Book Review: "Tono-Bungay" by H.G Wells

HOW, reader? In all my years, I have never even come across this HG Wells novel before? How is it that one of my top 50 books of all time is The Island of Dr Moreau and I have to teach War of the Worlds soon, and yet I have never even heard of this one? How did I get to this age without coming across this beautiful under-the-radar novel that reminds me of the critique of consumerism that would arise about one hundred years' later? It just goes to show that HG Wells was way ahead of his time. This book was absolutely brilliant in the strange and twisted ways that HG Wells novels are. I adored reading it.

George Ponderevo, the novel’s narrator, begins his story by reflecting on his upbringing in Bladesover, a large English country estate. His mother works as a servant there, and George grows up acutely aware of the rigid class divisions in Edwardian society. His experience in Bladesover leaves him resentful of the upper class and gives him a lifelong sense of alienation. Our narrator is written in such a fluent style - it feels most of the time, as if we are having a conversation with him. As the novel goes along, we learn more and more about him.

George’s life takes a significant turn when he reconnects with his uncle, Edward Ponderevo, a flamboyant and ambitious man. Edward introduces George to his new invention, Tono-Bungay, a patent medicine he markets as a "cure-all" tonic. While Edward admits the concoction is largely sugar, water, and flavoring, he is confident that with clever advertising, they can make a fortune. Edward’s boundless optimism contrasts with George’s growing cynicism, but George agrees to join his uncle’s venture, driven by a need for financial security. This is where the story starts to get a bit more interesting. From the very start of the novel we know 'of' the tonic, but this is where we get an inside look at what actually happened. One thing we do realise is that everyone needs to make money, George requires money as well - but the question of how he gets it opens up a whole new ethical argument.

Under Edward’s guidance, Tono-Bungay becomes a massive commercial success, thanks to aggressive marketing, deceptive advertisements, and exploiting public gullibility. They create a narrative around the tonic that promises miraculous health benefits, preying on the fears and desires of the middle and lower classes. George, aware of the product’s fraudulent nature, is initially conflicted but justifies his involvement as a way to achieve financial independence. This period of expansion brings George into the heart of London’s bustling commercial world. I'm starting to realise that this sounds like a novel that could have been written in the Gen X era as well - again, way ahead of its time. As London opens up to the reader, we realise the true extent of George and Edward's lies and that they could do a lot more harm than they think.

While George’s professional life flourishes, his personal life deteriorates. He marries Marion, a woman who represents conventional middle-class values. Their marriage quickly becomes stifling, as Marion is uninterested in George’s intellectual ambitions and shares little emotional connection with him. Marion is one of those characters whom the reader can sympathise with. Though we like George as a character and we connect with him, we have a deep understanding for Marion who feels as though she has been side-lined for the sake of money and professional success.

As the book moves on, we definitely see the cracks begin to appear in the empire related to the tonic. Eventually we will see some spectacular collapses as the public starts to lose interest, the main character's life starts to fall apart, the ego of Edward gets too big for its own good. H.G Wells definitely shows us the dangers of too much ambition in business, going as far as lying to the public's faces. There is a question of whether it was all worth it and then, at the end there is that classic H.G Wells closing - I will not tell you what that is but it is key to understanding the novel.

All in all, the writing was brilliant, the story was very interesting, the arguments of class divisions and money, obligation and truth are front and centre. I loved this book because of everything it was and yet, I expected nothing less from someone like H.G Wells.