The Napoleon of Notting Hill, G.K. Chesterton
The Napoleon of Notting Hill, G.K. Chesterton
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The Napoleon of Notting Hill

Author: G.K. Chesterton

Narrator: Simon Hester

Unabridged: 7 hr 3 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/13/2023

Categories: Fiction, Classic, Fantasy


Synopsis

G.K. Chesterton’s surreal fantasy “The Napoleon of Notting Hill” is set in the year 1984.Chesterton’s view of a London 80 years hence from the year in which he wrote the story is not the  frightening totalitarian state foreseen by George Orwell in his book titled with that same year, (although it is thought that Orwell chose that year from his knowledge of Chesterton’s story).Chesterton’s more humorous and fantastical look into the near future finds England to be much the same as in 1904 except that the concept of Monarchy has fallen into such an inconsequential position (as the world has moved away from individual autonomous states, all the better to avoid wars) that the Monarch is now determined by lot in an alphabetical book. When Auberon Quinn unexpectedly finds himself announced as the new King he considers the whole affair one big regal joke and to amuse himself (and annoy his pompous political friends) he indulges himself by concocting a cod history and pageantry for the London Boroughs.Little does he realise that his preposterous joke might be taken seriously and that the ceremonial swords and halberds would become weapons of an actual war between the differing London factions. It only takes one zealous and determined mad man to take him all too seriously. Head Stories Audio presents "The Napoleon of Notting Hill" narrated by Simon Hester. With original music.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Werner on September 30, 2009

Broadly speaking, this 1904 imagining of the world of the late 20th century and beyond can be called science fiction, but it's strictly a speculation in the social, not the technological, sciences; Chesterton had little interest in technology, --and, indeed, posits a future with no new technology, i......more

Goodreads review by D. J. on January 11, 2008

A very strange book. I can honestly say that I've never read anything quite like it before and probably never will. It's a rather surreal story that is equal parts philosophical allegory, fantasy, dystopian fiction and satire. It's all of these things and nothing. Totally original in its genius; tot......more

Goodreads review by Abhinav on March 22, 2013

Let me start this review by stating how surprised I am to know that none of the people on my friends list here have read this book. I mean, this has to be one of the best debut novels ever written in the 20th century by a not-so-unknown English author & yet this book fails to make even the to-read l......more

Goodreads review by Javier on March 09, 2024

Novela inclasificable. Una especie de distopía satirico-político-filosófica en clave de humor subrealista, con unos toques muy MontyPythonescos. Me ha resultado demasiado británica, demasiado absurda y demasiado aburrida. A pesar de parecer muy original, inteligente y divertida, no le he pillado el......more

Goodreads review by Cleo on February 21, 2025

Oh my! Another romp with Chesterton. This time we are in London in 1984 (eighty years after the book was written in 1904). The world is relatively quiet, there are no wars and life goes on placidly and uneventfully. That is until one of three friends, Auberon Quin, is chosen to be king. Auberon is n......more