This volume brings together two of H. G. Wells’ major social novels: Kipps (1905) and The Research Magnificent (1915). While Wells is often remembered for his scientific romances (The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds), these works demonstrate his deep engagement with Edwardian society, class mobility, ambition, and moral aspiration.
Kipps is one of Wells’ finest comic-social novels. It tells the story of Arthur Kipps, a lower-middle-class draper’s apprentice in Kent whose life is transformed when he unexpectedly inherits a fortune.
The novel explores:
Class aspiration and social awkwardness
The artificial codes of Edwardian respectability
The tension between wealth and authenticity
Romantic conflict between genuine affection and social climbing
Kipps attempts to reinvent himself among the genteel classes but struggles to adapt. Wells presents both satire and sympathy, critiquing rigid class structures while celebrating human warmth and simplicity.
The novel was widely praised for its realism and humour and remains one of Wells’ most enduring works outside his science fiction canon.
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Far more philosophical in tone, The Research Magnificent follows Benham, a man driven by an almost mystical quest for moral perfection and higher purpose.
The novel examines:
Idealism versus practical reality
The search for moral greatness
Romantic idealisation
The difficulty of living a life guided by absolute principles
Unlike the earthy humour of Kipps, this work is introspective and ambitious, reflecting Wells’ evolving interest in social reform, philosophy, and the future of humanity.
Together, the two novels show the breadth of Wells’ literary range: one grounded in social realism, the other in moral and intellectual aspiration.
This combined edition reflects early 20th-century publishing practices of issuing economical collected works for a broad readership.
This Odhams Press edition is attractive in original cloth with gilt spine. Omnibus editions such as this book remain appealing for Wells collectors and those building early 20th-century literary. libraries.
