'The Wonderful Visit' (1895) by H G Wells

'The Wonderful Visit' is a satirical and fantastical novel that explores the clash between the mundane human world and the extraordinary. The story begins when a clergyman named Mr. Hilyer, living in a small English village, accidentally shoots what he believes to be an unusual bird. To his astonishment, he discovers that it is not a bird but an angel -an ethereal, otherworldly being with a human form but delicate, colorful wings.

The angel, whose presence is a stark contrast to the rigid norms of the village, has arrived on Earth by mistake, having been lured by the beautiful music of the human world. The clergyman takes the angel into his home, trying to keep his guest's identity a secret. However, the angel's innocence and inability to conform to human society's rules soon attract attention and trouble.

Throughout the story, the angel's otherworldly nature and candid observations reveal the hypocrisy, narrow-mindedness, and cruelty of the villagers. The angel struggles to understand human concepts like property, punishment, and social status, highlighting the absurdity of these conventions through its perspective. The village, in turn, reacts with suspicion and hostility to the angel’s presence and behavior.

Mr. Hilyer tries to protect the angel, but eventually, the townsfolk become more aggressive, fearing what they cannot understand. The story reaches a climax when the angel, unable to endure the pettiness and violence of the human world, attempts to escape. Tragically, it is caught and fatally wounded, ultimately dying in Mr. Hilyer’s care.

As the angel dies, it returns to a spiritual form and disappears, leaving the clergyman to reflect on the encounter. The novel ends on a melancholic note, with Mr. Hilyer feeling a profound sense of loss, having glimpsed a vision of something beyond human experience that his mundane world can never fully grasp again.

The Wonderful Visit serves as a critique of human nature, social norms, and the limitations of the human imagination, using the angel’s perspective to offer a fresh look at the flaws of society.