Customer Reviews

Uneven but fun
My knowledge of this tale dates from the old Claude Rains movie, so it was interesting, as usual, to go back to the source and see what Wells actually wrote. While very short,the novel falls into two halves: the first faintly comic (you can see it peopled by all those Universal British character actors), the second more suspenseful and more of what the whole novel should have been.

The "explanation" chaper (i.e. how he did it)was fascinating in the way all these pseudo-science chapters are (one of the best was in "Jurassic Park") and the ramifications of being invisible were constantly intriguing. The problem with the book is that while Wells had a great idea he couldn't construct a great narrative to go with it.

This book is not as creepy as "The Island of Doctor Moreau" nor as horrific as "War of the Worlds". And for sheer metaphoric brillance and poetic resonance nothing can top "The Time Machine". But Wells was such a wonderful writer that several hours in his presence is never time wasted.

Brilliant book--questionable edition
First off, the book is amazing--taut, tantalizing and fast-moving. The protagonist is . . . fascinatingly horrible. I really don't want to reveal more. It was fun for me because I knew so little about what was going to happen!

Wells does a masterful job of leading the plot through several points of view. Some parts you see happen before you, some you only hear about and some you can only guess at. It leaves the reader wanting more until the very unexpected, very horrifying end.

Now, as for this edition, I found it very meddlesome and cantankerous. The footnotes took particular pleasure in pointing out every mistake Wells made, whether with the timeline or in describing events. It was frustrating to read, as I didn't dare skip the notes because some of them were necessary to get definitions of words we are not familiar with today.

So, yes, read this book. Please. But no, don't get this version. Got it? Good!

vivid, suspenseful, and good sci-fi
This is a absolutely wonderful book that can be read quickly, maybe even in one sitting. It is told in the first person by an observer who knows the invisible man and is appalled by the transformation that is taking place as both drugs and power corrupt his acquaintence's mind.

What is so fun about this book is the pace: you really feel like you are there. It is all realistically imagined, down to the slowness of the undigested food that can still be seen in the invisible's man stomach. This makes the book far better sci-fi than the films, with the possible exception of the one with Claude Rains, which is the best one and the closest to the original novel by far.

In addition to Mary SHelley and Jules Verne, Wells helped to set the standard for all hard sci-fi that followed. Thus, if you like sci-fi as literature, this is a MUST read. But if you want a really fun read, this is also good for that.

Warmly recommended.