Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul is a novel by H.G. Wells, first published in 1905. Plot Artie Kipps is an orphan, raised by his uncle and aunt, and then apprenticed for 7 years as a draper (based on Wells's own experience). However, his life suddenly changes when he discovers through reading a newspaper that he's the grandson of a wealthy gentleman. He inherits his fortune and is abruptly thrown into upper class society, and struggles to learn about etiquette and the rules of public society; h… (More on Kipps)