H. G. Wells, Kipps

Simon John James (University of Durham)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.08: English Writing and Culture of the early Twentieth Century , 1900-1945.
Vol. editors: Chris Baldick (Goldsmiths College, University of London), Peter Childs (Newman University), Louise McDonald (Newman University)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1905

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

Kipps has remained more or less constantly in print since it was first published in 1905 and was one of Wells’ best-selling novels in his lifetime.

Arthur Kipps is raised by his uncle and aunt in New Romney, where he befriends the children next door, Sid and Ann Pornick. After finishing school, Kipps is sent away to be apprenticed to a draper. Inspired by a paragraph in the magazine Tit-Bits, he and Ann divide a sixpence between them as a keepsake.

Kipps is poorly treated and barely educated by his pompous draper employer Shalford, who is interested only in getting the most out of his apprentice for the least possible expenditure. Unsatisfied with the possibilities for mental improvement in the E…

Please log in to consult the article in its entirety. If you are a member (student of staff) of a subscribing institution (see List), you should be able to access the LE on campus directly (without the need to log in), and off-campus either via the institutional log in we offer, or via your institution's remote access facilities, or by creating a personal user account with your institutional email address. If you are not a member of a subscribing institution, you will need to purchase a personal subscription. For more information on how to subscribe as an individual user, please see under Individual Subcriptions.

1154 words

Citation: James, Simon John. "Kipps". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 23 October 2008 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4223, accessed 24 November 2024.]

Save this article