Moderator’s note: Well done, Carol—you’ve made me want to download this 1916 PW bestseller. I invite others to submit their own appreciations of public domain and Creative Commons works. – David
Written in 1916, Mr. Britling Sees It Through is an account of the effect of World War 1 on British middle-class society. H.G. Wells, shown here, wrote in the very midst of the war and, I would imagine, has drawn on his own feelings and the reactions of those around him at that time.
His non-science fiction works have rather faded into the background; not as gripping as alien invasions or mad scientists, they evoke the values of a past era. But look past the Edwardian tennis parties and middle-class mores—these are first-hand accounts of way society changed from the Victorian era into the world as we know it.
Cracks already appearing
In Mr Britling’s world the cracks are already appearing before war is declared. At the start we see him attempting to explain the English way of life to a visiting American. Britling is a journalist and essayist, a thinker; words roll off his tongue and his pen. His existence is comfortable and his biggest problem finding time for the latest mistress. At first the war seems only a niggling worry and the cause of minor disruptions to everyday life; gradually it comes to dominate everything.
Wells uses the trivia of day to day life to map out the descent into world madness. It is one thing to read about world catastrophes, but it is the day-to-day disruptions and hardships that affect us most. When Britling’s own teenage son is sent to the front, it becomes real and heartbreaking.
If you do read this, try some of Wells’ other novels: Kipps or The History of Mr Polly.
Other availability: Project Gutenberg.
