The Wonder [Paperback]

J. D. Beresford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2002

THE WONDER CHILD I first met Victor Stott on a train. He was an infant, then. Something in his eyes unsettled me deeply. It did not surprise me that, years later, he recalled the circumstances of our meeting in close and careful detail. The woman who'd borne him was convinced he was the second coming. And who can say whether she was right?

Editorial Reviews

Review

" ... well worth reading; this is a nice edition ... like the other Bison Books reprints this is recommended to all those who are interested in the roots of sf."--interzone, february 2000"Odd that the book which prefaced modern science fiction and fantasy was published a year before the Titanic sank, and odder yet that a Nebraska publisher should refloat the tale of England cricketer Ginger Stott's aberrant son. The yanks must be as much at sea with the legspin as we are with the baseball, but the reason why this classic has resurfaced is clear from the first page ... Good stuff; enough to raise goose-pimples."--Time Out, 8 March 2000 "There is an admirable Edwardian solidity to Bereford's classic of "speculative fiction" that carries a good yarn, sometimes woodenly written, along... Long unavailable, The Wonder is a minor work, but an enjoyable, old-fashioned discovery nonetheless."--The Guardian, 1 July 2000 --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

J. D. Beresford (1873-1947), a noted British writer of speculative fiction, wrote such novels as “What Dreams May Come . . . ,” The Riddle of the Tower, and Goslings. Jack L. Chalker is the author of the classic novels Midnight at the Well of Souls and Web of the Chozen and the popular Rings of the Master and Dancing Gods series.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 236 pages
• Publisher: Borgo Press (November 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592248365
• ISBN-13: 978-1592248360
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,737,519 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Buried Treasure, June 29, 2000

By 

Thomas Oeser (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wonder (Bison Frontiers of Imagination) (Paperback)

I had never heard of Beresford before I bought this book (The Wonder) and I must say that I was more than pleasantly surprised by this gem of a book. I think that "The Wonder" belongs to the classics of science fiction / psychology books.

It is the story of a child who is born with a supernatural intelligence, forced to live in a world with no equals to himself. It becomes clear to all who see the wonder that he is superior in intellect and so he becomes isolated from everyone. The wonder also knows of his own superior intellect and he is not interested in normal social interaction. 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.

I am so pleased with this book that I am now looking for more Beresford novels, but they seem difficult to find (a buried treasure) .

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing idea..., July 18, 2006

By 

cinephile "[e-mail]" (Oklahoma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wonder (Bison Frontiers of Imagination) (Paperback)

I first read a story like this in college, and only recently discovered that the ground had been covered before, in "The Wonder". The atmosphere of this story is unrelentingly gloomy, and it's a slow read, or I would have given it 5 stars. That's a review based on my reaction, as much as the actual merit of this book.

This isn't so much science fiction as it is speculation. I've heard of actual child geniuses, even if they don't quite reach the level described by Beresford's book. Probably closer to Doogie Howser, in real life! I never quite reached a sense of wonder with this (no pun intended), but it's interesting as a period piece. The ending worked fairly well. I still prefer Olaf Stapledon's "Odd John," but obviously this came first.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fear of the extraordinary, December 31, 2010

By 

TChris (Tzer Island) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Wonder (Bison Frontiers of Imagination) (Paperback)

The story of Victor Stott is said to be one of the first novels about a superman. That is true only in a limited sense. Victor has no unusual physical gifts, no superhuman strength. He is, however, intellectually superior to other humans, a super-genius. And Victor apparently knows of his superiority from the moment of his birth: he views others with a sort of disapproval if he acknowledges them at all, and seems able to control them (or maybe just repel them) with his stare. Yet he isn't conceited; it isn't worth his time to compare himself to others. Beresford writes: "He was entirely alone among aliens who were unable to comprehend him, who could not flatter him, whose opinions were valueless to him." Young Victor rarely communicates with others; he acknowledges their presence only when he needs someone to open a door or prepare a meal. Conversations aren't worthwhile to Victor because nobody has the intellectual capacity to understand him.

The novel's narrator is a journalist covering cricket matches when he meets Ginger Stott, who has a brief but magnificent career as the best bowler in the sport. It is a tribute to Beresford's writing ability that I was engrossed by the chapter that describes Stott's development as a bowler and the games he bowled, despite my complete ignorance about cricket (most of the time, I had no idea what the narrator was talking about). When Ginger's career ends, he decides to father a son who will carry on where he left off, and is despaired when Victor is born with a grossly enlarged head. The novel carries us through Victor's aloof life from the moment of his birth through his early childhood.

To a large extent the novel is about prejudice or fear of those who are different. The novel juxtaposes Victor and a somewhat older, developmentally disabled child with a similarly enlarged head; both are objects of scorn and dread among the villagers. To some extent, the prejudice against Victor is greater because Victor has ideas that are out of the ordinary. When a rector spends an hour lecturing Victor about religion, Victor makes one of his rare pronouncements: he informs the rector that his Bible stories aren't true. The rector responds by insisting that Victor be committed to an asylum.

The Wonder is also about the limits of knowledge and the nature of discovery. The philosophical implications of Victor's life are briefly discussed in the last chapter. Anyone with an interest in those topics should enjoy The Wonder, as should readers who are interested in the history of science fiction. But The Wonder is so well written and so interesting that it should appeal to a broader audience, as well.