The Napoleon of Notting Hill by G. K. Chesterton
"The Napoleon of Notting Hill" is a novel by G. K. Chesterton, published in 1904, that explores themes of nationalism, imperialism, and the intersection of humor and seriousness in leadership. Set in a dystopian future London, the story follows bureaucrat James Barker, idler Wilfred Lambert, and prankster Auberon Quin. The narrative begins with a chance meeting with an exiled Nicaraguan president, whose passionate defense of patriotism contrasts sharply with Barker's cynical views on imperialism. When Quin is unexpectedly named king, he decides to inject a sense of joy and medieval romanticism into the dreary lives of Londoners by creating whimsical city-states, complete with coats of arms and guards.
The plot thickens as Adam Wayne, the provost of Notting Hill, emerges as a champion for his community against greedy forces intending to demolish local shops. His struggle against overwhelming odds reveals the deeper values of loyalty and community spirit. The novel ultimately juxtaposes the absurdity of war with the earnestness of Wayne's cause, illustrating the complexities of leadership, governance, and the human condition. "The Napoleon of Notting Hill" invites readers to reflect on the balance between seriousness and levity in societal matters, making it a thought-provoking work that remains relevant in discussions about nationalism and civic responsibility.
On this Page
The Napoleon of Notting Hill by G. K. Chesterton
First published: 1904
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Fantasy
Time of plot: 1984-2014
Locale: London
Principal characters
Adam Wayne , provost of Notting HillAuberon Quin , king of EnglandJames Barker , provost of South KensingtonRed Buck , provost of North Kensington
The Story:
Walking to work on a wintry day in 1984, powerful bureaucrat James Barker, idler Wilfred Lambert, and prankster Auberon Quin meet the exiled president of Nicaragua, a country that has been swallowed up by more powerful nations. Despite the Nicaraguan’s argument that imperialists annihilate the customs of the conquered, Barker defends imperialism, insisting on the superiority of English civilization, which has evolved from democracy to despotism. He explains that the country needs neither a parliament nor a king; the latter, whose duty is simply to sign papers, is now chosen through a rotation system. The Nicaraguan, appalled by Barker’s words, dies three days later. Quin, meanwhile, is stirred by the Nicaraguan’s patriotism.
Quin, to Barker’s horror, is named king. Unlike Barker, he realizes that London’s people are sunk in a deadening, joyless routine. He mingles among common people to determine their needs. A child named Adam Wayne attacks him with a toy sword, and Quin, amused by this childish imitation of knighthood, decides, as a joke, to revive medievalism. He issues a Great Proclamation of the Charter of Free Cities. Suburbs become cities, each with a city wall, a guard, banners, official colors, and coats of arms. Their provosts are selected by a rotation system. Quin happily assigns the cities their official colors, garb, guards, heralds, and trumpeters.
The selected provosts, who include Barker and Red Buck, conspire to create, through bribery, purchase, and bullying, a road that will destroy five old stores on Pump Street in Notting Hill. Ten years later, negotiations for the road encounter an obstacle in Adam Wayne, who has become the provost of Notting Hill. Objecting to the destruction of the shops, he vows to preserve his city. The other provosts appeal to the king. Barker regards Wayne as a madman, since any sane man would accept the provosts’ financial offers. Having tried unsuccessfully to convince the king to force sale of the Notting Hill property or to have Wayne certified as insane, the provosts prepare for war. Quin notes that the provosts, obsessed with money, power, and respectability, are as mad as Wayne, but Quin is stunned that his joke has inspired Wayne’s passion and patriotism. He sadly expects Wayne to lose the war.
Wayne finds it difficult to inspire others to his cause. Notting Hill’s merchants conduct their transactions without interest or joy; Wayne cannot break through their torpor, until he reaches Mr. Turnbull. Turnbull is the proprietor of a toy or curiosity shop, a collector of toy soldiers, and a student of military history. While Buck is assuring the others on his side that their victory is certain—because battle, like everything else, is a matter of numbers—Turnbull becomes Wayne’s military strategist. From their Pump Street headquarters, Turnbull sends forty London boys for hansom cab rides. The boys bring the cabs to Turnbull; the horses, once properly fed, become cavalry horses, the cabs become barricades, and their drivers, soldiers.
Thanks to Turnbull’s genius, Wayne’s army defeats a far larger force. Still convinced that greater numbers inevitably win, Buck insists that the battle resume at night under the illumination of gaslights. Wayne’s forces cut off the gas, leaving their enemies to fight one another in the dark. Wayne’s opponents regroup. With an enormous army, they are certain of victory, until Wayne announces his capture of a water tower. Unless his enemies surrender, he will release the water and they will drown. His victory is complete.
Twenty years later, Notting Hill’s council has become imperialistic, and Wayne anticipates their inevitable defeat because their cause is unjust. Quin and Wayne survive. Quin admits he began the whole thing as a joke. Wayne explains that they need each other: Quin needs Wayne’s seriousness, and Wayne needs Quin’s humor. They are, Wayne says, two halves of the same brain. They go off together.
Bibliography
Barker, Dudley. G. K. Chesterton. New York: Stein & Day, 1973. Brief biography that is primarily concerned with Chesterton’s early years and fiction.
Clark, Stephen R. L. G. K. Chesterton: Thinking Backward, Looking Forward. Philadelphia: Templeton Foundation Press, 2006. Places The Napoleon of Notting Hill within the context of futuristic science fiction, studying Chesterton’s individual novels and the themes he introduced for later writers.
Coren, Michael. Gilbert: The Man Who Was Chesterton. New York: Paragon House, 1990. Examines Chesterton’s early years and influences, as well as The Napoleon of Notting Hill.
Dale, Alzina Stone. The Outline of Sanity: A Biography of G. K. Chesterton. 1982. Reprint: Lincoln, Nebr.: Authors Guild Backinprint.com, 2005. Provides a detailed examination of Chesterton’s objections to the Boer War and imperialism.
Gardner, Martin. The Fantastic Fiction of Gilbert Chesterton. Shelburne, Ont.: George A. Vanderburgh, 2008. Includes Gardner’s valuable introduction to the 1991 Dover Press edition of The Napoleon of Notting Hill, as well as an essay originally published in the May 10, 1991, issue of Midwest Chesterton News.
McCleary, Joseph R. The Historical Imagination of G. K. Chesterton: Locality, Patriotism, and Nationalism. New York: Routledge, 2009. Chapter 4 focuses on The Napoleon of Notting Hill, The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare (1908), and The Ball and the Cross (1909) as expressing Chesterton’s political and historical views.
Payne, Randall. Introduction to The Autobiography of G. K. Chesterton. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006. The novel’s setting is strongly influenced by the setting of Chesterton’s childhood. Payne’s annotations to Chesterton’s autobiography make this work accessible to modern readers.
Pearce, Joseph. Wisdom and Innocence: A Life of G. K. Chesterton. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2004. Relates The Napoleon of Notting Hill to other Chesterton writings and includes comments by other writers and critics.