'That Very Mab'

In Short

When Queen Mab flies from Polynesian exile back to nineteenth-century Britain, she expects to find her old domain intact. Instead, guided by an intellectually pretentious Owl, she wanders through an empire obsessed with facts, commercialized religion, partisan politics, and mechanical progress. As she observes everything from scientific trials to parliamentary meltdowns, Mab realizes modern human society has no room for magic or untamed beauty. Satirical, sharply observant, and broadly comic, the book endures as a lighthearted mocking of Victorian hypocrisies, intellectual poses, and the uncritical worship of industrial progress.

The Story

Displaced long ago by the rise of the Puritans, Queen Mab resides in the Pacific, surrounded by Polynesian spirits. Sensing a change, she commands her sacred island to steer toward Samoa, intending to mount an expedition back to England. Upon her arrival, her hopes of reconnecting with humanity are dashed. The local beasts and insects prove completely uncooperative; an ant even refuses to acknowledge Mab because modern scientific treatises have declared belief in fairies a vulgar superstition. Only the birds remain loyal, led by a pedantic, self-important Owl who offers to act as her guide to modern society.

Together, Mab and the Owl explore a nation transformed by materialism and intellectual arrogance. The Owl explains that the English now practice "patent religions"—shallow, heavily advertised fads like Esoteric Buddhism, which Mab learns is less about ancient wisdom and more about fashionable posturing over teacups and cigarettes. In a park, Mab meets a young boy named Walter, who invents an imaginary companion called Dala. A passing professor seizes upon the boy's game, declaring he has discovered the true origin of religion in inherited evolutionary memory, only for the boy to reveal Dala is merely a butterfly.

Moving onward to the City, Mab witnesses the chaotic collision of social classes and political factions. A half-starved mob led by a fiery Democrat confronts a Cabinet Minister, who offers them a threepenny bit while claiming he belongs to a different department than the one responsible for their relief. Later, Mab tours an exhibition of modern machinery, where she grows terrified that inanimate contraptions will soon take over human life, and visits an art gallery where self-interested art authorities monopolize the best display spaces while turning away genuine beauty.

The satire reaches a fever pitch in Parliament. Debate devolves into absurdity as members argue over imperial expansion to the Moon, fearing rival powers might control the tides and redirect the Gulf Stream to freeze Britain. The session ends in chaos when a General uses soldiers to dismiss Parliament, pausing only to admire the aesthetic "Chippendale feeling" of the ceremonial mace before taking power.

Realizing that modern Britain has replaced wonder with bureaucracy and industrial greed, Mab bids farewell to the Owl. She returns to Samoa, only to find it rapidly undergoing evangelization and Westernization, with locals translating sermons and reading Greek grammar. Despairing, Mab retreats to the remote Admiralty Islands to enjoy her remaining days before modern civilization inevitably catches up.

How It Unfolds

The journey begins Queen Mab summons her magical Polynesian island to Samoa, preparing to journey back to her former home in England. Upon arrival, she discovers that insects and animals have turned their backs on fairy magic in favor of modern scientific rationale.

An owl's guided tour Accompanying Mab, a scholarly Owl explains how Victorian society works, detailing its obsession with cheap facts and "patent religions." They observe a professor who misinterprets his young son's child's play as a landmark breakthrough in evolutionary anthropology.

City life and political theater Mab travels to London, where she observes a impoverished mob confronting an evasive Cabinet Minister. She then flees a overwhelming display of automated machinery, fearing that human beings are turning into mere extensions of their own tools.

The fall of parliament In the House of Commons, Mab watches politicians bicker over ridiculous plans to conquer the Moon. The debate collapses entirely when an aesthetically minded General deploys troops to clear out the legislature.

Retreat to Oceania Recognizing there is no place for her in an industrialized world, Mab flies back to Polynesia. Finding even the Pacific islands rapidly conforming to Western schooling and religion, she retreats to a remote corner of Oceania to linger until science claims it too.

The People

• Queen Mab: The ancient ruler of the fairies, who returns to Britain hoping to find her old domain, only to discover a world ruled by machinery, science, and social pretense. Unable to adapt to modern logic, she ultimately retreats to the unevangelized corners of the Pacific.
• The Owl: A scholarly, slightly priggish bird who serves as Mab's companion and commentator. He possesses a vast knowledge of modern institutions and philosophy, though his endless overthinking eventually drives him into an existential crisis.
• The Professor: A dedicated man of science who views all human behavior through the strict lens of classification, evolution, and inherited memory, yet remains capable of genuine affection for his young son.
• The Democrat: An ambitious political agitator who leads public demonstrations and insists that human perfection can be easily legislated through parliamentary majorities.
• Donovan: An unseen but pervasive figures whose aggressive advertisements for dangerous dynamite products and safety lamps represent the extreme, reckless edge of modern commercialism.

In Its Own Voice

‘When the Puritans arose the Fairies vanished.’

This brief history explains why Queen Mab fled her original home in England to live among the enchanted islands of the Southern Ocean.

‘Some say St George worships the Dragon now, himself; but people always are saying unpleasant things, and probably it isn't true.’

The Owl dryly explains to Mab how traditional national ideals have blurred into the worship of wealth and self-interest.

‘My mind bow to no narrow machinery of definitions. Words have a gemlike beauty and colour of their own.’

A pompous poet defends his nonsensical verse during a heated debate with the practical professor and theologian.

What It's Really About

Beneath its lightweight fantasy, the book delivers a sharp satire of late Victorian society’s unshakeable self-righteousness. It targets the era's absolute trust in industrial machinery, scientific reductionism, and legislative quick-fixes for deep social issues. By contrasting the imaginative simplicity of Queen Mab with the overly complex institutions of London, the narrative asks whether modern progress has destroyed humanity's capacity for wonder. The story highlights how every domain—from theology and art to politics and education—has been compromised by self-promotion, bureaucratic jargon, and commercial greed, leaving no room for genuine beauty or untamed nature.

Why Read It Today

This narrative will appeal to readers who enjoy dry British wit, classic literary satire, and light fantasy. It offers a playful, biting look at the absurdities of nineteenth-century intellectual trends. The prose moves swiftly, propelled by crisp dialogue and whimsical situational comedy that feels surprisingly modern in its skepticism of expert commentary and political promises.

The book does present a few challenges for contemporary readers. Its humor relies heavily on familiarity with late-nineteenth-century political debates, obsolete scientific theories, and classic Victorian cultural figures. Certain sections feature dense academic jargon and political speeches designed to parody the verbose style of the era. Furthermore, its portrayal of Pacific cultures reflects period assumptions, viewing indigenous societies primarily as untouched wildernesses contrasted against European industrialization.

Nevertheless, the core story remains lively and engaging. The hilarious contrast between Queen Mab’s simple fairy perspective and the Owl’s high-flown academic explanations produces a delightful reading experience that exposes the timeless absurdities of human pretension.