his leg and was left to recover in bed, largely entertained by the library books his father regularly brought him. Through these Wells found he could escape the boredom and misery of his bed and convalescence by exploring the new worlds he encountered in these books. From these humble beginnings began a career that was, after several delays, to be seen as one of the most brilliant of modern English writers. Able to write comfortably in a number of genres he was especially applauded for his science fiction works such as The Time Machine and War of the Worlds but his forays into the social conditions of the times, with classics such as Kipps, were almost as commercially successful. His short stories are miniature masterpieces many of which bring new and incredible ideas of science fiction to the edge of present day science fact. Wells also received four nominations for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Despite a strong and lasting second marriage his affairs with other women also brought the complications of fathering other children. His writings and work against fascism, as well as the promotion of socialism, brought him into increasing doubts with and opposition to religion. His writings on what the world could be in works, such as A Modern Utopia, are thought provoking as well as being plausible, especially when viewed from the distressing times they were written in. His diabetic condition pushed him to create what is now the largest Diabetes charity in the United Kingdom. Wells even found the time to run twice for Parliament. It was a long, distinguished and powerfully successful career by the time he died, aged 79, on August 13th, 1946.

Genres: Fiction, Classics, Historical Fiction, Novels, Romance, British Literature, Amazon

278 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1912

About the author

Herbert George Wells was born to a working class family in Kent, England. Young Wells received a spotty education, interrupted by several illnesses and family difficulties, and became a draper's apprentice as a teenager. The headmaster of Midhurst Grammar School, where he had spent a year, arranged for him to return as an "usher," or student teacher. Wells earned a government scholarship in 1884, to study biology under Thomas Henry Huxley at the Normal School of Science. Wells earned his bachelor of science and doctor of science degrees at the University of London. After marrying his cousin, Isabel, Wells began to supplement his teaching salary with short stories and freelance articles, then books, including The Time Machine (1895), The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of the Worlds (1898).

Wells created a mild scandal when he divorced his cousin to marry one of his best students, Amy Catherine Robbins. Although his second marriage was lasting and produced two sons, Wells was an unabashed advocate of free (as opposed to "indiscriminate") love. He continued to openly have extra-marital liaisons, most famously with Margaret Sanger, and a ten-year relationship with the author Rebecca West, who had one of his two out-of-wedlock children. A one-time member of the Fabian Society, Wells sought active change. His 100 books included many novels, as well as nonfiction, such as A Modern Utopia (1905), The Outline of History (1920), A Short History of the World (1922), The Shape of Things to Come (1933), and The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (1932). One of his booklets was Crux Ansata, An Indictment of the Roman Catholic Church. Although Wells toyed briefly with the idea of a "divine will" in his book, God the Invisible King (1917), it was a temporary aberration. Wells used his international fame to promote his favorite causes, including the prevention of war, and was received by government officials around the world. He is best-remembered as an early writer of science fiction and futurism.

He was also an outspoken socialist. Wells and Jules Verne are each sometimes referred to as "The Fathers of Science Fiction". D. 1946.

More: http://philosopedia.org/index.php/H._...

http://www.online-literature.com/well...

http://www.hgwellsusa.50megs.com/

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/t...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._G._Wells

Reviews

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting social experiment by Wells. I read that when it came out it was panned by both traditionalists and sufferagettes. It came across very much as Wells trying to figure out the changes in society, social experimentation in the form of his characters. There was a lot of really interesting views about women in this book. The main male character came across as someone who believed very strongly in equality between the sexes, yet because of the nature of the woman he married, he was unable to manage it. She reminded me of the worst of womankind. She was intelligent, she wanted to love, but she just got sucked into consumerism because she had nothing else that was worthwhile in her life. She reminded me a lot of the women you see today with huge credit card debt, wearing the most fashionable clothes and reading glossy magazines and being terribly dull. The plot followed the meeting of the couple, their marriage, their failures and success and eventually their trip to the wilderness of the snowy norths to get away from it all and find out what really mattered. More than anything this was a novel about ideas, trying to figure out the changing society, and look at the changing role of women, the nature of marriage and sex. While I definitely didn't agree with everything Mr. Wells wrote in this book it was interesting to see the points he raised and the experiment he was carrying out. Definitely more interesting as social history than literature, it wasn't until the 3 or 4th part that the story became personal. I wish he'd written more first person narrative rather than distancing himself as he often did as he got older. I found his first person stories so touching, and the 3rd person, or the omniscent narrator comes over as just a little condescending at times. But worth the read.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh H.G. You started off so strong and then, what happened? That trip to Labrador was so unsatisfying. When Trafford started talking, it was all I could do not think about shopping which was perhaps Marjorie's problem all along.

[Abdul Rehman · Rating 3 out of 5]

2023, Book Twenty-One.

[Dave T · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows the life of Marjorie Pope and (unsurprisingly) through her subsequent marrage.

Readers familiar with Well's non science fiction work will be at home with the style of writing and the digressions on society (and socialism in general). The story is probably the longest from Wells I've ever read and becomes quite stale, but a substantial change of scenery at the end more than freshens the book again.

Certainly worth a read but unfortunately not one of his best works.

[Nicholas Whyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/marriage-by-h-g-wells/

A young physicist marries a younger woman, and they undergo stresses and strains in their relationship (and have four children) before going off together to darkest Labrador to rebuild their relationship and their lives.

I really liked most of it. I thought the portrayal of two young people who make a lifetime commitment before either of them is really ready for it was very well done, to the point that it was difficult for me to read in some places. The intersection of the academic career, capitalism and family life speaks directly to my own experience, although in our case we found a different solution to a somewhat different situation.

If you can swallow the premise of them going off to Labrador to find themselves while leaving their young children behind in England, the descriptive parts of those sections are also very good. In 1967, Ian Calder, a dentist who was married to a cousin of mine, and his friend Peter Bromley died when their canoe capsized as they explored the Back River in the Northwest Territories; Bromley’s teenaged son survived, but the two older men’s bodies were never found. I must say that Wells’ portrayal of the Labradorean desolation resonated for me with my cousin’s account of the unsuccessful search for her husband’s body.

(Incidentally Wells does not use the word ‘Canada’ even once in this book; Labrador and Newfoundland did not become part of Canada until 1949, 37 years after Marriage was published, so he did not consider his protagonists to be having a Canadian adventure as such.)

What does spoil the book for me is that, stuck in Labrador, his protagonists (especially the bloke, when immobilized after an accident) start going on and on at tedious length to each other about philosophy and politics. Wells’ views on women in society are less enlightened than he obviously thought they were. I think Wells had perhaps reached the point where he thought his readers expected this kind of thing, and perhaps they actually did, but it’s a bit of a yawnfest for us 112 years later. So not quite top marks, which otherwise the depiction of the protagonists’ emotional development in England and their travails in Labrador would have deserved.

[punchie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great love story. It was meant to be read by the posh English people of the early 1900s, hence a lot of the points didn't quite survive the test of time...or class. It really showed how people really had no idea what life was like for people in an even slightly different background. Like how the rock bottom of their financial worries were when they couldn't effort to fill the small Chelsea house they owned with as much fruits, flowers or furniture as they'd like. Or the view towards the Marxists as unreasonably angry...like it was the time of mine collapses and Victorian workhouses, sir. Poor people probably warranted a bit of anger. 😅Or it took a lynx attack for the wife to realise maybe women should learn some skills..in case the men aren't around and there are lynxes! Jesus Christ posh women then were ridiculous. She wasn't sure the whole time about women's role and contributions in the world. Meanwhile she had a maid, a parlour maid, a governess and a nurse in her house?!? Ma'am, normal women had been working the whole time you shopped! 🥹 Despite all that...it was a really interesting experience reading the book. It's entertaining and thought provoking and emotional and actually a real sweet story about a lifetime of love in their time.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Similarly with 'The New Machiavelli' Wells tried to incorporate an actual story with political believes. Unlike The New Machiavelli, I feel that Wells pulled this story off better.

The story follows a young couple falling in love, marrying against the wishes of a father, and, there changing views on life as certain events change. They have children, grow older, become more affluent, jobs change. General Life Events. As such, there social, political and religious views change all of which they question. Cue Well's fascination with Fabianism and the social wellbeing of mankind. This really seems to be Well's niche.

I do find it odd as time goes on, that Wells is synonymous with Science Fiction, yet, the more you read of Wells (short stories included) you realise how few of his books are actually Science Fiction Based. He is more of a prolific Socialist Writer rather than Science Fiction.

This story would have had a better 'starred rating' if it wasn't for the fact that the book just suddenly STOPPED for no apparent reason other than it just ended.

[MJ Nicholls · Rating 3 out of 5]

Following The New Machiavelli, this 1912 novel sees Wells leaping into his ambitious, exploratory novels-of-ideas head-first, scalpelling hyper-descriptively the marriage between a talented scientist and a gamey New Woman, both of whom struggle to synchronise their post-nuptial expectations, resorting to that age-old marital therapy technique of isolating themselves in a makeshift cabin in the Canadian wilderness to live off lynx meat and canned lamb. Speaking of lambs, Rebecca West, legendary travel writer (author of Black Lamb & Grey Falcon) reviewed this novel in feminist review Freewoman, slating H.G. as “the Old Maid among novelists” . . . whereafter the 20-year-old West embarked on an affair with the 46-year-old Wells, siring a lovechild soon after. Wells’s own personal philosophy around marriage was never particularly illuminating—wives quietly accepting of repeated infidelity were his favourite—and in this novel, the story and outcome is suitably muddled.

[mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

overall an enjoyable read except the moments when it was obvious this was written by a man

[Kurishin · Rating 2 out of 5]

A novel about a married couple having what amounts to a gap year. It's almost unimaginable to think of this occurring in modern times, placing this novel squarely in and of its time.
The content and wisdom contained are worth 3 stars but Wells' ego stands in the way, rendering chunks of the novel extemporaneous.
Intended or not, Wells gets at Edwardian society and culture as Victorian era parents struggle to raise their more independent children. These children then find that meeting societal standards does not lead to happiness (including making lots of £££).
This kind of novel written in this style is now uncommon, in my opinion.

[Pippa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've given this four stars because I liked the integrity of the book. I felt that H G was really trying to find the truth. There were some major, and illogical shifts, but I liked the delicate unpicking of what can go wrong in a basically good marriage relationship, and the fact that the characters did try to work out a solution, even if they were handicapped by the ideas of their time (just as we are).

[Wally · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always known H.G. Wells as one of the earliest science fiction writers. This novel about a marriage during the Edwardian age of England illustrates the relationships between a husband and wife during those times. It is a peek into the thoughts, attitudes, and struggles between man and wife as they attempt to forge a life together. Interwoven in the plot are the themes of feminism and socialism. A good read full of philosophical insights.

[Clancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

disliked ended
cliche and depressing

everything else was nice

[Viacheslav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though it's a very anticlimactic novel it is still better than Wells' previous four or five novels.

[Anne]

An interesting, but not an easy, read. Very different from the other books of his that I've read.