The History of Mr Polly

Infobox Book |
name = The History of Mr. Polly
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption =
author = H. G. Wells
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = United Kingdom
language = English
series =
subject =
genre = Comedy
publisher = N/A
release_date = 1910
english_release_date =
media_type =
pages =
isbn = N/A
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"The History of Mr. Polly" is a 1910 comic novel by H. G. Wells.

Plot summary

Alfred Polly is a quiet, timid and direction-less young man living in Victorian England, in the dreary and dull fictional town of Fishbourne (thought to be based on Sandgate, Kent where Wells lived for several years) [chapter notes from "The History of Mr Polly", Penguin Classics (2005)] . Polly enjoys reading books of knightly endeavours more than his job in a draper's shop, and eventually his daydreaming loses him his job and he finds himself heading into poverty. After the death of his father, a man he had little in common with, he's left a little money in the inheritance and at the funeral he meets Miriam Larkins, a distant cousin. Although not really in love with her (Polly is in fact in love with Christabel, a girl he met whilst out riding his bicycle), he marries Miriam and, despite his determination never to set foot in a shop again, they buy a shop and set out to make a success of it.

Fifteen years later, Miriam has become abusive and spiteful, Polly is still bored and dissatisfied with his life, the shop is in debt, and they hate all their neighbours. Polly is inclined to spark comedic arguments and slapstick calamity wherever he goes. When he knows his marriage is failing, and he is seen as a bit of a joke in the community, he decides to set fire to his new shop and cut his neck with a razor, but the twist is that he fails to go with the slash because it stings too much and escapes the fire. Also, saving his neighbouring shop owner's elderly mother from the fire (the fire station is opposite the shops, but the firemen are unable to act as they have lost the key), Polly is seen as a local hero. The events lead to Polly wanting to do something adventurous with his life and go out and see the world, but his wife will not leave Fishbourne and wants nothing more from life. Polly then leaves the insurance money from the fire with Miriam, and he disappears in the night to try to make a new life for himself.

After several days of wandering aimlessly in the Sussex countryside, Polly comes to a riverside inn, the Potwell Inn, and is offered work by the innkeeper, a widow who Wells never names -she is referred to only as the 'plump woman.' The relationship between Polly and the widow is a friendly but wholly platonic relationship. Polly meets her young niece Nancy and also "Uncle Jim", who turns up regularly, usually drunk and demanding money. Jim demands Polly "gets off his patch", but Polly sticks around and is nearly killed by Jim on a few occasions, but survives by pure luck and chance. Eventually, Polly is able to 'scoot' Uncle Jim (when a shotgun Jim shoots at Polly blows up in his face) and Polly settles into life working at the Potwell, which suits him well. Jim's body is found drowned and he is identified as Polly by the name sewn into a pair of trousers which Jim stole from the inn.

Several years later, in a fit of conscience, Polly returns to the shop in Fishbourne, now a tearoom run by Miriam and her sister. He briefly meets Miriam, who believed him dead and is horror-struck, but tells her that he doesn't really exist anymore and that he is a ghost. Knowing that Miriam is now happy and content, he returns to the Potwell. The novel ends with Alfred and Nancy enjoying a sunset together by the inn.

Film, TV or theatrical adaptions

A film version of the same name was made in 1949 by Anthony Pellisier, with John Mills as Mr. Polly.

A television version, starring Lee Evans as Mr Polly, was shown on UK television channel ITV1 in May 2007.

External links

*

Footnotes