Tono-Bungay by H.G. Wells

This novel might well have been written in 1909, but it certainly has a relevance today. Think of the way in which the power of advertising has a profound influence over a willingly gullible public, especially in the field of so called 'health products'. Think what George's uncle might have achieved by way of today's mass media, especially tv advertising! On this theme alone (and there are many others in the book, such as various kinds of 'love ' and 'desire'), this book has as much meaning for the 21st century, as it had for the beginning of the twentieth.<br>There is an excellent edition, in hardback, in the 'House of Stratus' series, for the reasonable price of 9.99 (pounds sterling). Read it!!

I completely agree with Mr. Jasper in regard to Wells' Tono-Bungay. The book is completely modern, maybe because Wells always seemed to have one foot in the future and one in the past. He had a good feel for the scope of history past and history to be made. But it should also be pointed out what a fine writer and stylist Wells was. The book is beautifully written. The prose flows. I always loved this about his works of Science Fiction, the ones most people know about, but it is even more apparent in this mature work of literature. Read Tono Bungay for the music of his words, as well as the truth of the emotions, and the intelligence of the ideas. Like Jules Verne, who also wrote more than his well-known Science Fiction works, Wells really needs to be re-discovered as a fine general novelist. Reading Tono Bungay was my first step in that re-discovery. Now I'm off to read others. So I join Mr. Jasper is saying, Read it!

Steven Paul Leiva
stevenpaulleiva.com

First time i read this was in 1969 out of a Sierra Club book dealing with the travels of two young men from Berkeley called "On the Loose". They filled the books with magnificent quotes that reflected their idealistic quests for visions of natural beauty & the sad loss of pure wilds by encroaching civilization they were a part of . Never forgot this quote from the time of 1rst reading & it has stayed with me all my life .

From Tono Bungay (1909)

" In these plethoric times, when there is too much coarse stuff for everybody and the struggle for life takes the form of a competitive advertisement and the effort to fill your neighbor's eye, there is no urgent demand either for personal courage, sound nerves or stark beauty, we find ourselves by accident. Always before these times the bulk of the people did not overeat themselves because they couldn't, whether they wanted to or not, and all but a very few were kept "fit" by unavoidable exercise and personal danger. Now if only he pitches his standard low enough and keep free from pride, almost anyone can achieve a sort of excess.You can go through contemporary life fudging and evading, indulging and slacking, never really hungry nor frightened nor passionately stirred, your highest moment a mere sentimental orgasm, and your first real contact with primary and elemental necessities the sweat of your death bed. -

HG Wells

An interesting facet of this forum appears to be that there was a greater diversity of novels discussed in its earlier years. When I joined I was surprised to find that there was virtually no discussion of Maupassant, Maugham, Wells etc. Instead of interminable discussion of the 'classics', it is nice to read about marvellous writers who had great insight into the human condition and who also tell a wonderfully constructed story.
In my view, Wells is as good as Lawrence or Hardy and led a life which in itself would make a good novel.
Tono-Bungay marvellously illustrates the gullibility of the mass mentality and the way it can be, and is, manipulated. This is probably even more noticeable today when all kinds of rubbish, and not only from a medicinal standpoint, is foisted onto whole populations who remain in total ignorance of the fact.
Reading Wells's major works such as Tono-Bungay, Kipps,The History of Mr Polly, Love and Mr. Lewisham etc., will give the reader as great an insight into human nature as any of the Classics and are a sight more amusing.