The Invisible Man

by
H.G. Wells

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The Invisible Man

by H.G. Wells

3.55 of 5 stars 3.55 · rating details · 38,328 ratings · 1,452 reviews

A century ago, H.G. Wells was one of the men who all but created the science fiction novel. Wells wrote three classics in four years: The Time Machine (1895), The Invisible Man (1897) and The War of the Worlds (1898). The Invisible Man, owes an obvious debt to Frankenstein, as it explores the nature of mankind, asking weather an invisible man still be bound by the morality...more

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Published July 1st 1975 by Berkley (first published 1897)

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Jul 02, 2010 Jacob rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, verne-and-wells, i-own, sci-fi-fantasy-etc, vote-whore

July 2010

In a very old episode of This American Life (listen here), John Hodgman asks the ultimate question: Flight vs. Invisibility? It’s an amusing party topic, a fun little game to play, but there’s actually more to it than that. As a “Super Rorschach Test,” the question is difficult to answer because the two choices both tell us very different things about ourselves. Flight is noble, something we aspire to; invisibility is a more primal desire, something hidden and mysterious. There’s even a...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Stefan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My second H.G. Wells novel. Honestly, I didn't enjoy The Invisible Man quite as much as I did The War of the Worlds. The storyline and writing were both top notch, but I just found it hard to REALLY enjoy a novel in which I totally despised the main character.

In all actuality, I guess my feelings towards the protagonist/antagonist (yes, both are the same character) would be considered a win for the author, as I feel that Wells didn't intend for the reader to truly like this character. What I fi...more

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Mar 16, 2011 Stephen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: easton-press, mad-scientists, science-horror, classics, 1800s

2.0 stars. I had not read this book in many years and so I decided to re-read it over the weekend. In retrospect, this might have been a big mistake. Previously, I had very fond memories of the book as one of the best of the “classic” horror stories along with Dracula, Frankenstein and The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Well, it is certainly a classic of the genre, but I no longer feel like it deserves a place among the elite of its peers.

If can I may borrow and paraphrase from the...more 2.0 stars. I had not read this book in many years and so I decided to re-read it over the weekend. In retrospect, this might have been a big mistake. Previously, I had very fond memories of the book as one of the best of the “classic” horror stories along with Dracula, Frankenstein and The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Well, it is certainly a classic of the genre, but I no longer feel like it deserves a place among the elite of its peers.

If can I may borrow and paraphrase from the late Lloyd Bentsen in his famous Vice Presidential debate with Dan Quayle:

So what changed this time around? For me, I just found the characters (including the title character) to be paper thin and pretty uninteresting. I thought the plot was very “vanilla” and had about as much tension as a Brady Bunch marital spat. As for the Invisible Man himself, in addition to being uninteresting, he came across to me as a fairly lame villain. By this I mean he didn't really inspire a lot of fear, loathing or even pity.

One thing that didn't help and is not the book's fault is that at one point, I got a picture of Claude Rains (from the original movie version) in my head shaking his fist behind those bandages and all I could think of was him screaming

Even without the intrusion of Colonel Klink, the Invisible Man came across as a second rate bad guy. It was like Vincent Price in those Saturday afternoon horror flicks if that gives you an idea of the kind of “menace” the character inspired in me. As Doctor Evil would say, the Invisible Man is “semi-evil, quasi-evil, the margarine of evil. He’s the Diet Coke of evil... Just one calorie, not evil enough.”

I know it sounds like I am really bashing the book and that is not my intention. It is certainly not a bad book. For me, I just don't think I can rate it higher than “okay” (hence the 2 star rating). I think part of my rant may be that I am a little bitter because I feel like one of the “classics” has been pulled out from under me.

Oh well, sometimes ignorance is bliss!!!

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Jun 21, 2008 R. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1974-2002

One man's strange desire to be something and nothing exacts its toll by driving him completely insane. Criminally insane. In our day and age, a man like this would be labeled a threat to society, a terrorist...at the turn of the century he was, merely THE INVISIBLE MAN.

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Okay, so I finally sat down and watched the Universal Studios version of this (starring Claude Rains - what a hoot!); and I must say that, thanks to a friend allowing me to sit in on several of her film studies classes, I see no...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Safae rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001, english

While reading this book, I tried to imagine reading it in the late years of the 19th century,having in mind that it was an era of inventions, the invention of the television was shortly afterwards, in 1900 a television was shown in an electricity congress in Paris, and that was the first time it was called a television,the escalator, the radio,the helicopter,..etc and many other inventions of the first years of the 20th century, so those people thought that everything was possible, and especiall...more While reading this book, I tried to imagine reading it in the late years of the 19th century,having in mind that it was an era of inventions, the invention of the television was shortly afterwards, in 1900 a television was shown in an electricity congress in Paris, and that was the first time it was called a television,the escalator, the radio,the helicopter,..etc and many other inventions of the first years of the 20th century, so those people thought that everything was possible, and especially H.G Wells, the man thought of a time machine for god's sake.
Other than that, being someone who's living in the 19th century,I don't think the idea of invisibility has ever crossed their mind, but for us, we saw it everywhere ...
Remember This movie
ya3

so do you even imagine what is it like to read a book like this , not having the slightest idea about an invisible man? having a fresh mind that is not corrupted by television and it's ideas? A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!
So that's about the idea , let's come to the contents of the book.
The book discusses the life of an ordinary man, who happens to be extremely talented , hardworking and smart, he had lost contact with the outside world for the outside world holds no interest to him, he is a loner , he likes being alone and adores being with his work, he was always an invisible man, so actually being like that meant that people would stop bothering him, it was all advantages and no disadvantages , it was the dream of his life.
And life gave him everything he wanted, that's why we should always be careful about what we're wishing for.
He struggled with a formula and made it happen, He was INVISIBLE at last.
But what he never thought about was that he Had to deal with people, no one can live isolated from the world.
He felt alone, vulnerable and wounded , and what do animals do when they're wounded? They fight back..
So it was his own war against the world, whoever won is not the question, because each situation brings a loss with it,if he wins then we have an enemy ruling us, and if the world wins we lose a brilliant scientific and an amazing thinker.
The questions that are waiting to be answered are, what if we gain what we always wanted , is it really what we actually need? what does think the world of an outsider? should he be an outcast? And what are the consequences of what we do?
And at last, where does the thin line between genius and insanity really ends?(less)

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Jul 29, 2012 Erik rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: scififantasy, classics, bepretentious, has-good-review

Wells is famous for changing the course of science fiction. Up to the time of his writing, science fiction was more about the science than it was about the fiction: a reader need but pick up one of Jules Vernes' famous adventures to see that the science is painstakingly presented as quite real, quite feasible. Wells, however, opted to go further afield, using science that was not yet possible (indeed, we've yet to invent the invisible man or a time machine, and the latter seems entirely impossib...more

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Feb 22, 2008 Amy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Do you think the notion of an invisible man was really foreign to the readers during the time Wells wrote? While I found this book moderately entertaining, thought the scientific "theories" were thought-provoking, and felt there were seeds of some really potent themes (however undernourished the seeds turned out to be), I feel like Wells was totally preoccupied with trying to describe to the reader what it would be like to have an invisible man in our midst. This isn't a concept that I (as a mod...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Abby Lutes added it · review of another edition

This book was awesome but a little to violent for me... the word killing...makes me mad...hate that word. Well anyways, I accidentally spoiled it for my mom and dad. I'm horrible at keeping secrets about books, I just always want to talk about it after I read it,but I absolutely hate comprehension test. Anyways I'm totally jealous of the invisible man except I would NOT absolutely NOT like to be violent at all and not care for it. I's mean...totally mean...WOW!

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Nov 19, 2011 Maikeru rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: inglês

Wonderfully written book, with an amazingly interesting, though already known to the majority, and intelligent story.

First of all I want to stress out the fact that the story is very well written, for H. G. Wells is a high-level writer. Besides it is written in a way that descriptions and low-paced parts are as interesting as the others, making you keep a steady reading pace along the whole book.

Regarding the story itself, I really found it interesting and very readable. It's a simple story, wit...more

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Aug 14, 2008 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, 1001-books-before-you-die

I love Wells, why I was never made to read anything by him in high school I will never know. The Invisible Man follows the story of an un-named man who enters a tavern/inn in a small town. The man is wrapped head to toe in bandages, eyes covered by goggles and a hat pulled down. Assuming the mysterious man to have been horribly scarred, the innkeeper’s wife rents him a room without even asking his name. Very quickly the reader learns that the man is invisible, and not all that pleasant to begin...more I love Wells, why I was never made to read anything by him in high school I will never know. The Invisible Man follows the story of an un-named man who enters a tavern/inn in a small town. The man is wrapped head to toe in bandages, eyes covered by goggles and a hat pulled down. Assuming the mysterious man to have been horribly scarred, the innkeeper’s wife rents him a room without even asking his name. Very quickly the reader learns that the man is invisible, and not all that pleasant to begin with.

Although the book starts out slowly soon there is a robbery and mass pandemonium ensues. Whilst escaping from the chaos he has caused, our invisible man comes across a man he knows from his days in the university. Instantly trusting his old professor we learn the invisible man is actually an albino medical student named “Griffin.” Griffin sets down and tells his long tale to the silent professor, a tale of murder, violence, theft, animal testing, and the general mad scientist messing with nature.

To keep from revealing too much of the plot I will stop there, this book can be very easily taken at face value and thoroughly enjoyed as a scientist creates a monster tale. However if you want to delve deeper you might get a glimpse at what Wells thinks is the true soul of man. What would you do if you knew for a fact that you could not be caught? Would an innocent man steal? Murder? or worse? Society is filled with the concept of “invisible” people, faceless crowds that the most could not remember… whether they be the poor, the destitute or whatever the undesirable race of that particular timeframe was. Does their being ignored and viewed as a mass rather than an individual give them the feeling of anonymity encouraging crime? Then there is also the rather xenophobic aspect of this novel, in which an outsider enters a small town and is immediately ostracized, speculated about, followed, harangued and finally viewed with suspicion. The fact that the stranger does turn out to be a not so nice figure may be there as a warning to the reader against the taking in of strangers that we do not know the motivation of (perhaps on a grander scale than the local inn and tavern). One could write papers on this book and its possible concept about immigration, racism, or the basic nature of human morality.

This is not a long story and could feasibly be read in an hour or two. It is also not one of Well’s most exciting entries into his literary cannon, but it may be one of the most simple to discuss in groups in relations to the theories and possible societal commentary included within such a simple story. This is also an excellent introduction into classic literature for the young adult group… I would assume that most 12 and older children should have no problem reading and comprehending this, children as young as 9 might be capable of reading it, but would need explanation and discussion about the difference in the times. Also some of the older language may be difficult for a younger child to comprehend on their own, but they should be able to comprehend it with a little bit of help from a parent or teacher.
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Mar 02, 2007 Matt rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Wells fans might enjoy it; most readers will be bored.

Science fiction owes a huge debt to H.G. Wells. His “scientific romances” explored conceits that writers are still fascinated with. SF fans worth their salt, then, will make it a point to read the major works of the Father of Science Fiction. In that spirit I picked up The Invisible Man.

A stranger takes up lodging in a rustic inn. His eccentric behavior is remarked upon, demanding complete privacy and going about in concealing attire. Inexplicable mischief arrives with him and, when word gets ou...more

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Jan 26, 2013 kira rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'd never thought that the invisibility of a human can bring him much more troubles than benefits.
the human brain can't handle the extraordinary becoming true that why it's just fantasy or science-fiction.

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Jan 29, 2009 Jeff rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. About halfway through this book (which I read using Stanza on my iPhone) I watched the 1933 movie starring Claude Rains. The movie is good -- faithful to the novel without the novel's expositional burden -- and found myself reading the rest of the book with the movie in mind. Which is too bad, really, because the novel is remarkable. This 19th century tale of science -- and a scientist -- gone mad is futuristic even today. The book is more than just science fiction, though. It's the story of a m...more About halfway through this book (which I read using Stanza on my iPhone) I watched the 1933 movie starring Claude Rains. The movie is good -- faithful to the novel without the novel's expositional burden -- and found myself reading the rest of the book with the movie in mind. Which is too bad, really, because the novel is remarkable. This 19th century tale of science -- and a scientist -- gone mad is futuristic even today. The book is more than just science fiction, though. It's the story of a man who becomes something greater than himself, and more horrible than anyone can imagine. Griffin may go a little crazy, but the world in which he lives cannot abide a man who is so different from himself. It is his disfigurement, his invisible-ness, that causes the landlord and his wife to find him so abhorrent, and this results in Griffin going even more crazy than he was already becoming. Towards the end he explains to Kemp his idea of what an invisible man can do, all the things he can achieve. But even Griffin realizes that being invisible has its disadvantages and as a result he spends the better part of the first half of the book struggling to find a cure.

Here lies the genius of the writing, the conflicted nature of the main character. We start feeling sorry for him, lamenting the predicament he is in, but by the end, when he tells Kemp that what he really wants is to be able to make himself invisible at will, so that he can live freely and run his reign of terror, we no longer feel sorry for him. He has become a man to be feared. In a certain sense, though, it's not the man who is bad: the world in which he lives has made him that way. In some sense, he's similar to Buster Keaton (I'm stretching a bit here, I know). Griffin spends the first half of the novel as a sane many in a crazy world. By the end though, we discover he is more like Charlie Chaplin's Tramp, a lunatic wondering through our sane world hell bent on both dominating and destroying it. In the end, Griffin is a portent to all the evil characters literature will bring us over the next century, scientists and schemers who believe they are better than the rest of us simply for the sake of the very thing that makes them different. If the story loses anything by looking at it through 21st century eyes, it is that something that makes us different doesn't necessarily make us better or stronger. Looking at it this way, I can understand better the significance of his becoming visible again after he dies -- a device I thought rather contrived both in the movie and the book. But the metaphor is much more clear to me. In life, Griffin was different. Unique. And, in his own mind, all powerful. But in death he becomes just like the rest of us, just a man lying naked in the street.(less)

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Dec 04, 2008 Jim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, science-fiction

One of the neat things about Wells was his attention to detail. He was very careful to make the man an albino to facilitate his way of making the man invisible. Like the bit with the tea in "The First Men in the Moon", it's little things like this that make the story better than average. The character & situation are also well done.

I consider this one of the 'must reads' for anyone interested in SF. So many other works built off of it. It's an excellent baseline to measure them against.

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May 12, 2013 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Sci fi fans, horror movie fans, English historians

Recommended to Michael by: Universal

Shelves: classics, literature, science-fiction

I read this book along with several others which had become "classic" monster movies from Universal Studios at the beginning of the twenty first century. This one really stood out as being well-written and approachable for a modern reader. I enjoyed Wells's prose and his use of prosaic details to heighten the strangeness of his premise.

The best-known movie version remains the one directed by James Whale in 1933, starring Claude Rains. This retains some of the book's humor and the English countr...more

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May 07, 2013 Cordie added it · review of another edition

Cordie Wilkins
Monty, Leifleit
Humanities 1, Period 3
May 7, 2013

Book Review
The subject of the book is about a man that turns himself invisible and has to find a cure so he can be visable again. The name of the book is The Invisible Man. The author is H.G. Wells.The book is published by Waldman Publishing Corp. New York New York.The genre of the book is fiction.
Put book in context
This book is one, it is not in a series. This book is one of the Great Illustrated Classics. The kind of book is grea...more

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May 01, 2013 Alba rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: libros, classics, oh-god-why

El mensaje en esta historia esta todo mal. El hombre invisible falló, no porque fuera invisible, sino porque era un idiota egocéntrico engreído con demasiado mal genio. Claro que eso fue lo primero que lo llevo a volverse a sí mismo invisible, pero no creo que tenga mucho sentido. Quiero decir, con todo lo inteligente que era, como puede ser posible que cometiera tantos errores tan estúpidos y que al mismo tiempo este impaciente hombre lograra lo que ningún otro había logrado antes, que era la f...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Gale rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: british-classics, sci-fi-young-adult

Cut off from Humanity--By Choice

Several rural villages in England are stalked by a new evil--an invisible man with no morals, who claims he has been forced by circumstances to institute his personal reign of terror. Cloaked in a costume of sorts to hide his self-inflicted invisible status (when it suits him), this "lone wolf genius" creates fear and havoc in his depredations of the unsuspecting countryside. Nasty pranks, then thefts culminate in murder and egomaniacal threats--dark traces of hi...more

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Mar 15, 2013 TDH rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had wanted to read The Invisible Man (by Wells, not Ellison) ever since I read an edition that had been revised for 4th graders when I was in, well, 4th grade. Now that I finally have done so, I must say that I don't know what to say. I was hoping for better, but the book was not by any means bad. I found it a fairly easy read (a nice change of pace), which made the narrator's British humor and usage of random French words here and there. I didn't really care for the fact that the narrator ins...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Boone Goodman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Invisible Man is my second H.G. Wells novel, and while I prefer War of the Worlds, this book only encouraged me to read more of his works. This piece is about a man who manages through experimentation to turn himself completely translucent. He is only able to do so because he is an albino and through a series of treatments that turn his insides clear. He roams the British countryside, attempting to take over, but being invisible requires him to not have clothes on, which leaves him exposed t...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Decedra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The science is interesting but of course not completely sound, and the implications of what an invisible man really is or isn't capable of were very well portrayed as well, seeing both the limitations and advantages of such a power. Again, there is also an interesting metaphor here, a man who is really invisible becomes a monster, just as a man who is ignored and is invisible to a society may become a monster because they cannot socially grow.

The Invisible Man follows a scientist named Griffin...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Πέτρος rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Not a bad read but definitely a short and basic one. I guess everything back then was like that, unlike today where each new work needs to combine a hundred things in order to be interesting.

So the story is about a man who manages to make himself invisible, and feeling too alien with the world around him soon turns to crime and madness. Ok, cool. Anything more than that? Sadly no; the most interesting parts in the plot is when he describes how can something become invisible by letting light go...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Adam S rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Book Review: The Invisible Man
The Invisible Man, by H.G Wells, offers an obvious fiction story, but the fabrication and fantasy of the story in no way demeans its insight toward humanity and society as a whole. This novel is a short and entertaining read that delves into the imagination of the reader and stirs up thoughts and realizations about their own society. It has a spontaneous and unexpected plot scheme that also carries vital values related to views on culture and community.
The story t...more Book Review: The Invisible Man
The Invisible Man, by H.G Wells, offers an obvious fiction story, but the fabrication and fantasy of the story in no way demeans its insight toward humanity and society as a whole. This novel is a short and entertaining read that delves into the imagination of the reader and stirs up thoughts and realizations about their own society. It has a spontaneous and unexpected plot scheme that also carries vital values related to views on culture and community.
The story takes place in the 1890’s in Iping, England and focuses on “the stranger”, who is later identified as a deprived young man named Griffin. The story is about him venturing into a life he did not initially suspect. Griffin, needing to put himself through school, stole money from his father for his education. To his dismay, his father then committed suicide. With this disturbance, Griffin interested himself in physics and eventually found a formula that turns a person invisible. Being an inexperienced college student, Griffin had to try it on himself, and thus becoming “the stranger.” To cope with his newfound body, or lack there of, he wraps himself and covers himself in order to be a “member” of society, although his face is covered. As time goes on, he begins to take advantage of his non-existent body and dives into a life of crime.
In particular, by portraying Griffin as a college student who has robbed his own father, and whose early life is filled with trouble, the author applies the archetype of a damaged villain to the tale’s main character. In the contrary, Griffin is a young man who in a sense, just won the lottery with knowledge, or so it should seem. H.G Wells suggests the corruption of humanity and temptation by the “luxury” of being invisible. Although a paradox, the notion of being invisible seems attractive to every human in society, but “the grass is always greener on the other side”. In actuality, once Griffin becomes invisible, he finds himself alone, depressed and mad. The author utilizes these feelings and actions by representing, or critiquing on the destruction of the “potential” by society. He then goes on to display the unseen skilled people in society that do not get equal opportunities because of the social structure, through the main character. Griffin comes from a broken past with slim chances of success, but with his discovery, he finally has the chance to succeed. Unfortunately, he uses his discovery with the wrong intentions, and with one mistake his potential and he, himself are essentially gone forever. In this case, Wells is conveying the loss of opportunity and the misuse of the slight obtained opportunity by the unseen people. By doing so, he implies the blame towards society for overlooking these people’s potential and therefore, being corrupt.
In conclusion, this novel is a great read for teenage minds because it is short, gripping and expands the imagination of the reader. The Invisible Man also incorporates important ideals regarding civilization in general, and reiterates the theme of the “potential” throughout the novel.
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Feb 07, 2013 Claudia Glezz Cisneros rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

El hombre invisible, que en su principio más parece una novelita cómica sobre costumbres de la campiña inglesa que un libro de ciencia ficción o un estudio sociológico sobre personas solas. El realismo de lo fantástico, llamó Conrad a esta manera de contar las cosas de Wells en este libro. Claro que luego tiene sus momentos inquietantes. El epílogo es lo que más me turba, porque es una metáfora sobre los malos lectores. Cuántas cosas nos perderemos de los libros que no sabemos comprender. Me inq...more El hombre invisible, que en su principio más parece una novelita cómica sobre costumbres de la campiña inglesa que un libro de ciencia ficción o un estudio sociológico sobre personas solas. El realismo de lo fantástico, llamó Conrad a esta manera de contar las cosas de Wells en este libro. Claro que luego tiene sus momentos inquietantes. El epílogo es lo que más me turba, porque es una metáfora sobre los malos lectores. Cuántas cosas nos perderemos de los libros que no sabemos comprender. Me inquieta eso (a lo mejor yo también ando con los valores cambiados, como El hombre invisible) más que ese reino del terror que quiere instaurar Griffin, el invisible estornudador, porque piensa que por pasar inadvertido todo le está permitido, cuando es más bien al revés. Dejemos esto, que nos enfangamos.
La novela empieza así: the stranger came early in February, one wintry day. Y ése es un gran comienzo de novela se mire por donde se mire. Al extranjero que llega a tierra extraña no se le perdona nunca si se comporta de manera extraña. Es obligación del extranjero mostrarse agradecido y respetuoso y manso, pero Griffin es extraño, no extranjero, y arisco, y raro, siempre lo fue, alguien que se separó de los suyos, alguien que ya nació diferente, nació albino, y como Wells no nos lo cuenta, no sabemos si era así antipático de siempre o se fue haciendo antipático con el aislamiento. Lo que sí dice es que era un físico brillante: otra categoría de lo raro. A Griffin las rarezas lo fueron llevando allí, a la invisibilidad, no le hacía falta ni prepararse una fórmula para desaparecer. No tiene amigos, a su padre en vez de pedirle dinero se lo roba, los vecinos lo detestan y sospechan de él y él, que encima es un desaprensivo y, sí, un psicópata convencido de su superioridad, no se lo pone fácil a nadie. Cómo no va a querer el pobre chiquillo hacerse invisible y hacer lo que le dé la gana. Cuando empieza sus experimentos para encontrar la fórmula de la invisibilidad con tan sólo 22 años. Como es un hombre de ciencia, en vez de ponerse a buscar el anillo de Giges del que habla Platón como Tolkien, se busca unas probetas. Creo que lo más desapaciguador de este libro es que nos parece de lo más justificado que la gente linche a Griffin al final.
Para mí El hombre invisible es la versión salvaje e inglesa de La metamorfosis de Kafka, aunque H.G. Wells según mi investigación escribió su libro 18 años antes que Kafka el suyo. Wells no es un creador de bellezas léxicas, es un inventor de historias y ya. Supongo que por eso nos dan sus libros para leerlos cuando somos pequeños, cosa que no hice hasta hace poco, porque me pensaba que no tendría chiste y agradezco tanto haberme equivocado, porque en realidad son inquietantes y terribles.

Por fuera del libro:
Cuando H.G. Wells publicó El hombre invisible en 1897 ya era famoso. Había publicado La máquina del tiempo en 1895 y La isla del doctor Moreau en 1896. Y en el 98 publicaría La guerra de los mundos. Y aunque en todas estas novelas fantásticas hay carga social, con los años Wells dejó de ser el pionero de la ciencia ficción y se puso a escribir novelas sobre pobres y mujeres que quieren liberarse (tengo su Ann Veronica hace 5 años y aún no la he leído). Wells fue pobre y pasó hambre y fue maestro como Griffin y como Griffin no soportaba a los niños. En cuanto le dijeron que tenía tisis colgó el delantal de pobre y se puso a escribir. Por suerte le fue bien.
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Feb 04, 2013 gauldy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Cizinec přišel jednoho mrazivého dne počátkem února právě v době, kdy řezavý vítr před sebou hnal prudkou metelici, poslední vánici té zimy. Cestu přes lada ze železniční zastávky Bramblehurst vykonal pěšky a v ruce, chráněné tlustou rukavicí, nesl černý kufřík.
Byl zahalený od hlavy až k patě a střecha měkkého plstěného klobouku mu zakrývala každičký kousíček obličeje kromě lesklé špičky jeho nosu. Na ramenou a na prsou měl vysoko naváto sněhu a na zavazadle, které si nesl, seděla bílá sněhová...more "Cizinec přišel jednoho mrazivého dne počátkem února právě v době, kdy řezavý vítr před sebou hnal prudkou metelici, poslední vánici té zimy. Cestu přes lada ze železniční zastávky Bramblehurst vykonal pěšky a v ruce, chráněné tlustou rukavicí, nesl černý kufřík.
Byl zahalený od hlavy až k patě a střecha měkkého plstěného klobouku mu zakrývala každičký kousíček obličeje kromě lesklé špičky jeho nosu. Na ramenou a na prsou měl vysoko naváto sněhu a na zavazadle, které si nesl, seděla bílá sněhová čepice.
Vklopýtal do Ekvipáže víc mrtvý než živý a hodil kufřík na zem.
'Oheň!' zvolal. 'Pro smilování boží, pokoj a oheň!'"

Bída.
Popravdě ani nevím, co o tomhle díle napsat. Je tak nemastné, neslané a suché, že nemůžu říct nic víc, než že je to jen velmi prostě podané vyprávění se slabou zápletkou. Nemyslím si, že bych měl nějak vysoké nároky, tenhle druh literatury na odpočinutí mám docela rád, ale tohle mě fakt nezaujalo. Nicméně abych jen nekonstruktivně neplácal, vrhněme se na to trochu blíže...

První kapitoly startují VELICE dobře. Wells svými prvními řádky láká k něčemu, co by se mohlo na poli novoromantismu směle postavit třeba vedle Stevensonova Podivného případu dr. Jekylla a pana Hydea. Nikoliv. Jak dobře a napínavě Neviditelný začíná, tak špatně pokračuje. Jen závěr to trochu zachraňuje. (Mimochodem, předchozími řádky jsem nechtěl říct, že Jekyll a Hyde jsou nějaká extratřída.. nejsou.)
Nerad spoileruji, nebudu tedy nic prozrazovat ohledně zápletky (i když je průběh knížky těžce předvídatelný), ale snad můžu říct, že se odehrává ve třech časových fázích, z nichž každá je méně zajímavá než ta druhá. Autor by zřejmě, aspoň jak to na mě působilo, rád vylíčil příběh plný nejistoty, strachu a hrůzy, ale jediné, co z něj vypadlo, je lacině podaná zkazka o neviditelném vědátorovi, atmosféru zde nehledejte.
Teď ale k těm kladům (aneb důvod, proč nedávám nejnižší možné hodnocení):
1) Vědecké pitvání neviditelnosti zní docela zajímavě, ač nedokážu posoudit, nakolik může být správné (ale to nevadí - jsem laik a pro laiky je kniha i psána).
2) Hlavní "hrdina", tedy Neviditelný, není žádný velký sympaťák, to spíš je ztělesněním netrpělivosti a choleričnosti, to vše docela dobře podáno.
3) Velice věrohodně a dobře na mě zapůsobilo, jak rychle si Neviditelný uvědomil všechny nevýhody neviditelnosti - nečekejte žádného superhrdinu, ale chlapa, který, stejně jako bájný král Midas, místo vysněného daru nabyl děsivého prokletí.

Nu a pak nemůžu nezmínit tragickou úroveň českého vydání od nakladatelství Melantrich. V knize je tak velké množství nejrůznějších překlepů, až není snad možné, aby ji někdo držel v rukou ve fázi mezi překladem a konečným tiskem. To je prostě bída a celkový dojem z knížky sráží ještě o stupeň níž, ač za to sám Wells nemůže.

Takže kolem a kolem, tohle za čtení nestojí. Pardon.(less)

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Jan 20, 2013 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Invisible Man, by H.G. Wells ****

This was the third book in a row that I read by Mr. Wells. In reading it, something finally became clear that bothered me all through “The Time Machine” and “The War of the Worlds”, but that I could not put my finger on at the time. It is this: in these books there are no heroes. There is genius, courage, resourcefulness, and even some villainy, but no heroism, no virtue. This makes reading Wells a bit of a challenge. I did not come away from these books liki...more The Invisible Man, by H.G. Wells ****

This was the third book in a row that I read by Mr. Wells. In reading it, something finally became clear that bothered me all through “The Time Machine” and “The War of the Worlds”, but that I could not put my finger on at the time. It is this: in these books there are no heroes. There is genius, courage, resourcefulness, and even some villainy, but no heroism, no virtue. This makes reading Wells a bit of a challenge. I did not come away from these books liking the central characters very much, nor could I begin to identify with them. That these are barriers to my enjoyment, though, says more about me than the books, so on to the book itself.

“The Invisible Man” tells the story of Griffin, a brilliant young scientist who discovers the secret of making living things invisible. Griffin is a proud and unstable man who, by virtue of his intelligence and scientific achievement, feels he is above other men and their moral constraints. It is nothing to him to use live animals as test subjects with no regard for their welfare, or to try to exploit other men to further his own ends.

When he discovers the secret of invisibility, he chooses to test it on himself. It works well enough, but he makes a critical mistake; he tests the formula before learning how to reverse the process. The bulk of the book chronicles his desperate search for an “antidote” and the accompanying descent into madness and fury before its tragic, but inevitable, end.

“The Invisible Man”, like all great works of literature, functions simultaneously on multiple levels. It is a well-written story of action and suspense, a cautionary tale about the dangers of science practiced outside the bounds of ethics, and an exploration of the idea of the lone genius. It resembles “The War of the Worlds” and “The Time Machine” in its rather grim and hopeless assessment of humanity and what might be accomplished through science. Despite this, and my own difficulties with the character of the book, I can recommend it highly. (less)

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Jan 16, 2013 Quinn Bohannon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. First off, I would like to say; that i did not really like reading this book. One reason being that its not really my type of novel and parts of it were hard to understand. I rated this book 3 out of 5 stars because even though I didn't enjoy it; the book was very well written and I can tell this story would be great for someone else. I think a reason I didn't really take a liking toward this book is because I don't normally read Science Fiction novels. I tend to stick to actual events when rea...more First off, I would like to say; that i did not really like reading this book. One reason being that its not really my type of novel and parts of it were hard to understand. I rated this book 3 out of 5 stars because even though I didn't enjoy it; the book was very well written and I can tell this story would be great for someone else. I think a reason I didn't really take a liking toward this book is because I don't normally read Science Fiction novels. I tend to stick to actual events when reading and/or sports related topics. Seeing that this novel had neither, it's easy to see why this book wasn't for me. But it was worth a try I guess.

This story begins in first person from the main character. He explains his situation, being invisible, and why he appears so, even though really not. Then continuing to share that he lives underground, separate from the general population, where he steals electricity for his hundreds of light bulbs and his music. In his bunker he write this story about his life, problems, and invisibility. This taking place mostly in the 1930s the narrator faces a lot of racial injustice throughout most of his life. While attending (an all black) college the narrator gets in a bar brawl after bringing a white college executor to a negro bar. This gets him lectured about his knowledge, or lack there of, of race boundaries. He later gets expelled form the college and sent to New York in search for a job. After a long time for not finding work, he obtains a job at a paint factory making white paint. The man he made the paint with was another black man, this made the boss suspicious that the narrator had joined a union. They end up fighting, which leads to and explosion in the paint factory.

The accident left him with memory loss and the inability to speak. The white doctors took this opportunity to experiment shock therapy on the unnamed black man. After recovering and leaving the hospital he breaks down in the street, and is received by a group of black me that time him to a lady named Mary, who nurses him back to help. Living with her in Harlem he oversees an orderly black couples eviction. He makes a speech against it and gets offered to be the spokesperson of an interracial Brotherhood. They influence him to change his name and forget his hard past. After becoming a high-profile figure in the Brotherhood he is again stabbed in the back, and investigated; accused of using the Brotherhood for personal gain. During the investigation he is moved to another post where he helps with women's rights. After making a speech one night a white woman uses him to experiment her sexual fantasies about black men.

Only a short time passes, then the narrator is invited back to Harlem. By the time he gets back from his leave, most of the black brothers had left. His friend Clifton, former brother, gets shot by policemen while illegally selling dogs on the street permit less. He stages a funeral for his late friend without permit ion. This gets him beat up and eventually kicked out of the brotherhood. Without spoiling anymore of the story and the ending I'll leave it there. After all that being said, I found the plot dragged out and dull. There wasn't very much description in the novel besides concerning the main character. You should only read this book if you are a die-hard sci-fi lover. I wouldn't recommend this book to a friend.(less)

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Dec 31, 2012 Nathan Burgoine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you've ever had a hankering to hear John De Lancie and Leonard Nimoy go tete-a-tete as mad scientist vs. pilfering professor, is this the audiobook for you!

The classing Sci-Fi tale of the good doctor who is wronged, stripped of his practice before he can even begin, and then uses a dangerous science to turn himself invisible for revenge, there's actually quite a bit of social commentary and mental discourse to this tale.

That said, John De Lancie's chanting of 'You can't catch me!' sounded sor...more

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Dec 24, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

This is the first of H.G. Wells' works I've read, and I must say that, among the broad and seemingly limitless genre that is science fiction, it shall forever remain a masterpiece.

Wells accomplished more in 150 pages that many authors do in 400. Griffin (the main character/antagonist) undergoes a decent amount of character development, although he remains a mystery to other characters (and the reader) for the first three chapters.

On that note, I do feel Wells failed to establish Griffin's intend...more

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Dec 16, 2012 April Helms rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classic, fiction, science-fiction

I really enjoyed this classic. I was expecting it to be more of a horror story- and it was towards the end. But I was surprised at how darkly funny it was at the beginning. The story centers on Griffin, a young scientist who plays with the theories of optics and manages to find a way to make himself invisible. Thrilled at first, he discovers quickly the many drawbacks to his state and is horrified when he finds he can't reverse the procedure. His coming to Iping, a small provincial town, at the...more

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About H.G. Wells

Herbert George Wells, better known as H. G. Wells, was the third son of a shopkeeper. After two years' apprenticeship in a draper's shop, he became a pupil-teacher at Midhurst Grammar School and won a scholarship to study under T. H. Huxley at the Normal School of Science, South Kensington. He taught biology before becoming a professional writer and journalist.

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“All men, however highly educated, retain some superstitious inklings.” — 21 people liked it

“The Anglo-Saxon genius for parliamentary government asserted itself; there was a great deal of talk and no decisive action.” — 13 people liked it

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