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The Wonder
Nothing will ever mystify or challenge the Wonder. He masters entire libraries and languages with little effort. No equation, no problem is too difficult to solve. His casual conversations with ministers and philosophers decimate their vaunted beliefs and crush their cherished intellectual ambitions. The Wonder compels obedience and silence with a glance. His mother idolizes him as a god. Yet no one is more hated or alone than the Wonder.
This is the chilling tale of Victor Stott, an English boy born thousands of years ahead of his time. Raised in the village of Hampdenshire, the strangely proportioned young Victor possesses mental abilities vastly superior to those of his fellow villagers. The incomprehensible intellect and powers of the Wonder inspire awe, provoke horror, and eventually threaten to rip apart Hampdenshire.
Long recognized as a classic of speculative fiction but never before widely available, The Wonder is one of the first novels about a “superman.” J. D. Beresford’s subtle and intriguing story of a boy with superhuman abilities paved the way for such noted works as Philip Wylie’s Gladiator and A. E. van Vogt’s Slan
This is the chilling tale of Victor Stott, an English boy born thousands of years ahead of his time. Raised in the village of Hampdenshire, the strangely proportioned young Victor possesses mental abilities vastly superior to those of his fellow villagers. The incomprehensible intellect and powers of the Wonder inspire awe, provoke horror, and eventually threaten to rip apart Hampdenshire.
Long recognized as a classic of speculative fiction but never before widely available, The Wonder is one of the first novels about a “superman.” J. D. Beresford’s subtle and intriguing story of a boy with superhuman abilities paved the way for such noted works as Philip Wylie’s Gladiator and A. E. van Vogt’s Slan
297 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1911
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February 17, 2024
What Is It About, “Old Parents and Geniuses? “
When Victor Stott was born, his mother was nearly fifty. And during the period of Edwardian England, this was a rare event. Perhaps?
Anyway, little Victor was not predicted to live. His legs and arms were undeveloped and small. He looked already deceased.
But his head was bald and ginormous! He had hydrocephalus?
Opening up his eyes brought the end of the mystery. Just one distinctive stare from the bold and intelligent “infant?” was both surprising and frightening!
Freak! Weirdo! Big head! Idjit (idiot)! Just some of the names he gathered in being different. But what is one to do? How are we to raise such a child?
His mother worships him! Like he is a God!
But that head! That giant a## head! Is it filled with water? Or is it all just brain?
You know, I could never understand if there is a “moral” to this story…🤔
Five stars. 💫💫💫💫💫
When Victor Stott was born, his mother was nearly fifty. And during the period of Edwardian England, this was a rare event. Perhaps?
Anyway, little Victor was not predicted to live. His legs and arms were undeveloped and small. He looked already deceased.
But his head was bald and ginormous! He had hydrocephalus?
Opening up his eyes brought the end of the mystery. Just one distinctive stare from the bold and intelligent “infant?” was both surprising and frightening!
Freak! Weirdo! Big head! Idjit (idiot)! Just some of the names he gathered in being different. But what is one to do? How are we to raise such a child?
His mother worships him! Like he is a God!
But that head! That giant a## head! Is it filled with water? Or is it all just brain?
You know, I could never understand if there is a “moral” to this story…🤔
Five stars. 💫💫💫💫💫
July 25, 2022
As I believe I've mentioned elsewhere, one of the pet themes of both Radium Age and Golden Age sci-fi was that of the ubermensch (superman) or the wunderkind (child prodigy), as the case may be; individuals who, as a result of a mutation or genetic engineering, and whether deliberately or accidentally created, came to possess mental and/or physical abilities that separate them from the ruck of humanity. I have already written here of such ubermensch novels as "Seeds of Life" (1931) by John Taine, in which Neils Bork, a lab worker, is changed after being exposed to a massive dose of X rays and electricity; "Odd John" (1935) by Olaf Stapledon, in which a mutant from birth, John Wainwright, seeks out other examples of "Homo superior"; "The New Adam" (1939) by Stanley G. Weinbaum, which tells the story of Edmond Hall, a man with a superhuman brain; "Dragon's Island" (1951) by Jack Williamson, the first novel to use the term "genetic engineering"; and "Mutant" (1953) by Henry Kuttner and C.L. Moore, in which the hard-radiation detritus following a global war creates the telepathic race known as the Baldies. I have also written here of Norvell W. Page's famous novella of 1940, "But Without Horns," in which three FBI agents go up against mental mutant John Miller. But now I would like to tell you of the latest ubermensch tale that I have experienced, and it just happens to be one of the very first in this well-traveled genre: "The Wonder," by J.D. Beresford.
"The Wonder" was the English author's second novel, following "The Early History of Jacob Stahl," and was initially released by the British publisher Sidgwick & Jackson as a hardcover volume in 1911 (when Beresford was 38), bearing the novel's original title, "The Hampdenshire Wonder." In 1917, for its U.S. release, the publisher George H. Doran truncated the title to the one we are familiar with today. Befitting its classic status, the novel has seen at least a dozen other releases over the decades; the volume that I was fortunate enough to acquire is the 1999 one from Bison Books, which includes a nice little introduction by Jack L. Chalker. As for Beresford himself, he had been born in Cambridgeshire in 1873 and worked as both a dramatist and journalist before becoming an author. By the time of his passing in 1947, at age 73, John Davys Beresford had come out with some 30 novels, plus five books of short stories and the first study on the works of H.G. Wells.
In "The Wonder," his first work of science fiction, Beresford gives us the story of Victor Stott, as told by a nameless narrator who, like Beresford, had once been a journalist and was now endeavoring to become an author. It seems that our narrator had first encountered Stott in a railway car, in which the 21-month-old child had been making his fellow passengers uncomfortable by dint of his bald and hydrocephalic-appearing head, his silent air of complete abstraction, and his overpowering and intimidating gaze. Our narrator would later learn that the child had been fathered by Ginger Stott himself, who had once been the most famous cricket bowler in all of England, and whom our narrator had covered and reported on for his paper. He had later visited the Stott household and had learned of Ginger's great disappointment with his son. Ginger, following his forced retirement from the game after a hand disfigurement, had hoped to train Victor to become an ace cricket bowler as well, but now looked upon his progeny as nothing but a "blarsted freak." The child's mother, Ellen Mary, however, had practically worshipped her son, and deemed him something new and extraordinary, devotedly caring for him after Ginger abandoned the family.
Our narrator had been absent from England for personal reasons for the next six years but manages to fill us in on what happened while he was gone. Victor Stott, it seems, had remained silent, for the most part, until he was 4 ½. His only reading material till then was an old cricket magazine and the family Bible, both of which he'd already blasted through, even at that young age. But the strange child's life would soon be changed when Henry Challis, the local landlord and magistrate--and a dilettante anthropologist--offered Stott the freedom of his personal library, which supposedly contained 40,000 to 50,000 volumes. (I am so jealous of that man!) Challis and his assistant, Gregory Lewes, had watched as young Victor slowly and silently began to read the dictionary and then, over the course of three weeks, the entire "Encyclopedia Britannica," from A to Z! ("So elementary...inchoate...a disjunctive...patchwork," Stott told the two upon his completion.) As the years passed by, Victor had slowly absorbed much of the vast knowledge from this storehouse of books, still largely keeping to himself, communicating little, and remaining friendless. An attempt by the local Education Committee to get Stott to attend school, spearheaded by the scandalized minister Percy Crashaw, had turned into something of a mockery when Victor was able to instantly answer all their many test questions. Indeed, young Stott's only concern in life seemed to be avoiding the attentions of an older boy, the mentally handicapped child known in the small English town of Pym as "the Harrison idiot," who was apparently the only person around not intimidated by the so-called Wonder.
Our narrator had returned to England when Victor was all of 8 years old and had taken a new interest in the child after settling in Pym to try to write a book on philosophical matters. Our narrator had actually been able to build up some kind of rapport with the ugly and uncivil child, taking him for walks and warding off the annoying harassments of the Harrison boy. It seems that he had come quite under the dominating influence of The Wonder and had resolved to study him and perhaps even understand him. Unfortunately, most of what Victor told him was of so recondite a nature as to be completely incomprehensible; a way of thinking completely different from any other person's on Earth. Victor had by then advanced to a mental plane so high as to practically make him an alien amongst his own kind. It was a tragic state of affairs, truly, and still another and perhaps even greater tragedy lay not very far ahead....
In his introduction to the Bison edition, Jack Chalker says of "The Wonder" "For 1911, this is pretty solid science fiction," and I suppose that he is right, although the book strikes me as being only marginally in the sci-fi vein. Rather, I would categorize the story more as a tragic tale about an unfortunate misfit outsider, one whom author Colin Wilson would undoubtedly call an "evolutionary throw-forward." The book is tragic not only because of what ultimately transpires to young Victor Stott (but then again, how many of those genetic marvels in the books mentioned up top ever got to live happily ever after?) but because of the effect his final fate has on those who know him. Also tragic is the fact that despite his remarkable ability to read quickly, memorize everything he takes in, and synthesize all the accumulated wisdom contained in Challis' library, Stott can in no way share his astounding knowledge with others. The lad is not featured in the book as often as you might expect, and rarely deigns to speak to others. And on those few occasions when he does open up, he is apt to say something like this:
"Pure deduction from a single premiss, unaided by previous knowledge of the functions of the terms used in the expansion of the argument, is an act of creation, incontrovertible, and outside the scope of human reasoning...."
Statements such as these leave our poor narrator (and the reader) scratching his head in confusion, as well as frustration. All that wisdom in Victor Stott's 8-year-old noggin...but with no way to communicate it to the adult dunderheads around him! A tragedy, indeed! Ultimately, young Stott, ill mannered and taciturn as he may be, makes for a truly fascinating, mysterious and pitiable character, and every moment that he is present is a captivating one. We surely do not care for the little tyke at first, but by the novel's end, he surely does manage to gain our sympathies.
For the rest of it, "The Wonder" is unfailingly adult, intelligent and highly literate, with casual references to such luminaries as Matthew Arnold and William Ernest Henley scattered about. The book conveys a wonderful feeling of both time and place, and its small-town rural setting in the early 1900s is beautifully brought off by Beresford. Strangely enough, the book does not feel dated at all, despite having been released 111 years ago (as of this writing). It is a very English affair, however, and you just might need to look up some minor matters, such as what a "Borstal Institution" is. "The Wonder" is also filled with well-drawn secondary characters, especially Challis, who emerges as the book's most likable character. And Beresford, as it turns out, is an absolutely splendid novelist, even so early on in his writing career, and a highly controlled one, at that. I love the ambiguous ending that he gives us, with the author of Victor's ultimate fate remaining a mystery (I'm trying hard to avoid spoilers here)...although the culprit is strongly suggested. Many folks have drawn parallels between Beresford's work here and his own life, and I suppose their arguments are valid ones. Beresford had suffered from disabling polio as a child, apparently, and had later become an Agnostic, despite his upbringing in a religious family headed by a clergyman father. Thus, his sympathy for the physically offputting Victor, and his antipathy to the rector, Crashaw, can perhaps be understood. Also, H. G. Wells' father, Joseph Wells, had been a famous cricketer, and as an authority on all things H. G. Wells, Beresford would surely have been aware of that. But whether these bits are autobiographical in nature or not, the author still turns in some masterful work here. As for Victor Stott himself, this wunderkind was almost certainly inspired by the real-life German prodigy Christian Heinrich Heinecken (1721 – 1725), the so-called "Infant Scholar of Lubeck," whose life is alluded to by Beresford somewhere in his book. (I urge you to look up the facts on this amazing kid; he truly was a wonder!)
"The Wonder" is not a book filled with action scenes and melodramatic episodes, per se, but several sequences do manage to stand out: Victor's birth, for example, and the various reactions of his doctor, midwife, and wet nurse; Victor's initial entry into the world of books; his examination by that stuffy Education Committee; and the tragedy of his ultimate fate. And talk about Beresford's novel not feeling dated! Get a load of this passage, in which Challis tells Victor about mankind of the early 20th century:
"...We are swayed even in the making of our laws by little primitive emotions and passions, self-interests, desires. And at the best we are not capable of ordering our lives and our government to those just ends which we may see, some of us, are abstractly right and fine. We are at the mercy of that great mass of the people who have not yet won to an intellectual and discriminating judgment of how their own needs may best be served, and whose representatives consider the interests of a party, a constituency, and especially of their own personal ambitions and welfare, before the needs of humanity as a whole...."
This could almost have been written today, no?
Actually, this reader has surprisingly few complaints to lodge against Beresford's work here. Yes, some of his passages can be accused of being a tad overwritten ("'I give way,' was the characteristic of his attitude to Crashaw, and the rector suppled his back again...and made the amende honorable..."), and the fact that the novel jumps about in time can make the story line a bit challenging. Also, readers who are not fully versed in the game of cricket will be at a decided disadvantage during the novel's first 40 pages or so. (I watched a six-minute online video on the game and then had no problem keeping up at all!) But that's about it. "The Wonder" actually proved a very satisfying reading experience for me, albeit a somewhat depressing one. I now find myself wanting to experience some more of Beresford's sci-fi/fantasy works, such as the postapocalyptic novel "Goslings" (1913), the utopian affair "What Dreams May Come" (1941), and "The Riddle of the Tower" (1944). I've actually had a copy of "Goslings" sitting on my shelf, unread, for quite some time, and am now looking forward to reading it one day soon....
(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit website at https://fantasyliterature.com/ ... a most ideal destination for all fans of Radium Age sci-fi....)
"The Wonder" was the English author's second novel, following "The Early History of Jacob Stahl," and was initially released by the British publisher Sidgwick & Jackson as a hardcover volume in 1911 (when Beresford was 38), bearing the novel's original title, "The Hampdenshire Wonder." In 1917, for its U.S. release, the publisher George H. Doran truncated the title to the one we are familiar with today. Befitting its classic status, the novel has seen at least a dozen other releases over the decades; the volume that I was fortunate enough to acquire is the 1999 one from Bison Books, which includes a nice little introduction by Jack L. Chalker. As for Beresford himself, he had been born in Cambridgeshire in 1873 and worked as both a dramatist and journalist before becoming an author. By the time of his passing in 1947, at age 73, John Davys Beresford had come out with some 30 novels, plus five books of short stories and the first study on the works of H.G. Wells.
In "The Wonder," his first work of science fiction, Beresford gives us the story of Victor Stott, as told by a nameless narrator who, like Beresford, had once been a journalist and was now endeavoring to become an author. It seems that our narrator had first encountered Stott in a railway car, in which the 21-month-old child had been making his fellow passengers uncomfortable by dint of his bald and hydrocephalic-appearing head, his silent air of complete abstraction, and his overpowering and intimidating gaze. Our narrator would later learn that the child had been fathered by Ginger Stott himself, who had once been the most famous cricket bowler in all of England, and whom our narrator had covered and reported on for his paper. He had later visited the Stott household and had learned of Ginger's great disappointment with his son. Ginger, following his forced retirement from the game after a hand disfigurement, had hoped to train Victor to become an ace cricket bowler as well, but now looked upon his progeny as nothing but a "blarsted freak." The child's mother, Ellen Mary, however, had practically worshipped her son, and deemed him something new and extraordinary, devotedly caring for him after Ginger abandoned the family.
Our narrator had been absent from England for personal reasons for the next six years but manages to fill us in on what happened while he was gone. Victor Stott, it seems, had remained silent, for the most part, until he was 4 ½. His only reading material till then was an old cricket magazine and the family Bible, both of which he'd already blasted through, even at that young age. But the strange child's life would soon be changed when Henry Challis, the local landlord and magistrate--and a dilettante anthropologist--offered Stott the freedom of his personal library, which supposedly contained 40,000 to 50,000 volumes. (I am so jealous of that man!) Challis and his assistant, Gregory Lewes, had watched as young Victor slowly and silently began to read the dictionary and then, over the course of three weeks, the entire "Encyclopedia Britannica," from A to Z! ("So elementary...inchoate...a disjunctive...patchwork," Stott told the two upon his completion.) As the years passed by, Victor had slowly absorbed much of the vast knowledge from this storehouse of books, still largely keeping to himself, communicating little, and remaining friendless. An attempt by the local Education Committee to get Stott to attend school, spearheaded by the scandalized minister Percy Crashaw, had turned into something of a mockery when Victor was able to instantly answer all their many test questions. Indeed, young Stott's only concern in life seemed to be avoiding the attentions of an older boy, the mentally handicapped child known in the small English town of Pym as "the Harrison idiot," who was apparently the only person around not intimidated by the so-called Wonder.
Our narrator had returned to England when Victor was all of 8 years old and had taken a new interest in the child after settling in Pym to try to write a book on philosophical matters. Our narrator had actually been able to build up some kind of rapport with the ugly and uncivil child, taking him for walks and warding off the annoying harassments of the Harrison boy. It seems that he had come quite under the dominating influence of The Wonder and had resolved to study him and perhaps even understand him. Unfortunately, most of what Victor told him was of so recondite a nature as to be completely incomprehensible; a way of thinking completely different from any other person's on Earth. Victor had by then advanced to a mental plane so high as to practically make him an alien amongst his own kind. It was a tragic state of affairs, truly, and still another and perhaps even greater tragedy lay not very far ahead....
In his introduction to the Bison edition, Jack Chalker says of "The Wonder" "For 1911, this is pretty solid science fiction," and I suppose that he is right, although the book strikes me as being only marginally in the sci-fi vein. Rather, I would categorize the story more as a tragic tale about an unfortunate misfit outsider, one whom author Colin Wilson would undoubtedly call an "evolutionary throw-forward." The book is tragic not only because of what ultimately transpires to young Victor Stott (but then again, how many of those genetic marvels in the books mentioned up top ever got to live happily ever after?) but because of the effect his final fate has on those who know him. Also tragic is the fact that despite his remarkable ability to read quickly, memorize everything he takes in, and synthesize all the accumulated wisdom contained in Challis' library, Stott can in no way share his astounding knowledge with others. The lad is not featured in the book as often as you might expect, and rarely deigns to speak to others. And on those few occasions when he does open up, he is apt to say something like this:
"Pure deduction from a single premiss, unaided by previous knowledge of the functions of the terms used in the expansion of the argument, is an act of creation, incontrovertible, and outside the scope of human reasoning...."
Statements such as these leave our poor narrator (and the reader) scratching his head in confusion, as well as frustration. All that wisdom in Victor Stott's 8-year-old noggin...but with no way to communicate it to the adult dunderheads around him! A tragedy, indeed! Ultimately, young Stott, ill mannered and taciturn as he may be, makes for a truly fascinating, mysterious and pitiable character, and every moment that he is present is a captivating one. We surely do not care for the little tyke at first, but by the novel's end, he surely does manage to gain our sympathies.
For the rest of it, "The Wonder" is unfailingly adult, intelligent and highly literate, with casual references to such luminaries as Matthew Arnold and William Ernest Henley scattered about. The book conveys a wonderful feeling of both time and place, and its small-town rural setting in the early 1900s is beautifully brought off by Beresford. Strangely enough, the book does not feel dated at all, despite having been released 111 years ago (as of this writing). It is a very English affair, however, and you just might need to look up some minor matters, such as what a "Borstal Institution" is. "The Wonder" is also filled with well-drawn secondary characters, especially Challis, who emerges as the book's most likable character. And Beresford, as it turns out, is an absolutely splendid novelist, even so early on in his writing career, and a highly controlled one, at that. I love the ambiguous ending that he gives us, with the author of Victor's ultimate fate remaining a mystery (I'm trying hard to avoid spoilers here)...although the culprit is strongly suggested. Many folks have drawn parallels between Beresford's work here and his own life, and I suppose their arguments are valid ones. Beresford had suffered from disabling polio as a child, apparently, and had later become an Agnostic, despite his upbringing in a religious family headed by a clergyman father. Thus, his sympathy for the physically offputting Victor, and his antipathy to the rector, Crashaw, can perhaps be understood. Also, H. G. Wells' father, Joseph Wells, had been a famous cricketer, and as an authority on all things H. G. Wells, Beresford would surely have been aware of that. But whether these bits are autobiographical in nature or not, the author still turns in some masterful work here. As for Victor Stott himself, this wunderkind was almost certainly inspired by the real-life German prodigy Christian Heinrich Heinecken (1721 – 1725), the so-called "Infant Scholar of Lubeck," whose life is alluded to by Beresford somewhere in his book. (I urge you to look up the facts on this amazing kid; he truly was a wonder!)
"The Wonder" is not a book filled with action scenes and melodramatic episodes, per se, but several sequences do manage to stand out: Victor's birth, for example, and the various reactions of his doctor, midwife, and wet nurse; Victor's initial entry into the world of books; his examination by that stuffy Education Committee; and the tragedy of his ultimate fate. And talk about Beresford's novel not feeling dated! Get a load of this passage, in which Challis tells Victor about mankind of the early 20th century:
"...We are swayed even in the making of our laws by little primitive emotions and passions, self-interests, desires. And at the best we are not capable of ordering our lives and our government to those just ends which we may see, some of us, are abstractly right and fine. We are at the mercy of that great mass of the people who have not yet won to an intellectual and discriminating judgment of how their own needs may best be served, and whose representatives consider the interests of a party, a constituency, and especially of their own personal ambitions and welfare, before the needs of humanity as a whole...."
This could almost have been written today, no?
Actually, this reader has surprisingly few complaints to lodge against Beresford's work here. Yes, some of his passages can be accused of being a tad overwritten ("'I give way,' was the characteristic of his attitude to Crashaw, and the rector suppled his back again...and made the amende honorable..."), and the fact that the novel jumps about in time can make the story line a bit challenging. Also, readers who are not fully versed in the game of cricket will be at a decided disadvantage during the novel's first 40 pages or so. (I watched a six-minute online video on the game and then had no problem keeping up at all!) But that's about it. "The Wonder" actually proved a very satisfying reading experience for me, albeit a somewhat depressing one. I now find myself wanting to experience some more of Beresford's sci-fi/fantasy works, such as the postapocalyptic novel "Goslings" (1913), the utopian affair "What Dreams May Come" (1941), and "The Riddle of the Tower" (1944). I've actually had a copy of "Goslings" sitting on my shelf, unread, for quite some time, and am now looking forward to reading it one day soon....
(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit website at https://fantasyliterature.com/ ... a most ideal destination for all fans of Radium Age sci-fi....)
February 2, 2019
190717: read yesterday, thought today. not an easy get: copy read in 'special collections' at u. from 1911. an original take on superhuman intelligence mutation from child of cricket player, himself a 'wonder'. early science fiction treatment more ideas than plot. child makes enemies of churchmen, makes friends of enlightened aristos, curious journalist, but once idea, implications, projected future established, the story sort of ends. fascinating look at era, ways of thinking, politics, advancing human knowledge, all before ww1 revealed science could be used for horror/war rather than positive development, so that is why it is a four. short book. fast. helps if you know cricket...
November 16, 2025
I'm finding it very hard to write a summary without spoilers, but according to the intro in my copy this is the first novel about superhuman intelligence. The superintelligent being in question is Victor Stott, a small child with an enormous head and an unsettling stare. Primarily through the reactions of other characters, The Hampdenshire Wonder confronts what it means to be human in the face of a far superior intellect. And it's extremely funny.
Themes include epistemology, the meaning of life, and the nature of fair competition. It's a bit of a deep cut, but I feel like if you're interested in the literary roots of scifi this is a must read. I loved it. My husband and I were both laughing to ourselves the whole time.
Themes include epistemology, the meaning of life, and the nature of fair competition. It's a bit of a deep cut, but I feel like if you're interested in the literary roots of scifi this is a must read. I loved it. My husband and I were both laughing to ourselves the whole time.
April 4, 2012
The topic by itself (Übermensch) is very interesting, but also quite complicated for a writer, because a writer who is only a human has to describe a life of a superhuman being.
And I think Beresford failed on this way.
The character of The Wonder is only sketched.
It is easy to say that The Wonder can read the books 100 times more quickly than human, that he can easily understand the most complicated mathematical problems etc.
It is not understandable, what is the sense of life of The Wonder, what are his superhuman interests, what is his mental life (does it exist at all). All these crucial questions have not been answered.
Moreover, the extensive description of the life of his father seems absolutely unnecessary.
For all, who are interested in topic "Superhuman" I strongly recommend a book "Odd John" by Olaf Stapledon. It is worth reading!
And I think Beresford failed on this way.
The character of The Wonder is only sketched.
It is easy to say that The Wonder can read the books 100 times more quickly than human, that he can easily understand the most complicated mathematical problems etc.
It is not understandable, what is the sense of life of The Wonder, what are his superhuman interests, what is his mental life (does it exist at all). All these crucial questions have not been answered.
Moreover, the extensive description of the life of his father seems absolutely unnecessary.
For all, who are interested in topic "Superhuman" I strongly recommend a book "Odd John" by Olaf Stapledon. It is worth reading!
February 16, 2024
A fascinating forerunner of modern science fiction: The mind-bending story of a prodigy in Edwardian England Born to a famous cricket player, Victor Stott is a giant-headed, awkward boy who never cries or says a word. At first, he is branded an idiot, but as he grows up it becomes apparent that Victor possesses a superior intelligence. He can master any language, memorize entire libraries—perhaps even control people with his mind. As word of his otherworldly gifts spreads, so too do fears of what he might be capable of. [br/]First published in 1911 it is amazing speculative fiction. The story deals with the deep psychological problems that higher intelligence brings with it, as well as Beresford's own philosophy of knowledge and life.
June 15, 2025
The first book I've read in MIT's "The Radium Age" series. The introduction warns that the early part of the book is cricket-heavy, they weren't kidding. Despite that as the novel progresses we are presented with the conflict of logic based thought versus empirical knowledge. There are certainly a group of people who believe in pure rationalism today and they are the big cheerleaders of AI as it exists today. Me, I'm trained as a scientist (including formal education in the Philosophy of Science); for me arguing from first principles is futile. This book warns us that first principles is a dead-end path.
October 23, 2013
‘Nothing will ever mystify or challenge the Wonder. He masters entire libraries and language with little effort. No equation, no problem is too difficult to solve.
His casual conversations with ministers and philosophers decimate their vaunted beliefs and crush their cherished intellectual ambitions. the Wonder compels obedience and silence with a glance. His mother idolizes him as a god. yet no one is more hated and alone than the Wonder.
This is the chilling tale of Victor Stott, an English boy born thousands of years ahead of his time. Raised in the village of Hampdenshire, the strangely proportioned young Victor possesses mental abilities vastly superior to those of his fellow villagers. The incomprehensible intellect and powers of the Wonder inspire awe, provoke horror, and eventually threat to rip art Hampdenshire.
Long recognised as a classic of speculative fiction but never before widely available, The Wonder is one of the first novels about a ‘superman’. JD Beresford’s subtle and intriguing story of a boy with superhuman abilities paved the way for such noted works as Philip Wylie’s ‘Gladiator’ and AE van Vogt’s ‘Slan’’
Blurb from the 1999 Bison Books paperback edition
Presaging an entire century of novels featuring the ‘superman’ or ‘Homo Superior’ is JD Beresford’s ‘the Wonder’. Beresford is possibly the first writer to explore the concept in a full length novel, although I am almost certainly wrong on that point as someone will no doubt point out to me in due course.
‘The Wonder’ of the title is a child, Victor Stott, the son of Ginger Stott, a celebrated cricketer.
Ginger’s life story is told in rather too much detail in the initial section of the novel, and there seems to be interminable pages devoted to cricket, but once past this rather self-indulgent scene-setting, the novel comes into its own, painting not only a sinister portrait of a boy whose aura of intelligence intimidates all around him, but also of the society of the time.
The local squire, a dedicated anthropologist, is the first to recognise at least a portion of the truth regarding Victor’s intellect and invites the boy to use his library where Victor digests books at a prodigious rate.
Beresford cleverly paints Victor as a creature who, although able to assimilate philosophical and scientific principles seems uninterested in the primitive social rules of the people among whom he is living. Thus his demeanour seems brusque, even rude and arrogant, and he soon makes an enemy of the local vicar since the boy treats religious scripture with the same disdain he holds for some of the other books in the library.
Finding no one whom he considers an equal, the boy is reluctant to speak to many people. His father considers him to be a freak and soon leaves him in the care of his mother who, conversely, veritably worships him.
Occasionally, however, he confides in his benefactor and these rare sections have a beauty of writing which is deeply moving. Victor sees Humanity objectively, and himself as a tragic victim, a creature of the future born perhaps hundreds of thousands of years before his time, doomed to live alone amongst these slow-thinking savages, savages who think him a freak who should have died at birth.
Although Victor has the power to intimidate almost anyone with the force of his stare, he is powerless against one person, an idiot boy who seems to see something of kinship in Victor’s diminutive frame and over-large cranium. The gabbling ‘idiot’ often hangs around Victor’s house and has to be chased away.
One day, Victor goes missing somewhere between the Squire’s library and his home, and is later found drowned in a local pond.
The mystery of Victor’s death is never solved, although it is determined that the boy must have been held underwater until he drowned. Was it ‘The Idiot’ who killed Victor as part of some game, or could it have been the vicar, long offended by the existence of the genius abomination who refused accept Christian teachings?
For its time, ‘The Wonder’ is undoubtedly a groundbreaking piece of work and, one suspects, a controversial one. Rather like ‘The Elephant Man’, Victor is portrayed as more human, despite his failings, than many of the people in his community. He seems, although it is only implied in the novel, to conform to a theory of Evolution, albeit not exactly a Darwinian one, and he is, to all intents and purposes, Godless.
Unlike many works of the time, it has not dated that badly and is an unjustifiably neglected and important piece of literature.
His casual conversations with ministers and philosophers decimate their vaunted beliefs and crush their cherished intellectual ambitions. the Wonder compels obedience and silence with a glance. His mother idolizes him as a god. yet no one is more hated and alone than the Wonder.
This is the chilling tale of Victor Stott, an English boy born thousands of years ahead of his time. Raised in the village of Hampdenshire, the strangely proportioned young Victor possesses mental abilities vastly superior to those of his fellow villagers. The incomprehensible intellect and powers of the Wonder inspire awe, provoke horror, and eventually threat to rip art Hampdenshire.
Long recognised as a classic of speculative fiction but never before widely available, The Wonder is one of the first novels about a ‘superman’. JD Beresford’s subtle and intriguing story of a boy with superhuman abilities paved the way for such noted works as Philip Wylie’s ‘Gladiator’ and AE van Vogt’s ‘Slan’’
Blurb from the 1999 Bison Books paperback edition
Presaging an entire century of novels featuring the ‘superman’ or ‘Homo Superior’ is JD Beresford’s ‘the Wonder’. Beresford is possibly the first writer to explore the concept in a full length novel, although I am almost certainly wrong on that point as someone will no doubt point out to me in due course.
‘The Wonder’ of the title is a child, Victor Stott, the son of Ginger Stott, a celebrated cricketer.
Ginger’s life story is told in rather too much detail in the initial section of the novel, and there seems to be interminable pages devoted to cricket, but once past this rather self-indulgent scene-setting, the novel comes into its own, painting not only a sinister portrait of a boy whose aura of intelligence intimidates all around him, but also of the society of the time.
The local squire, a dedicated anthropologist, is the first to recognise at least a portion of the truth regarding Victor’s intellect and invites the boy to use his library where Victor digests books at a prodigious rate.
Beresford cleverly paints Victor as a creature who, although able to assimilate philosophical and scientific principles seems uninterested in the primitive social rules of the people among whom he is living. Thus his demeanour seems brusque, even rude and arrogant, and he soon makes an enemy of the local vicar since the boy treats religious scripture with the same disdain he holds for some of the other books in the library.
Finding no one whom he considers an equal, the boy is reluctant to speak to many people. His father considers him to be a freak and soon leaves him in the care of his mother who, conversely, veritably worships him.
Occasionally, however, he confides in his benefactor and these rare sections have a beauty of writing which is deeply moving. Victor sees Humanity objectively, and himself as a tragic victim, a creature of the future born perhaps hundreds of thousands of years before his time, doomed to live alone amongst these slow-thinking savages, savages who think him a freak who should have died at birth.
Although Victor has the power to intimidate almost anyone with the force of his stare, he is powerless against one person, an idiot boy who seems to see something of kinship in Victor’s diminutive frame and over-large cranium. The gabbling ‘idiot’ often hangs around Victor’s house and has to be chased away.
One day, Victor goes missing somewhere between the Squire’s library and his home, and is later found drowned in a local pond.
The mystery of Victor’s death is never solved, although it is determined that the boy must have been held underwater until he drowned. Was it ‘The Idiot’ who killed Victor as part of some game, or could it have been the vicar, long offended by the existence of the genius abomination who refused accept Christian teachings?
For its time, ‘The Wonder’ is undoubtedly a groundbreaking piece of work and, one suspects, a controversial one. Rather like ‘The Elephant Man’, Victor is portrayed as more human, despite his failings, than many of the people in his community. He seems, although it is only implied in the novel, to conform to a theory of Evolution, albeit not exactly a Darwinian one, and he is, to all intents and purposes, Godless.
Unlike many works of the time, it has not dated that badly and is an unjustifiably neglected and important piece of literature.
December 5, 2014
As confusing at times, to me, as a cricket match.
I had a tough time with this as soon as it became about cricket. I actually wondered if I was reading the same book. I did enjoy when "The Wonder" was around. I wish there was more about him. He could have been nearly anything. And no chance to continue the story.
I had a tough time with this as soon as it became about cricket. I actually wondered if I was reading the same book. I did enjoy when "The Wonder" was around. I wish there was more about him. He could have been nearly anything. And no chance to continue the story.
January 24, 2011
precursor to Stapledon's Odd John and Wylie's Gladiator, oh my! Grateful to have stumbled across this copy, abandoned on Mission St.
March 4, 2016
A quirky story told in a quirky manner but "quirky" can come across as genuine and, for the most part, it did in this instance. Nice ambiguous finale.
Read
September 7, 2016I did not read this book. As far as I can tell, computers are haunted.
April 6, 2021
Odd little book
The story was obviously written in the 19th or early 20th century. If you read this as an ebook, male sire you have a dictionary installed as you may need it for some words not in common use today.
The story starts with an odd looking child who seems to remember everything, met on s tra9n by a group of men- passengers who don't know one another.
The story then goes on to a man with an odd build. His mother owns a stationery shop and he does deliveries. On his way homez he happens upon a croclet.game witj an up and coming batsman (batter) to whom no one can seem to bowl (pitch) so that the batsman misses. The man, nicknamed Ginger for his red hair, decides he could likely bowl and make the batsman miss. So when he isn't helping out in the store, he is practicing bowling in the alley behind the store. He joins his county league, does well for a good long while. He ends up with a cut (they have a different name for it) on his finger, the one he uses for his famous pitch, which goes gangrenous and ruins his bowling career. He is offerred a jpb continuing to help keep the green and pitch ready..He tries to teach his method to other young men in the club, but he finally gives it up as they've all developed bad habits, even the very young.
So he decides to truly start from rpm the beginning. He looks for a woman to marry. A local spinster convinces him to marry her. His idea is to have a son with no bad habits so when the son is about 14, he can start teaching him to bowl.
He is in for a disappointment.
The child has such a large head that his birth nearly kills his mother and she will die if she has another. The baby has weak muscles, and requires stimulation of the heart (a gentle rubbing) and artificial respiration. When they open the child's eyes, however, the stare back is almiloat hyperintelligent. The child grows, the mother has taught him the basics of reading before he is 5. As for tje father, the intelligent look and the large head, plus the lack of interest in cricket, puts his father off. His dad takes rooms closer to his work, supports his family, but stays away. The local gentry has a huge library and offers the child the chance to read books there. The child rarely speaks. He does go through all the books, reading foreign languages with ease. Every day, 6 days a week, he is there, leaving at 6:45 pm every time.
During his time there, the school attendance officer, the local clergy (who is dead set against the child), a grocer who used to be mayor, & a couple more, including the he now-fanatic clergyman. The child is now 5 and must attend school. The gentry says he is far too advanced for primary school as he is even reading and understanding foreign languages. The clergyman says he nust learn respect for his elders and betters. They come tp an agreement that the child will be quizzed orally. The clergyman is incensed at not having gotten his way. The boy assents, & they come and quiz him, arriving at the conclusions that tjen books he's reading are adequate education and he doesn't need to attend school.
One person has an interest in him, and he and the local gentry see to his welfare as best they can.
There is a local boy, much larger physically, but with no basic intelligence. He sees this child as like him and wants to play, but the size difference seems to be offputting to thenhighlyy intelligemt boy.
Things end badly for the intelligent boy.
The story was obviously written in the 19th or early 20th century. If you read this as an ebook, male sire you have a dictionary installed as you may need it for some words not in common use today.
The story starts with an odd looking child who seems to remember everything, met on s tra9n by a group of men- passengers who don't know one another.
The story then goes on to a man with an odd build. His mother owns a stationery shop and he does deliveries. On his way homez he happens upon a croclet.game witj an up and coming batsman (batter) to whom no one can seem to bowl (pitch) so that the batsman misses. The man, nicknamed Ginger for his red hair, decides he could likely bowl and make the batsman miss. So when he isn't helping out in the store, he is practicing bowling in the alley behind the store. He joins his county league, does well for a good long while. He ends up with a cut (they have a different name for it) on his finger, the one he uses for his famous pitch, which goes gangrenous and ruins his bowling career. He is offerred a jpb continuing to help keep the green and pitch ready..He tries to teach his method to other young men in the club, but he finally gives it up as they've all developed bad habits, even the very young.
So he decides to truly start from rpm the beginning. He looks for a woman to marry. A local spinster convinces him to marry her. His idea is to have a son with no bad habits so when the son is about 14, he can start teaching him to bowl.
He is in for a disappointment.
The child has such a large head that his birth nearly kills his mother and she will die if she has another. The baby has weak muscles, and requires stimulation of the heart (a gentle rubbing) and artificial respiration. When they open the child's eyes, however, the stare back is almiloat hyperintelligent. The child grows, the mother has taught him the basics of reading before he is 5. As for tje father, the intelligent look and the large head, plus the lack of interest in cricket, puts his father off. His dad takes rooms closer to his work, supports his family, but stays away. The local gentry has a huge library and offers the child the chance to read books there. The child rarely speaks. He does go through all the books, reading foreign languages with ease. Every day, 6 days a week, he is there, leaving at 6:45 pm every time.
During his time there, the school attendance officer, the local clergy (who is dead set against the child), a grocer who used to be mayor, & a couple more, including the he now-fanatic clergyman. The child is now 5 and must attend school. The gentry says he is far too advanced for primary school as he is even reading and understanding foreign languages. The clergyman says he nust learn respect for his elders and betters. They come tp an agreement that the child will be quizzed orally. The clergyman is incensed at not having gotten his way. The boy assents, & they come and quiz him, arriving at the conclusions that tjen books he's reading are adequate education and he doesn't need to attend school.
One person has an interest in him, and he and the local gentry see to his welfare as best they can.
There is a local boy, much larger physically, but with no basic intelligence. He sees this child as like him and wants to play, but the size difference seems to be offputting to thenhighlyy intelligemt boy.
Things end badly for the intelligent boy.
June 14, 2018
"A fascinating forerunner of modern science fiction: The mind-bending story of a prodigy in Edwardian England
Born to a famous cricket player, Victor Stott is a giant-headed, awkward boy who never cries or says a word. At first, he is branded an idiot, but as he grows up it becomes apparent that Victor possesses a superior intelligence. He can master any language, memorize entire libraries—perhaps even control people with his mind. As word of his otherworldly gifts spreads, so too do fears of what he might be capable of.
First published in 1911 and considered to be the first novel about a superman, The Wonder is a masterpiece of speculative fiction and a compelling portrait of what it means to be extraordinary."
Born to a famous cricket player, Victor Stott is a giant-headed, awkward boy who never cries or says a word. At first, he is branded an idiot, but as he grows up it becomes apparent that Victor possesses a superior intelligence. He can master any language, memorize entire libraries—perhaps even control people with his mind. As word of his otherworldly gifts spreads, so too do fears of what he might be capable of.
First published in 1911 and considered to be the first novel about a superman, The Wonder is a masterpiece of speculative fiction and a compelling portrait of what it means to be extraordinary."
June 21, 2024
I'm listening to the Librivox version of this book, which is not listed on Goodreads.
I think I first read this while in high school. I reread it because it's part of The Garland Library of Science Fiction, which I've recently finished collecting.
The book is not good, and it should have been forgotten. "The Wonder" is a boy born with massive intelligence. He never does anything with the intelligence; he just has it. That's it. That's the whole book.
Lester del Rey, who made the selections that made up The Garland Library of Science Fiction must have been an oddball. Certainly he had a budget, and therefore choosing a book in the public domain may have been necessary. But why this book? The collection he was assembling was primarily marketed to high schools. His mission was to choose books that would either be read by high school kids who liked science fiction or who could be pulled into science fiction. This book would appeal to neither type of reader. I'm not sure who would like this book, given its very slow pace, long divergence into cricket, and weak conclusion.
Again, I listened to the Librivox version. Good narrator.
I think I first read this while in high school. I reread it because it's part of The Garland Library of Science Fiction, which I've recently finished collecting.
The book is not good, and it should have been forgotten. "The Wonder" is a boy born with massive intelligence. He never does anything with the intelligence; he just has it. That's it. That's the whole book.
Lester del Rey, who made the selections that made up The Garland Library of Science Fiction must have been an oddball. Certainly he had a budget, and therefore choosing a book in the public domain may have been necessary. But why this book? The collection he was assembling was primarily marketed to high schools. His mission was to choose books that would either be read by high school kids who liked science fiction or who could be pulled into science fiction. This book would appeal to neither type of reader. I'm not sure who would like this book, given its very slow pace, long divergence into cricket, and weak conclusion.
Again, I listened to the Librivox version. Good narrator.
November 6, 2017
A great work on the unattainability of perfect knowledge of life and the world. Or at least the unattainablity in Beresford’s time. Still relevant today of course. The child wonder is an embodiment of full perfect knowledge of life. If this perfect knowledge exists, how would the world react to it and how would you the reader? Very strong conceptual work with a sensible and clear view of the importance and relevance of attempting a perfect philosophy and a perfected scientific knowledge.
January 17, 2020
I can hardly believe this book was written over 100 years ago. I believe it’s more unique than any other book I may have read. It had a sense of wonder, it had a sense of mystery and a little Broodiness about it. I Enjoyed this book more than I expected to after reading other reviews. But then I’m an Anglophile so it was interesting to me to read about the sport of cricket.
Spoiler alert: The end was very sad to me. I think the preacher couldn’t take it anymore.
Spoiler alert: The end was very sad to me. I think the preacher couldn’t take it anymore.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2018
Fascinating to read about a child prodigy perceived by “normal” folk as being an idiot because his world was beyond their understanding. The attitudes of the time illustrated as such an aberration should be kept behind closed doors and shut away in an insane asylum. And yet there is more to the boy prodigy than meets the eye.
Much to consider, much to think about.
Much to consider, much to think about.
June 28, 2018
Loved it
Can't remember how I happened upon this book, don't know if it's well known or not, but I loved how well it showed the era/time it was written in, even though that's not why it was written. Does that makes sense? Just like Anna Karenina shows the life of that era. Lots of philosophy and philosophical questions thrown in too.
Can't remember how I happened upon this book, don't know if it's well known or not, but I loved how well it showed the era/time it was written in, even though that's not why it was written. Does that makes sense? Just like Anna Karenina shows the life of that era. Lots of philosophy and philosophical questions thrown in too.
August 3, 2017
The voice in my head as I read it...
The voice in my head as I read it... not sure why exactly, but the voice of Vincent Price was in my head as I read this book. It just seemed appropriate. Very intriguing book. I will definitely continue reading other works by this author.
The voice in my head as I read it... not sure why exactly, but the voice of Vincent Price was in my head as I read this book. It just seemed appropriate. Very intriguing book. I will definitely continue reading other works by this author.
December 23, 2017
Intriguing and unique.
This was absolutely fascinating and not like anything else I have ever read. Each character was unique and the entire story was intriguing.
This was absolutely fascinating and not like anything else I have ever read. Each character was unique and the entire story was intriguing.
January 29, 2019
A well written child prodigy story set in Edwardian England.
August 24, 2019
Intriguing story that touches on promising characters and deep themes of understanding and existence, but fizzles out on both at the end.
Want to read
December 2, 2020Aka The Wonder
December 29, 2020
I have so many books I want to read that I now will abandon books if they don't grab my attention. May not be a bad novel; just not my cup of tea.
March 2, 2016
I received a free kindle copy of The Wonder by J.D. Beresford published by Open Road Integrated Media from Amazon in exchange for a fair review. I gave it four stars.
George "Ginger" Stott was a well known Cricket star whose career was ended by a cut finger which became infected. It
was amputated & he never was able to play again. He goal was to teach a youngster who had not already formed bad habits.
He couldn't find one. He married Ellen Mary, a woman past her prime based on his mother's encouragement & meddling. At almost fifty she bore him a remarkable son but the child would not physically able to fulfill his father's dream.
George "Ginger" Stott was a well known Cricket star whose career was ended by a cut finger which became infected. It
was amputated & he never was able to play again. He goal was to teach a youngster who had not already formed bad habits.
He couldn't find one. He married Ellen Mary, a woman past her prime based on his mother's encouragement & meddling. At almost fifty she bore him a remarkable son but the child would not physically able to fulfill his father's dream.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2019
The Wonder (The Hampdenshire Wonder)by J.D. Beresford
This is billed as Science Fiction and it is; but the reader is required to endure 50 pages of build up to get to it. Not that that's entirely bad, because the writing is fairly engaging; it's just that sometimes it becomes questionable where the whole thing is heading. There is a sort of feel similar to some Mark Twain story telling that left me looking for the humorous turn of events coming up around the bend. But this is more of a serious piece; once you get past the 25% mark.
There is some justification for the long lead-in. The first is to introduce us to the narrator who first sees Victor Stott, as a very remarkable child, on a train. We then digress to the story of Ginger Stott, Victor's father, and his story. The idea, I suppose, is to start with a national pastime, Cricket in this case, and create the character of Ginger: a self taught Cricket prodigy. When a tragic injury takes Ginger out of the game, he tries to train other players; but finds that they all have formed bad habits and are not trainable to his methods. He decides that the only way to train anyone would be to keep them isolated from the game until they were a teen and then train them from the place of having no previously formed habits.
This leads to Ginger getting married. This happens in much of a manner that looks like-Ellen Mary Jakes, a long time spinster, finds out about Gingers plans and offers herself; to which he responds, "Well! I dunno why not". This union results in one offspring when Ellen who is near her fifties gives birth to a possibly hydrocephalic boy. The boy, Victor, is not expected to live; but surprises everyone. Though he lives; Victory will not carry on the family Cricket legacy. Victor's large head seems to be there to house his higher intellect, because he turns out to be a prodigy in his own way; though this will be difficult to determine, because he hardly ever speaks.
Though in part this story delivers a message about what life might be like for someone who can't have that sense of awe (wonder) that we all have from the world around us and all the marvels of science and philosophy, it is also a window into problems with education; that continue to plague us to this day.
It becomes clear early that at age three or four Victor can absorb all the information from the dictionary, the encyclopedia, the bible and a whole library of books; and that the present education system is geared to drag him down because it's made to accommodate a rather average intellect. That doesn't even account for his rather strange social skills, or what looks like a lack of social skills.
Because the story is told from a viewpoint outside of the prodigy, which makes some sense because one wonders what the inside of the prodigies thought process might look like; it gives the reader a story that seems to revolve around and about the reaction to the prodigy rather than any notion about how the prodigy must feel about things. That leads to our narrator using other people’s thoughts and feelings to try to come up with a picture of what it must be like for the prodigy.
Once you read this you will see that the title of The Wonder or The Hampdenshire Wonder can almost have two meanings and that adds just the right touch to the whole piece.
This is definitely for SFF lovers who don't mind watching the kettle boil or paint dry to get to the interesting parts. Still it does stick in the mind as one of the classics that set the pace for others to follow.
J.L. Dobias
This is billed as Science Fiction and it is; but the reader is required to endure 50 pages of build up to get to it. Not that that's entirely bad, because the writing is fairly engaging; it's just that sometimes it becomes questionable where the whole thing is heading. There is a sort of feel similar to some Mark Twain story telling that left me looking for the humorous turn of events coming up around the bend. But this is more of a serious piece; once you get past the 25% mark.
There is some justification for the long lead-in. The first is to introduce us to the narrator who first sees Victor Stott, as a very remarkable child, on a train. We then digress to the story of Ginger Stott, Victor's father, and his story. The idea, I suppose, is to start with a national pastime, Cricket in this case, and create the character of Ginger: a self taught Cricket prodigy. When a tragic injury takes Ginger out of the game, he tries to train other players; but finds that they all have formed bad habits and are not trainable to his methods. He decides that the only way to train anyone would be to keep them isolated from the game until they were a teen and then train them from the place of having no previously formed habits.
This leads to Ginger getting married. This happens in much of a manner that looks like-Ellen Mary Jakes, a long time spinster, finds out about Gingers plans and offers herself; to which he responds, "Well! I dunno why not". This union results in one offspring when Ellen who is near her fifties gives birth to a possibly hydrocephalic boy. The boy, Victor, is not expected to live; but surprises everyone. Though he lives; Victory will not carry on the family Cricket legacy. Victor's large head seems to be there to house his higher intellect, because he turns out to be a prodigy in his own way; though this will be difficult to determine, because he hardly ever speaks.
Though in part this story delivers a message about what life might be like for someone who can't have that sense of awe (wonder) that we all have from the world around us and all the marvels of science and philosophy, it is also a window into problems with education; that continue to plague us to this day.
It becomes clear early that at age three or four Victor can absorb all the information from the dictionary, the encyclopedia, the bible and a whole library of books; and that the present education system is geared to drag him down because it's made to accommodate a rather average intellect. That doesn't even account for his rather strange social skills, or what looks like a lack of social skills.
Because the story is told from a viewpoint outside of the prodigy, which makes some sense because one wonders what the inside of the prodigies thought process might look like; it gives the reader a story that seems to revolve around and about the reaction to the prodigy rather than any notion about how the prodigy must feel about things. That leads to our narrator using other people’s thoughts and feelings to try to come up with a picture of what it must be like for the prodigy.
Once you read this you will see that the title of The Wonder or The Hampdenshire Wonder can almost have two meanings and that adds just the right touch to the whole piece.
This is definitely for SFF lovers who don't mind watching the kettle boil or paint dry to get to the interesting parts. Still it does stick in the mind as one of the classics that set the pace for others to follow.
J.L. Dobias
August 14, 2019
The Wonder is the shorted title from the original, The Hampdenshire Wonder, first published in 1911. It is one of the first science fiction novels describing a wunderkind. Victor Stott, the son of a famous cricket player, has a slight deformity accounting for his extraordinarily powerful brain. The character may be Beresford's reference to his mentor, H.G. Wells's father, Joseph Wells.
Love this book, love, love! The reason I chose this book is to investigate how speculative fiction treats hyperintelligence. The Wonder, as he is described in the novel, is born with a gift that makes him stand out among people. Victor Scott is probably one of the first true child prodigies the literature has produced and the way Beresford narrates this little boy's difficulties is nothing short of remarkable. Ginger's thinking process is beyond space and time, which suggests a different type of knowledge mere mortals cannot attempt to attain. Here is how he's portrayed:
Fascinating. The other characters are not glossed over, either. Victor's parents are well-drawn, his surrogate teacher who at the end of the novel delivers the quintessential 19th century philosophical wrap-up, is a compelling man, and even the village idiot Harrison brings a joyful and yet tragic depth to the story. Impressed.
Full text of this public-domain wonder: https://americanliterature.com/author...
Love this book, love, love! The reason I chose this book is to investigate how speculative fiction treats hyperintelligence. The Wonder, as he is described in the novel, is born with a gift that makes him stand out among people. Victor Scott is probably one of the first true child prodigies the literature has produced and the way Beresford narrates this little boy's difficulties is nothing short of remarkable. Ginger's thinking process is beyond space and time, which suggests a different type of knowledge mere mortals cannot attempt to attain. Here is how he's portrayed:
Normally one saw a curious, unattractive, rather repulsive figure of a child; when he looked at one with that rare look of intention, the man that lived within that unattractive body was revealed, his insight, his profundity, his unexampled wisdom. If we mark the difference between man and animals by a measure of intelligence, then surely this child was a very god among men.
Fascinating. The other characters are not glossed over, either. Victor's parents are well-drawn, his surrogate teacher who at the end of the novel delivers the quintessential 19th century philosophical wrap-up, is a compelling man, and even the village idiot Harrison brings a joyful and yet tragic depth to the story. Impressed.
Full text of this public-domain wonder: https://americanliterature.com/author...
July 5, 2024
(19 December, 2022)
Mildly interesting but this is just another story of people fearing the unknown, in this instance a disappointedly cruel prodigy. Fear and antipathy, or apathy, are everywhere in this ordinary tale. People of all walks of life fear the Harrison boy; Victor the Wonder Boy's refusal to acknowledge others and his on-again-off-again fear of the Harrison boy; this latter's fear of Victor (at a very specific point). All this is concentrated in Challis' apprehension of the unknowable and in his dread of knowing everything. Incidentally, having the smartest thought come from a 'regular' person and not from the Wonder is brilliant.
Victor being a complete dick might be a mirror to Beresford's (and many others') ostensible fear of super people. He reminds me of 'Odd John' and might have ended up the same way. The tendency to have superior humans be arrogant pricks is baffling. I would not mistreat my dogs because they are 'only' dogs, why would I (Ha! I can't even write "because they are lesser beings" - unlike humans, they don't torture, murder, rape, destroy the planet, et cetera...)? Where's the empathy? A very strong argument can be made that a more compassionate world would make it a better one. One would think a prodigy like Victor would know that, oh well .
More food for thought than a good read.
Mildly interesting but this is just another story of people fearing the unknown, in this instance a disappointedly cruel prodigy. Fear and antipathy, or apathy, are everywhere in this ordinary tale. People of all walks of life fear the Harrison boy; Victor the Wonder Boy's refusal to acknowledge others and his on-again-off-again fear of the Harrison boy; this latter's fear of Victor (at a very specific point). All this is concentrated in Challis' apprehension of the unknowable and in his dread of knowing everything. Incidentally, having the smartest thought come from a 'regular' person and not from the Wonder is brilliant.
Victor being a complete dick might be a mirror to Beresford's (and many others') ostensible fear of super people. He reminds me of 'Odd John' and might have ended up the same way. The tendency to have superior humans be arrogant pricks is baffling. I would not mistreat my dogs because they are 'only' dogs, why would I (Ha! I can't even write "because they are lesser beings" - unlike humans, they don't torture, murder, rape, destroy the planet, et cetera...)? Where's the empathy? A very strong argument can be made that a more compassionate world would make it a better one. One would think a prodigy like Victor would know that, oh well .
More food for thought than a good read.
December 31, 2016
I loved this book. It made me relize that there are times we all think what we see is the whole story. Victor makes us realize that knowing what we are and where we are going is not allthereisto life./ This boy lived his life ful of love andknowledge and taught the men who ook the time toknow him alot about lif.
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