A highly imaginative satire of the business and advertising worlds, starring
a hapless scientist and a scheming quack George Ponderevo, a student of
science, is enlisted to help with the promotion of Tono-Bungay. Tono-Bungay is
a harmful stimulant disguised as a miraculous cure-all, the creation of his
ambitious uncle Edward. As the tonic prospers, George experiences a swift rise
in social status, elevating him to riches and opportunities that he had never
imagined, nor indeed desired. Meanwhile, George ricochets romantically between
his unsuccessful marriage to Marion, his affair with the liberated Effie, and
his doomed relationship with the Hon. Beatrice Normandy, a childhood friend.
But the Tono-Bungay empire eventually over-extends itself and George must try
to prop up his uncle's finances by stealing the radioactive compound "quap"
from an island near Africa.
Social satire in the best tradition of Evelyn Waugh, but with elements of
futuristic science, this is an excellent crossover book for Wells's sci-fi
fans.
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All books by H G Wells
