Kipps

Kipps was my first excursion into the (very large) world of non-science fiction Wells. Before I received this novel for Christmas, I had never even known that Wells wrote books other than sci-fi. I was already impressed with the well-known books of Wells, such as the Time Machine, War of the Worlds, etc., and was excited to read something of his other works. Kipps is the story of a lower-class young man who finds out that he has been left a great deal of wealth. With this acquisition, he begins the struggle to learn how to live in the upper-class. Many humorous events take place, as he tries his best to avoid society, and when forced to face it, stumbles and embarrasses himself considerably. Through it all, though, we see a struggling and not-too-smart man doing his best to live a fulfilling life - and learning what it really means to be satisfied. Wells writing style here is brilliant, filled with a distinctively British humor that I learned to love watching old episodes of Jeeves and Wooster. The characters, their dialog, and the narrator all add to the excellently portrayed humor. Humor is not the only aspect which makes this novel so great. The very believable plot, with its startling twists and turns, is captivating. At times I nearly wanted to turn ahead in the book to find out what was to happen next. Wells has a tormenting way of hinting about what will happen next, without revealing anything, so that the suspense is heightened even more. I never found the book boring or dry, but always very interesting. Near the end of the book I encountered a very different passage which deviated from the humor and made a very serious and relevant point. The book's introduction seems to say that this passage nearly ruins the book, but in my opinion it only strengthens the book and deepens its meaning. If you have yet to experience this side of Wells, I highly encourage you to do so. Not only will you experience the great wit of his, but also his wonderfully British writing style and his interesting points about society which still apply today. 5 stars, through and through.

H. G. Wells is best known for "War of the Worlds" and "The Time Machine", 2 groundbreaking, classic science fiction titles. But "Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul" is a heart-warming account of a young man suddenly thrown into a higher class and managing to eventually marry his childhood sweetheart and live out a dream. I really enjoyed this book, and the main characters stayed with me, and the events became my own experiences. I can vividly remember sipping a cappucino when Kipps met Chitterlow. I remember the song playing on the radio when Kipps heard what Walshingham had done. And I remember the rain outside when it was clarified why the story had a narrator that was not involved in the story itself. Yes, this is truly a 'feel-good' novel that will stay with me for a long time, and I recommend it to anyone who likes to just sit down and read, and meet likeable characters, without a lot of tech talk, gory action and confusing subplots. Don't pass this one up