The Wheels of Chance is a comic novel by H. G. Wells.
This novel was written at the height of the cycling craze (1890-1905) when practical, comfortable bicycles first became widely and cheaply available, and before the rise of the automobile (see History of the bicycle). The advent of the bicycle stirred sudden and profound changes in the social life of England. Even the working class could travel substantial distances, quickly and cheaply, and t...
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The Wheels of Chance is a comic novel by H. G. Wells.
This novel was written at the height of the cycling craze (1890-1905) when practical, comfortable bicycles first became widely and cheaply available, and before the rise of the automobile (see History of the bicycle). The advent of the bicycle stirred sudden and profound changes in the social life of England. Even the working class could travel substantial distances, quickly and cheaply, and the very idea of travelling for pleasure became a possibility for thousands of people for the first time. This new freedom affected many. It began to weaken the rigid English class structure and it gave an especially powerful boost to the existing movement toward female emancipation.
These are the social changes Wells explores in this story. His hero, Mr. Hoopdriver, is a draper's assistant, a badly-paid, grinding position on the bottom fringes of the middle class—and yet he owns a bicycle and is just setting out on a bicycling tour for his...
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