The Secret Places of the Heart

A man on the verge of a nervous breakdown goes on a vacation with his psycharitrist and on the way he rediscovers his zest for life with the help of a young woman.

Wells passed through a period from about 1922 to 1925, in which he wrote several novels on the subject of mental illness. This is the first of them and its insights into the human condition are remarkable. So too, is its treatment of personalites and relationships. Those who contend that Wells was incapable of realistic character development simply haven't read this book.

Some quotes taken from The Secret Places of the Heart:

"'A day will come when we shall be able to manipulate drugs - all sorts of drugs -and work them in to our general way of living... a time will come when we shall correct our moods, get down to our reserves of energy by their help...'" (8).

"The instinct of the male for the female isn't primarily for offspring - not even in the most intelligent and far-seeing types. The desire just points to glowing satisfactions and illusions. Quite equally I think the desire of the female for the male ignores its end. Nature has set about this business in a cheap sort of way. She is like some pushful advertising tradesman. She isn't frank with us; she just humbugs us into what she wants with us" (55).

"At the thought of a lover for V.V. a sudden flood of anger poured across the old man's mind behind the still mask of his face. It infuriated him even to think of V.V., his little V.V., his own girl, entertaining a lover, being possibly - most shameful thought - in love! Like some ordinary silly female, sinking to kisses..." (188).

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Last modified on Thursday, 12-Aug-1999 14:43:42 EDT