Carl Gustav Jung
Carl Gustav Jung ( ; ; 26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. Jung's work has been influential in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, philo ...
and his ideas.
The inner life of the protagonist, Theodore Bulpington, is dominated by a complex he calls "The Bulpington of Blup." This self-regarding, romantic, heroic personality comes over time to dominate his existence, falsifying his relations with the world. Theodore Bulpington develops into a pretentious fraud who finally affirms a ''modus vivendi'' of falsehood: "I am a lie. I accept it. I am a liar in a world of lies." The novel is also of interest for its extended analysis of psychological responses to
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
The life of
Ford Madox Ford
Ford Madox Ford (né Joseph Leopold Ford Hermann Madox Hueffer ( ); 17 December 1873 – 26 June 1939) was an English novelist, poet, critic and editor whose journals ''The English Review'' and ''The Transatlantic Review'' were instrumental in ...
inspired some aspects of the novel. ''The Bulpington of Blup'' is dedicated to
Odette Keun
Odette Zoé Keun (Pera, 10 September 1888 – Worthing, 14 March 1978) was a Dutch socialist, journalist and writer, who traveled extensively in Europe, including the Caucasus and the early Soviet Union.
Early years
Keun was the daughter of ...
, Wells's lover from 1924 to 1933.
Like ''
Mr. Blettsworthy on Rampole Island
''Mr. Blettsworthy on Rampole Island'' is a 1928 novel by H. G. Wells.
Plot summary
The protagonist of the novel, Arnold Blettsworthy, is the scion of a genteel family prominent "in the south and west of England." Blettsworthy's father, howeve ...
'' and ''
The Autocracy of Mr. Parham
''The Autocracy of Mr. Parham'' is a novel by H. G. Wells. It was originally published in both Britain and America with illustrations by the British cartoonist Low (David Low (cartoonist), David Low).
The U.S. edition carried the subtitle ''His ...
'', ''The Bulpington of Blup'' did not sell as well as Wells's earlier novels; these are now among his "least read books," according to biographer David Smith. Wells believed that the novel was as good as ''
Kipps
''Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul'' is a novel by H. G. Wells, first published in 1905. It was reportedly Wells's own favourite among his works, and it has been adapted for stage, cinema and television productions, including the musical ''H ...
'', but critics have not shared this view.
Censorship
''The Bulpington of Blup'' contains several sexual scenes, and also contains passages critical of the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. For these reasons, the book was banned in both the
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State ( ga, Saorstát Éireann, , ; 6 December 192229 December 1937) was a state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-year Irish War of Independence between th ...
and
Francoist Spain
Francoist Spain ( es, España franquista), or the Francoist dictatorship (), was the period of Spanish history between 1939 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death in 1975, Spai ...
.Patrick Parrinder and John S. Partington, ''The reception of H.G. Wells in Europe''.
London : Thoemmes continuum, 2005. (p.251)