You will find it in "Tono-Bungay." H.G. Wells is a bit of sheer luck
for England. Some countries don't know their luck. And as I do not believe
that England is worse than another, I will say that no country knows its
luck. However, as regards this particular bit, there are now some clear
signs of a growing perception.
* * * * *
The social and political questions raised in "The New Machiavelli" might
be discussed at length with great advantage. But this province is not
mine. Nor could the rightness or the wrongness of the hero's views and
acts affect the artistic value of the novel. On purely artistic grounds
the novel might be criticized in several ways unfavourably. But in my
opinion it has only one fault that to any appreciable extent impairs its
artistic worth. The politically-creative part, as distinguished from the
politically-shattering part, is not convincing. The hero's change of
party, and his popular success with the policy of the endowment of
motherhood are indeed strangely unconvincing--inconceivable to common
sense. Here the author's hand has trembled, and his persuasive power
forsaken him. Happily he recaptured it for the final catastrophe, which is
absolutely magnificent, a masterpiece of unforced poignant tragedy and
unsentimental tenderness.
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