Four decades before George Orwell wrote 1984, The Napoleon of Notting Hill defined the dystopian genre. One of the first dystopian comedies, instead of a dark vision of jackboots and surveillance states, G.K. Chesterton explores the question of what a society would look like if no one could take a joke.
In this future England, each new king is decided by lottery. When Auberon Quin, a man who cares only for a good joke, is chosen to be the next king, he resolves to spend his reign teaching his fellow governors how big a joke can really be.
While most district leaders are content to put up with Auberon’s schemes even when he insists upon elaborate costumes and heraldry, one provost takes his games much too seriously. When Adam Wayne, the Provost of Notting Hill, takes a military stand against his fellow leaders and seeks to defend his tiny fiefdom by any means necessary, Auberon’s joke has gone too far.
At a time when the dystopian genre is defined by hopelessness, Chesterton’s dry wit and tongue-in-cheek humor are a welcome respite. Follow Auberon and Wayne as they ponder the meaning of humor and virtue in a world where the swords are all too real and the defense of one’s pride may well result in blood in the streets.
Foreword by Dale Ahlquist, president of the Society of G.K Chesterton.
