Book description
Presented as a miraculous cure-all, Tono-Bungay is in fact nothing
other than a pleasant-tasting liquid with no positive effects.
Nonetheless, when the young George Ponderevo is employed by his Uncle
Edward to help market this ineffective medicine, he finds his life
overwhelmed by its sudden success. Soon, the worthless substance is
turned into a formidable fortune, as society becomes convinced of the
merits of Tono-Bungay through a combination of skilled advertising and
public credulity. As the newly rich George discovers, however, there is
far more to class in England than merely the possession of wealth.
H. G. Wells was a professional writer and journalist, who published
more than a hundred books, including novels, histories, essays and
programmes for world regeneration. Wells's prophetic imagination was
first displayed in pioneering works of science fiction, but later he
became an apostle of socialism, science and progress. His
controversial views on sexual equality and the shape of a truly
developed nation remain directly relevant to our world today. He was,
in Bertrand Russell's words, 'an important liberator of thought and action'.
Edward Mendelson is a writer and critic with a particular interest
in W. H. Auden.
Patrick Parrinder has written on H. G. Wells, science fiction, James
Joyce and the history of the English novel. Since 1986 he has been
Professor of English at the University of Reading.
