Tono-Bungay cover

Tono-Bungay

by H. G. Wells

George Ponderovo's quiet young life is changed forever when he is forced to leave home and is apprenticed to his dynamic Uncle Edward in his chemist's shop. Edward, determined to "strike out", invents a bogus medicine called Tono-Bungay which earns him a vast fortune. George's share of the wealth enables him to live out his fantasies by building an aeroplane. As he witnesses the spectacular rise of the Tono-Bungay empire he contemplates a corrupt English society that allows his uncle to wield so much power. Tono-Bungay (1909) is widely regarded as Wells's finest novel, combining futuristic science fiction and contemporary social satire. His scathing account of Edwardian London remains as relevant today as when it was first published. No other writer has the breadth of Wells to encompass both George's personal breakdown and the full panorama of a degenerate imperial society. This is the only popular edition of the text to included Wells's final revisions. The notes explain his multi-layered allusions, and the Introduction places the nove in its literary and historical context. - Back cover.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?