The History Of Mr Polly

Alfred Polly is an ordinary middle-aged man who is tired of his wife's nagging and his dreary job as a gentleman's outfitter in a small town. Faced with the threat of bankruptcy, he decides that the only way to escape his frustrating existence is to burn his shop to the ground and kill himself. Unexpected events, however, conspire at the last moment to lead the bewildered Mr Polly to a bright new future - after he saves a life, fakes his death and escapes to a world of heroism, hope and ultimate happiness.

A comic take on mid-life crisis, The History Of Mr Polly (published in 1910) is generally considered H G Wells' funniest novel. But it's not without serious purpose. Beneath the surface is an implicit criticism of a society that forces people to suppress their imaginations and lead lives of drab conformity.