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    The Wheels of Chance: If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.
    The Wheels of Chance: If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.
    The Wheels of Chance: If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.
    Ebook222 pages3 hours

    The Wheels of Chance: If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.

    By H G Wells

    3/5

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    About this ebook

    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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHorse's Mouth
    Release dateJan 8, 2016
    ISBN9781785435393
    The Wheels of Chance: If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.
    Author

    H G Wells

    H.G. Wells is considered by many to be the father of science fiction. He was the author of numerous classics such as The Invisible Man, The Time Machine, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The War of the Worlds, and many more. 

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    Reviews for The Wheels of Chance

    3/5

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    • 3/5
      Personally, I consider this one of Wells' lesser efforts, in that it fails to utilize his unparalleled ability to produce great works of science fiction. Wells' story telling ability is always top notch. So to with this quaint book, although the actual content is dated and the story line hardly captivating. Ostensibly, the novel concerns the quaint holiday adventure of a working class Englishman who decides to venture out on a bicycling adventure- at the time, a novel but highly popular activity. On a deeper level, Wells' writes about the societal restrictions of the 19th century class system- we encounter this in the main character's interaction with a lovely young lady of higher social standing he meets during his trip.
    • 4/5
      Originally published in 1896; [The Wheels of Chance] was Wells' first social comedy in novel form. It followed closely on the heels of [The Time Machine], [The Wonderful Visit] and [The Island of Doctor Moreau], however the only fantasy in this new novel is in the head of its hero: Mr HoopdriverWells subtitled his novel "A Bicycling Idyll" which reflected both his own interest in cycling and the new craze which swept the country when bicycles became affordable and people of all classes could take to the open road. Hoopdriver is an indentured drapers assistant, who is a keen novice cyclist in what little free time he has and so when his two weeks holiday comes round he takes off on his bike on a tour of the South of England. This is a time of unpaved roads where the horse and cart/carriage ruled and our Mr Hoopdriver soon comes to grief cycling up Putney Hill, his bid for freedom temporarily ending in a dusty and painful tumble, but this proves to be only one of many as the shin barked Hoopdriver struggles with his 43lb machine. On the second day of his adventure he stumbles upon a female cyclist "the lady in grey" and their paths continue to cross as the day proceeds. It soon becomes apparent that "the lady in grey" is being held under some compulsion by her companion: the lecherous Bechemel. Hoopdriver despite his misgivings becomes involved, but his inexperience of life is almost on an equal footing with that of the "the lady in grey": the 17 year old Jessie Milton, however Hooopdriver gets to play the Knight Errant and rescues Jessie from Bechemel, only to find that the couple are then pursued by Jessie's Aunt and her three sycophants. There is a marvellous chase across the South of England before the couple are eventually brought to heel, but in the meantime Hoopdriver discovers a few things about life and begins to dream of a better position for himself.H G Wells himself spent a short period locked into the world of a drapers assistant and so is able to empathise with Hoopdrivers dilemma and conveys wonderfully well the sense of freedom that the early cyclists must have experienced when they took to the road for the first time. Hoopdrivers journey through the South of England can still be followed on a map today and Wells' descriptions of the small towns and villages with their inns and tea houses is evocative of a time now difficult to imagine. There is humour and pathos in Wells writing and much social commentary on the class system that the cyclists of his day would help to erode little by little, as they made their way around the country that was beginning to open up for them. It is too early for Hoopdriver and although there is a glimmer of hope for him at the end of the novel, the reader is left with the idea of a suffocating class system that will grind on and be too much for the likes of a drapers assistant. H G Wells escaped of course, but then he had a special talent, unlike Hoopdriver who needs to screw up all his courage just to stay free for his two weeks holiday.Wells is secure in his own abilities and at the start of Wheels of Chance after describing Hoopdriver to the reader he says:"But real literature, as distinguished from anecdote, does not concern itself with superficial appearances alone. Literature is a revelation. Modern literature is indecorous revelation, it is the duty of the earnest author to tell you what you would not have seen - even at the cost of some blushes"Wells feels comfortable enough to name drop fellow authors such as George Gissing and George Bernard Shaw and Jessie's aunt is featured as a popular author of melodramatic novels, which is obviously based on a novelist at the time. There is also a short rant on the advantages of socialism, although this passes way over the head of Hoopdriver and Jessie, however it is the light hearted comic touch that Wells brings to this story that makes it swing along so entertainingly. There is charm, there is wit and underneath it all a sense of a world beginning to change. An excellent read which I rate at 4 stars.
    • 3/5
      A rather odd and peculiar novel, short in nature, about a man with a bicycle and the events that transpose from it. I feel that Wells was very inventive here, and taking quite a few liberties. Overall, it was interesting, but I don't see that much of lasting value with it apart from a few little things.3 stars.

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    The Wheels of Chance - H G Wells

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