Other editions of book Kipps The Story of a Simple Soul

"Kipps", also known as "The Remarkable Mr. Kipps", is a novel by H. G. Wells. It marks a turning point for the author, moving away from the futuristic science fiction for which he is famed and onto more down-to-earth accounts of twentieth-century British society. Within it, Wells clearly draws from his own knowledge of Britain's social structure to present an interesting autobiographical tale. Contents include: "The Little Shop at New Romney", "The Emporium", "The Woodcarving Class", "Chitterlow", "'Swapped!'", "The Unexpected", "The Walshinghams", "Engaged", "The Bicycle Manufacturer", "The Pupil Lover", "Discords", "London", "Kipps Enters Society", "The Labyrinthodon", et cetera. Herbert George Wells (1866 - 1946) was a prolific English writer who wrote in a variety of genres, including the novel, politics, history, and social commentary. Today, he is perhaps best remembered for his contributions to the science fiction genre thanks to such novels as "The Time Machine" (1895), "The Invisible Man" (1897), and "The War of the Worlds" (1898). Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this book now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.

Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul is a novel by H. G. Wells, first published in 1905. Humorous yet sympathetic, the perceptive social novel is generally regarded as a masterpiece, and it was his own favourite work. It was adapted into the stage and cinema musical Half a Sixpence.Herbert George Wells was an English writer. Prolific in many genres, he wrote dozens of novels, short stories, and works of social commentary, history, satire, biography and autobiography. His work also included two books on recreational war games.

"Imagination—that is his master quality."—William Archer "He has an acute eye for prevailing weaknesses and absurdities ... an admirable knack of showing the absurd side of cant and pedantry."—New York Evening Sun "An insight into the life of 'the small man'....It is perhaps the most remarkable part of the history of Mr. H. G. Wells that, to achieve anything, he had to escape from a working-class background at a time when this was almost impossible.....Only obstinacy and perseverance - added to formidable intelligence - allowed Wells to drag himself out of what promised to be along and deep rut." -New Scientist "This is a modern version of a plot-idea in Samuel Warren's 'Ten Thousand a Year.' An uneducated, awkward, and uncultivated clerk in a London draper's establishment suddenly has a large fortune left to him, attempts to get into high society, is made use of and swindled right and left, but finally has the courage to break away, to marry the girl of his choice, even though she be a servant-girl, and to live his own life. In the end fortune smiles on him a second time, but now in moderation, and he is left a happy, contented husband and father; and, by a twist of Mr. Well's whimsical fancy, is made the proprietor of a book-shop which he manages on the theory that 'one book is about as good as another.'" -The Outlook "'Kipps' is another triumph in the art of presenting character." -Review of Reviews "We have found 'Kipps' in many ways the most human and sympathetic of Mr. Wells' stories." -Spectator "The readers of this engrossing story will be innumerable." -Daily Mail "An admirable and enchanting novel." -Times "For sustained humor, shrewd drollery, and quiet fun, we do not know a single book that is at all comparable to Mr. H. G. Wells' latest novel." -Daily Telegraph "The best story Mr. Wells has yet given us." -Daily News "Alive to the fingertips...Really uncommonly fine." -Standard "The most amusing book, and at the same time the tenderest book, that Mr. Wells has ever written." -Academy "It will be no more possible to omit consideration of 'Kipps' in any study of social fiction, than it would be to omit consideration of 'The Pickwick Papers.'" -Pall Mall Gazette "A fine piece of work." -Daily Graphic "Brilliantly written....It is a rare pleasure to come upon a book so compact with knowledge and experience, and yet wrought with so much art and skill." -Westminster Gazette "It is a touching, yet constantly amusing book....The most human, touching, and, in our opinion, the most amusing book Mr. Wells has ever written." -King "In every sense the best of good reading." -Evening Standard and St. James's Gazette "The interest and humor never flag." -Observer "The whole book is highly entertaining." -World "A novel to be ranked among Mr. H. G. Wells' best work in his later style." -Globe

Excerpt from Kipps, the Story of a Simple Soul Until he was nearly arrived at adolescence it did not become clear to Kipps how it was that he was under the care of an aunt and uncle instead of having a father and mother like other boys. Yet he had vague memories of a somewhere else that was not New Romney - of a dim room, a window looking down on white buildings - and of a some one else who talked to forgotten people, and who was his mother. He could not recall her features very distinctly, but he remembered with extreme definition a white dress she wore, with a pattern of little sprigs of flowers and little bows of ribbon upon it, and a girdle of straight ribbed white ribbon about the waist. Linked with this, he knew not how, were clouded half-obliterated recollections of scenes in which there was weeping, weeping in which he was inscrutably moved to join. Some terrible tall man with a loud voice played a part in these scenes, and either before or after them there were impressions of looking for interminable periods out of the Windows of railway trains in the company of these two people. He knew, though he could not remember that he had ever been told, that a certain faded, wistful face, that looked at him from a plush and gilt framed daguerreotype above the mantel of the sitting room, was the face of his mother. But that knowl edge did not touch his dim memories with any elucida tion. In that photograph she was a girlish figure, leaning against a photographer's stile, and with all the self-conscious shrinking natural to that position. She had curly hair and a face far younger and prettier than any other mother in his experience. She swung a Dolly Varden hat by the string, and looked with obedient respectful eyes on the photographer-gentle man who had commanded the pose. She was very slight and pretty. But the phantom mother that haunted his memory so elusively was not like that, though he could not remember how she differed. Per haps she was older, or a little less shrinking, or, it may be, only dressed in a different way. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Those individuals who have led secluded or isolated lives, or have hitherto moved in other spheres than those wherein well-bred people move, will gather all the information necessary from these pages to render them thoroughly conversant with the manners and amenities of society. (Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)

Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul is a social novel that was written by H.G. Wells. The book tells the humorous story of an illegitimate orphan who tries to climb the social ladder. Wells considered this to be the best book he ever wrote. H.G. Wells was a prominent English author in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Wells wrote many of the most famous science fiction novels in literature which has led to him being considered one of the fathers of science fiction. Wells was also a prolific and accomplished writer in other genres and he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature four times. Classic novels such as The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Invisible Man, and The War of the Worlds have been adapted into numerous films and other media over the years.

The most successful mainstream novel of H.G. Wells, now finally back in print. KippsThe Story of a Simple SoulUntil he reached manhood, it was not clear to Kipps how he came to be under the care of an aunt and uncle, instead of having a father and mother like other little boys.But the elusive memories of his phantom mother that plagued him began to fade away over time. His life's memories begin to be filled with childhood friendship and love, until that too was taken away.Now, after coming into an unsuspected inheritance, Kipps tries to adapt to a new social life, one that challenges him in a way he didn't expect. With money and newfound love, one might think that Kipps would be on top of the world, but he soon finds out that he was better off without it...Long unavailable to readers, Kipps is a classic rags-to-riches story that addresses the moral and emotional difficulties that come with wealth and a change of social station. It will make you think, have you laughing, and capture your heart.