The Hampdenshire Wonder by J. D. Beresford
"The Hampdenshire Wonder" is a narrative that explores the life of an exceptionally gifted child named Victor Stott, who is characterized by his unusually large head and profound intelligence. Born to a professional cricketer and an aging spinster, Victor's early life is shaped by the abandonment of his father and the support of local figures like the squire, Henry Challis, and clergyman Percy Crashaw. Throughout his early years, Victor displays extraordinary intellect, having read extensively and developed complex ideas, including the denial of God's existence, which creates tension with the clergyman.
The story unfolds through the perspective of a narrator who becomes intrigued by Victor and his unique abilities. As Victor grapples with the limitations of language in expressing his advanced thoughts, he forms a complicated relationship with the narrator, who becomes both fascinated and intimidated by the boy's intellect. This dynamic leads to the narrator distancing himself from Victor, which he later regrets when Victor is murdered under mysterious circumstances. The narrative raises questions about the nature of genius, the challenges of communication, and societal responses to individuals who defy conventional norms.
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Subject Terms
The Hampdenshire Wonder
First published: 1911
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Science fiction—superbeing
Time of work: The early twentieth century
Locale: Hampdenshire, a village in the south of England
The Plot
The narrator is reading a book during a train journey when he is disturbed by the presence of a baby with an unusually large head and a disconcerting stare. He investigates the history of this remarkable infant, who turns out to be Victor Stott, the progeny of a marriage of convenience between a professional cricket player and an aging spinster. Following the fathers desertion, the mother and her son were given a new home by the local squire, Henry Challis, at the request of a clergyman, Percy Crashaw.
The narrator, who is a writer, is fascinated by Victor and begins a careful study of his burgeoning talents. By the time he is five years old, the boy has read through the contents of Challis library and has familiarized himself with the entire legacy of human knowledge. Victors research leads him to deny the existence of God, which so offends Crashaw that the rector attempts to have him committed to an asylum. Challis thwarts this plan and also prevents the boy from being enrolled at a primary school where Crashaw might have the opportunity to indoctrinate him.
Victor treats all other humans with contempt but begins to form a relationship with the narrator, apparently hoping that he might find a sympathetic audience for the deductions and ruminations of his advanced intelligence. Unfortunately, the English language does not contain words for the concepts he wishes to express, and the child becomes frustrated with the narrators failure to make headway. The narrator does, however, save Victor from being pestered by the only human being who is not intimidated by his hypnotic gaze: a hydrocephalic idiot.
Eventually, the narrator becomes so discomfited by his failure to keep up with Victor intellectually, and by the subtle power that the boys stare exerts on him, that he begins to avoid him. When Victor is murdered, the narrator believes that his retreat allowed the crime to be committed, but he does not know whether the perpetrator of the crime was the idiot or the clergyman.