A gripping and entertaining tale of terror and suspense as well as a potent Faustian allegory of hubris and science run amok, The Invisible Man end...
read full description
reviews
Sep 22, 2011
Jacob
rated it: 
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 five
More...
12 comments
like
(29 people liked it)
Mar 16, 2011
Stephen
rated it: 
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 parap More...
If can I may borrow and parap More...
9 comments
like
(20 people liked it)
Dec 17, 2009
R.
rated it:
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.
*
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 More...
*
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 More...
Feb 22, 2008
Amy
rated it:
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
More...
0 comments
like
(8 people liked it)
Nov 19, 2011
Maikeru
rated it:
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. More...
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. More...
3 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 10, 2011
Manola
rated it:
Le hubiera puesto 5 estrellitas si no fuera por una palabra ultra castellanizada: "güisqui". Así, no.
3 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Aug 14, 2008
Kristen
rated it:
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 be
More...
Mar 02, 2007
Matt
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 29, 2009
Jeff
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
0 comments
like
(5 people liked it)
Dec 04, 2008
Jim
rated it:
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 mea More...
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 mea More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 01, 2012
Jay
rated it:
This was a quick easy and enjoyable read. This book reminds me a lot of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, because placed me in a serious state of self examination. The story was not that compelling, and I did not find the book to be a real 'page-turner', but the effect it had on me as the reader was profound.
First the idea of invisibility is something we have all thought about at one point or another. This book forced me to flesh out the desire of invisibility for more th More...
First the idea of invisibility is something we have all thought about at one point or another. This book forced me to flesh out the desire of invisibility for more th More...
Dec 31, 2011
Trice
rated it: 
part of my December 31, 2011, reading fest
ended up seeming a festival of humanity's isolation, this one included.
The most interesting and enjoyable part was the beginning of Griffin's relation of his story - how he ended up where he ended up. I sort of felt like Wells was trying to say this kind of horror or unbound selfishness was the necessary result of being so completely anonymous, but I don't think that's completely fair, or a completely thorough exploration of the possibilit More...
ended up seeming a festival of humanity's isolation, this one included.
The most interesting and enjoyable part was the beginning of Griffin's relation of his story - how he ended up where he ended up. I sort of felt like Wells was trying to say this kind of horror or unbound selfishness was the necessary result of being so completely anonymous, but I don't think that's completely fair, or a completely thorough exploration of the possibilit More...
Nov 20, 2011
Alex
rated it: 
Everybody fantasizes about being invisible sometimes, right? I've fantasized about it. Think about all the stuff I could do! Okay, my ideas are all pretty similar to Patrick Stewart's ideas about superpowers - no surprise there - and while we're talking about knickers, Time Machine is weirdly neutered. It surprised me because the material seems so ripe for creepiness, and Wells usually doesn't pass up those opportunities: Moreau hints at bestiality, Time Machine peeks at some weird sort of pedop
More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Oct 05, 2011
Jf
rated it: 
ON “THE INVISIBLE MAN”
A man I esteem highly
(there are oh so few)
once said
"Jimmy / murder is the
singlemost cowardly act"
(If killing a tyrant qualifies
allow me to live a lifetime
before basking in this enlightenment)
Invisibility made Griffin a murderer.
(True or False)
Like the loaner, bullied child
who manifests his glory
by gunning down his teachers and schoolmates;
Like yo More...
A man I esteem highly
(there are oh so few)
once said
"Jimmy / murder is the
singlemost cowardly act"
(If killing a tyrant qualifies
allow me to live a lifetime
before basking in this enlightenment)
Invisibility made Griffin a murderer.
(True or False)
Like the loaner, bullied child
who manifests his glory
by gunning down his teachers and schoolmates;
Like yo More...
Aug 16, 2011
Mel
rated it:
Sometimes reading classics I feel a bit like a seven year old trying on her mother’s make-up and high heels – that I’m attempting something that is a little beyond me at the moment. However, HG Wells has this way of writing that feels like you’re listening to someone talk rather than reading. This natural style means the pages just fly by and before I knew it I had finished one of the classic science-fiction stories of all time.
As is frequently the case, the original story of the Invisible More...
As is frequently the case, the original story of the Invisible More...
Sep 04, 2011
Jeannette
rated it:
I just finished the story and I really did enjoy it. I imagine it was quite "thrilling" in its day. The mad scientist with his totally amoral attitude, seeking to start a Reign of Terror.
I found it to be a bit melodramatic, or maybe even unintentionally "funny" like those old "B" movies: the image of Kemp running terrified over rough terrain and broken glass, and the mob scene where Griffin is subdued.
I like Wells' writing style, and I think I wi
I found it to be a bit melodramatic, or maybe even unintentionally "funny" like those old "B" movies: the image of Kemp running terrified over rough terrain and broken glass, and the mob scene where Griffin is subdued.
I like Wells' writing style, and I think I wi
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jun 24, 2011
Marvin
rated it:
This is a novel by H. G. Wells I've never gotten around to until now. Perhaps because invisible people are a bit on the boring side. I mean how many things can you do while invisible until you get bored and say "What's the thrill?". H. G. Wells saw invisibility as a comment on Victorian values. Of course, the Victorians didn't have the internet or sexting to get their jollies off so invisibility may have came in handy. Perhaps we should have invisibility. Congressman Wiener might still
More...
0 comments
like
(5 people liked it)
May 08, 2011
Stephanie
rated it:
This review originally appeared at www.readinasinglesitting.com
Rather like an individual whose vices include smoking, tanning, and excessive drinking, science fiction typically doesn’t age well. I’ve cringed my way through countless SFnal classics attempting to determine what it is about them that has seen them catapulted to cult-like status. Science fiction, of course, is almost necessarily a reflection of the present, rather than of the future: reading an SF volume is a way of gaugin More...
Rather like an individual whose vices include smoking, tanning, and excessive drinking, science fiction typically doesn’t age well. I’ve cringed my way through countless SFnal classics attempting to determine what it is about them that has seen them catapulted to cult-like status. Science fiction, of course, is almost necessarily a reflection of the present, rather than of the future: reading an SF volume is a way of gaugin More...
Mar 31, 2011
Mica
rated it:
The most important theme in H.G. Wells's novel, The Invisible Man, is societies' impact on decisions. This main character, Griffin, turned himself invisible because he is an outcast and wants to be able to sneak around unseen. After several incidents, people knew there was an invisible person wandering around. Society cannot deal with things that cannot be explained. If they had been willing to try and understand him, Griffin may nothave become a mad, murderous man. Society was afraid of him and
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Mar 19, 2011
William
rated it:
It is a bit odd reading a book where you already think you know so much about the plot that you have a lot of expectations about what the book is going to be like. In this case, some of those expectations are met by the book and the basic premise – a scientist whose achievement of invisibility makes him increasingly deranged and ultimately homicidal – is what I expected. However, the tone of the book isn’t exactly what I expected – at times there are some memorably creepy scenes, particularly wh
More...
Feb 10, 2011
Sonia
rated it:
Having read The War of The Worlds and The Time Machine last year, I’d had a bit of a break from HG Wells and so only just picked up the third book that I bought at the time – The Invisible Man.
I’d never read it before, and to be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a film of it either! Obviously the title kind of gives the main story away – duh – but nothing else.
I really wasn’t sure what to make of this book – to be quite honest, I found it rather horrible. The ‘man’ o More...
I’d never read it before, and to be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a film of it either! Obviously the title kind of gives the main story away – duh – but nothing else.
I really wasn’t sure what to make of this book – to be quite honest, I found it rather horrible. The ‘man’ o More...
Nov 30, 2010
Femke
rated it:
Een collega had me aangeraden om tijdens de eentonige labowerkjes een audioboek te beluisteren en aangezien ik een hele dag aan de microtoom moest zitten, was dit het perfecte moment om die audioboeken eens uit te proberen. Zo kwam ik dus terecht op Librivox en bepaalde ik op basis van de meest aangename stem welk verhaal ik ging beluisteren: the invisible man van H.G. Wells.
Het verhaal sprak met niet bijzonder aan, zeker geen boek dat ik zou kopen en met plezier zou lezen. Het deed me More...
Het verhaal sprak met niet bijzonder aan, zeker geen boek dat ik zou kopen en met plezier zou lezen. Het deed me More...
Oct 11, 2010
Taylor
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Aug 21, 2010
Traci
rated it:
An albino college student finds a formula to make himself invisible. He must kill his father to get the rest of the money for the research. Then he burns down his landlord's house to hide all of his equipment, after first mailing off his research books and some money to the country to be picked up by him later.
He starts having trouble in the country with his new landlord. He is discovered to be an invisible man, and must go on the run. He hides in the house of an old college clas More...
He starts having trouble in the country with his new landlord. He is discovered to be an invisible man, and must go on the run. He hides in the house of an old college clas More...
Jul 13, 2010
Cori
rated it:
It’s weird reading some of the older science fiction and “scary” books like this, especially when media today is overwhelmed with violence and insanity and all sorts of twisted things. I’m sure when The Invisible Man first came out it was super creepy, but to me it almost seemed comical in places, with angry townspeople fighting the air, shouting “It’s an invisible man! It’s an invisible man!” Wells, however, nailed the terror that one might feel knowing there might (or might not) be someone ne
More...
Apr 25, 2010
Sulejman
rated it:
The unvisible man by H.G Wells give you the feeling of the supernatural that only H.G. Wells can give you. I really enjoyed reading this book because it kept me on my toes and wanting more. The detail put into this novel is outstanding. This book is really hard though, using words that no one has probably never used or even heard of their entire life.
Now, on the the story. The book begins in a small village where a stranger (invisible man) appears in a local inn. He is covered from h More...
Now, on the the story. The book begins in a small village where a stranger (invisible man) appears in a local inn. He is covered from h More...
Apr 09, 2010
LetsEatCake
rated it:
Maybe the extreme popularity of this story, or the title alone ruined it for me, but it was hard to develop an interest in the character. You go into the story knowing the man is invisible, so when the author is describing the man’s strange behavior, it only confounds the other characters in the story, not the reader. Much more suspense could have been built if the story were titled, “The mysterious case of Joe Blow” or whatnot, to at least keep the readers in suspense for the first 40 pages (
More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Dec 07, 2009
Michael
rated it:
This is a review on "The Invisible Man". I will tell details of the story while avoiding spoilers, My favorite part, and whether or not I recommend the book. I hope it is valuable to your opinion.
The book is about a mysterious man with every inch of his body covered as he checks-in to a hotel in a quiet town. While he stays people begin noticing strange things about him. They learn that he is invisible and start to fear him as he reeks havoc arcross the area. Who is this in More...
The book is about a mysterious man with every inch of his body covered as he checks-in to a hotel in a quiet town. While he stays people begin noticing strange things about him. They learn that he is invisible and start to fear him as he reeks havoc arcross the area. Who is this in More...
Oct 15, 2009
Rebecca
rated it:
How can a person of complete competence go from an intelligent scientist who made a brilliant discover to a criminal with a lack of mental stability? Griffin, a scientist, theorized that if a person's refractive index is adjusted to that of air and did not reflect or absorb any light, then that person will become invisible. He tests his theory, and though his theory is a success, a horrifying outcome came about; Griffin turned himself invisible. H.G Wells' The Invisible Man made twists and turns
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Oct 15, 2009
Heather
rated it:
Would being invisible not be awesome?! Maybe- maybe not. In The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells, Griffin finds out for himself, and what he finds is not what was expected. A person may believe that being invisible would give them power. They would have the power to do whatever they want, go wherever they want, and nobody would see them. Nobody would have to know. A scientist, Griffin, wanted this power, and power is what he got.
After his power rush, Griffin realized that he needed More...
After his power rush, Griffin realized that he needed More...
