The Croquet Player by H.G. Wells
The Croquet Player is a short story by H.G. Wells, first published in 1936. It tells the story of a mysterious croquet player who appears in a small English village and challenges the locals to a game. The locals are amazed by his skill and the strange, almost supernatural, way he plays the game. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that the croquet player is not what he seems, and that he is in fact a supernatural being from another world. The story is a meditation on the nature of reality and the power of imagination. It is also a commentary on the human condition, and the way in which we can be both captivated and terrified by the unknown.
By H.G. Wells · First published 1937 · Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery · 4 chapters · 16,483 words
First lines
I have been talking to two very queer individuals and they have produced a peculiar disturbance of my mind. It is hardly an exaggeration to say that they have infected me and distressed me with some very strange and unpleasant ideas. I want to set down what it is they have said to me in the first place for my own sake, so as to clear up my thoughts about it. What they told me was fantastic and unreasonable but I shall feel surer about that if I set it down in writing. Moreover I want to get my story into a shape that will enable one or two sympathetic readers to reassure me about the purely imaginative quality of what these two men had to say.
What this Textopian page supports
The Croquet Player is listed on Textopian as a novel by H.G. Wells, dated 1937 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: H.G. Wells
- Date: 1937 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Horror
- Length: 16,483 words
- Structure: 4 chapters, 283 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Croquet Player by H.G. Wells
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Croquet Player?
- How does this novel by H.G. Wells fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Science Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Creature That Man Forgets by G. K. Chesterton
- The Telegraph Poles by G. K. Chesterton
- The Man Who Was by Rudyard Kipling
- The Nightmare by G. K. Chesterton
- The Secret Society Of Mankind by G. K. Chesterton
- The Seven Moods Of Dorian by G. K. Chesterton
Genres
- Science Fiction — The Croquet Player is a science fiction novella by H.G. Wells, which follows a mysterious character who claims to be from the future and has the ability to manipulate time.
- Fantasy — The Croquet Player contains elements of fantasy, such as the mysterious character's ability to manipulate time and the surreal atmosphere of the story.
- Mystery — The Croquet Player is a mystery novel, as the protagonist attempts to uncover the truth about the mysterious character and his claims of being from the future.
- Horror — The Croquet Player contains elements of horror, such as the mysterious character's ability to manipulate time and the surreal atmosphere of the story.
Tags
philosophy · society · class · existentialism · absurdism · satire · narrative · human nature · conflict · identity · morality · irony
Contents
- Chapter 1: The Croquet Player Introduces Himself
- Chapter 2: Haunting Fear in Cainsmarsh
- Chapter 3: The Skull in the Museum
- Chapter 4: The Intolerable Psychiatrist