The Wheels of Chance: A Bicycling Idyll by H. G. Wells is a charming comedic adventure set in the English countryside. The novel follows the journey of an ordinary man who sets out on a bicycling tour, seeking freedom and escape from his routine life. As he pedals through idyllic landscapes, his journey becomes a delightful exploration of the social satire and humor inherent in his encounters. Along the way, he experiences both comedic and romantic adventures, highlighting the whimsical aspects of cycling and travel. Wells’s portrayal of the 19th-century English countryside is both vivid and picturesque, emphasizing the leisure and personal growth found in the simple pleasure of bicycling. Through its engaging narrative and humorous observations, the book offers a lighthearted yet insightful look at the contrasts between societal expectations and individual desires, all set against the backdrop of a charming cycling adventure.
English author Herbert George Wells wrote more than fifty novels and several short stories. He was born on 21 September 1866, in Bromley, Kent, and was the fourth and last child of Joseph Wells. Wells married his cousin Isabel Mary Wells in 1891. In 1894 the couple got separated, and he fell in love with one of his students, Amy Catherine Robbins, with whom he relocated to Woking, Surrey, in May 1895. Wells' greatest collection of work, which was lamented by younger authors he had influenced, was produced before the First World War. Wells passed away in his residence at 13 Hanover Terrace, which had an overlooked view of Regent's Park, in London on August 13, 1946, at the age of 79 due to unidentified causes. Wells was cremated at Golders Green Crematory, and his ashes were scattered into the English Channel at Old Harry Rocks, which is located in Dorset and approximately 3.5 miles from Swanage.
