The Invisible Man (Scholastic Classics)

The Invisible Man (Scholastic Classics)

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2613 ratings, 3.49 average rating, 153 reviews (more data...)

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published

2004 (first published 1897) by Scholastic Paperbacks

binding

Mass Market Paperback, 208 pages

url

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H...

isbn

0439574277 (isbn13: 9780439574273)

description

On a cold day in February, a stranger arrives in the village of Iping. He wears gloves and dark glasses, even inside, and his face is covered in band...more

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All ratings | 5 stars (377) | 4 stars (878) | 3 stars (1053) | 2 stars (245) | 1 star (51) | avg 3.49

all | this edition

R. rated it:

(review of isbn 0451528522)

06/21/08

bookshelves: 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.

*

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 s...more

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Kristen

Kristen rated it:

(review of isbn 0451528522)

08/14/08

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

Read in August, 2008

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 ...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.
...less

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Amy

Amy rated it:

(review of isbn 0451528522)

02/22/08

Read in February, 2008

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

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Matt

Matt rated it:

(review of isbn 0451528522)

03/02/07

Read in July, 2006

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, wh...more

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Jim

Jim rated it:

(review of isbn 0451528522)

12/04/08

bookshelves: 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

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Tim

Tim rated it:

(review of isbn 0451528522)

11/29/08

Another very good book form H.G. Wells. 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 o...more

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Shezilla

Shezilla rated it:

(review of isbn 0451528522)

07/23/07

I realize its kinda lame that I just went through a Wells phase. I mean, I probably should have read it as a teenager. But hey, I was too busy smoking pot and taking ballet class to be into reading. This one is definately a classic must read at some point in your life.

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Justin

Justin added it (review of isbn 0486270718)

05/15/08

Read in May, 2008

Why does no one think to throw paint on him?

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Bunxena Rabbit-Princess

Bunxena rated it:

(review of isbn 0451528522)

10/18/08

bookshelves: book-sale-

Read in October, 2008

recommends it for: fans of early sci-fi and speculative fiction

* * * 1/2

What would you do if you were invisible ? Steal cookies from the cookie jar? Sneak into movies without paying? Play pranks on unsuspecting friends? Notice how the first things that come to mind are not nice things to do. Evidently, being invisible can amplify the negative side of humanity, and the Invisible Man of H.G. Wells' novel is no exception to this rule.

Griffin is an unknown scientist who has toiled for years trying to make his name. Eventually he stumbles upon a process ...more * * * 1/2

What would you do if you were invisible ? Steal cookies from the cookie jar? Sneak into movies without paying? Play pranks on unsuspecting friends? Notice how the first things that come to mind are not nice things to do. Evidently, being invisible can amplify the negative side of humanity, and the Invisible Man of H.G. Wells' novel is no exception to this rule.

Griffin is an unknown scientist who has toiled for years trying to make his name. Eventually he stumbles upon a process to turn himself invisible. Being still somewhat of an idealist at this point, he can think of only advantages to being invisible, and how wonderful it will be to go about unseen. The invisibility process is gruesome and ghastly to read about, but Griffin's suffering is rewarded with total invisibility -- as long as he remains unclothed. Yes, that invisible man is naked. How embarrassing, not to mention uncomfortable in the rather chilly temperatures occurring during the events of the story.

But all of this about the invisibility process comes much later. Before we learn how the Invisible Man became that way, we witness the havoc he wreaks on the towns of Iping and Port Burdock as he seeks to establish a reign of terror. Griffin has gone insane -- he's trapped as an invisible man, forced to go naked in the dead of winter or else bundle himself up in stiflingly hot clothes in order to be seen, yet still subject to injury and as vulnerable as any other human. He is also bent on murder: nobody can understand his plight, so he must resort to stirring up fear if he wants any modicum of respect.

Overall, this was a very good book. I was kind of creeped out by the thought of a naked invisible man, though, and wondered why he hadn't had the foresight to make some clothes invisible as well. After all, if he was testing the process, he could have tested it on a shirt and pants, right? But that was the only major issue I had with the book. Dropping the reader in the middle of the story was a smart move on Wells' part; keeping me in suspense on how the Invisible Man became that way made me read on. I had to know how it had started and how far Griffin would go in his quest to become a figure of terror. The ending was also excellent, very satisfying. I would recommend this book to those who read and enjoyed The Time Machine, but also anyone who likes speculative fiction....less

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Trebro

Trebro rated it:

(review of isbn 0671581058)

07/19/08

bookshelves: books

Read in July, 2008

This is the third in the Alien Voices series that I've gotten out, and the second featuring an HG Wells story. As with the others, the story is not merely read, it is dramatized by Leonard Nemoy and John de Lancie, along with a supporting cast. This one doesn't work quite as well as the others because, by the nature of the story, they had to add someone to narrate the actions of the Invisible Man. To move it into a first-person story would have required extensive changing of the tale, which, ...more This is the third in the Alien Voices series that I've gotten out, and the second featuring an HG Wells story. As with the others, the story is not merely read, it is dramatized by Leonard Nemoy and John de Lancie, along with a supporting cast. This one doesn't work quite as well as the others because, by the nature of the story, they had to add someone to narrate the actions of the Invisible Man. To move it into a first-person story would have required extensive changing of the tale, which, as de Lancie mentioned for Journey, is not what this series of readings is all about. The key is capturing the nature of the original.

Fortunately, when adapting Wells, that's not hard to do in an entertaining manner. The more Wells I "read" the more impressed I am with how contemporary his science fiction feels. This is sci fi I'm actually interested in reading--the characters are front and center and compelling. Both the Invisible Man and his nemesis the cheating mentor are real people with real motives that drive the actions of the book. Even side characters like the bum and the Inspector are given just enough room to breathe as to be viable and vital to the story. They aren't there just to move the "cool" futuristic idea around.

And what an idea--invisibility! The art of not being seen, taken to an extreme. Wells' strengths as a writer shine as he shows the horror expressed by those around him to the true nature of the Invisible Man. What's more, a sympathetic character is shown to have more complexity and depth than at first glance. While the Invisible Man was wronged, it's true, he was no saint, as you discover as time goes on. Did the drugs make him a crazed madman--or was he always one to begin with?

De Lancie is the Invisible Man and Nemoy plays the cheating mentor, both to great effect. Nemoy is surprisingly good playing a sniveling, conniving crook of a man and de Lancie keeps his hold on Griffin until it's time to let his demons loose. The rest of the cast fills the bit parts well, making again for a good radio play.

I was a bit shocked by how much of a sci-fi horror this one is, especially towards the end. It may now be my favorite HG Wells book. Whether you like the writer or the actors, you'll totally enjoy this performance, and I highly recommend it! (Library, 07/08)

Trebby's Take: Don't let this be invisible on your list!...less

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Kei Man

Kei Man rated it:

(review of isbn 0451528522)

06/17/08

Read in May, 2008

Before reading this book I had thought it was the classic, "Invisible Man" by Ralph, but it wasn't, so beware. I read it anyway. It was interesting in the beginning because it was mysterious as to who this stranger was. The stranger was acting very odd and wasn't very cooperative with the people in the town. Eventually when the towns people found out about his invisibility they freaked out and started going against him. Taking advantage of his invisibility he got away from the people. ...more

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Jessica

Jessica rated it:

04/10/08

Read in April, 2008

recommended to Jessica by: "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die" list
recommends it for: Wouldn't recommend it...

The title pretty much says it all… This is the story of an Invisible Man. Quite different from the Chevy Chase movie. The book was quite dark and violent. I enjoyed the beginning of it, but once I hit the chapter that uses science to explain the process of making himself invisible, I lost interest. I really didn’t follow what he was saying. I found the main character, the Invisible Man, to be a selfish & whiney individual. I understand he didn’t think before turning himself into a guin...more

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Joshua

Joshua rated it:

(review of isbn 0553213539)

01/20/08

bookshelves: classics, sci-fi-and-fantasy

Read in March, 1994

recommends it for: Anyone who doesn't mind checking logic at the door

I've always had a fondness for the vintage science fiction that came out in the late 19th and early 20th C. They are fantastically campy and wonderfully ludicrous. H.G. Wells's Invisible Man is no different. The protagonist of the story, Griffin, turns himself invisible by coming up with a chemical that changes the molecular structure of an object making it unable to absorb or reflect light, which would therefore make the object invisible. Some may ask the questions, "how the hell...more

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John

John rated it:

(review of isbn 0451528522)

08/07/07

Read in July, 2006

recommends it for: Science fiction readers, classics readers with a lot of time on their hands

I'm not sure if this is the edition I read, but it ought to be the same story no matter the cover.

The Invisible Man is one of many classics that is apologetically slow while trying to justify its own existence and rationality. Even though the title gives away the peculiar condition of the main character, Wells spends a long time teasing us with before the "revelation." Even after that period, outside of couple of plot quirks and the explanation for how Griffin became invisib...more

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Mohammad

Mohammad rated it:

(review of isbn 0451528522)

12/01/08

Read in December, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dave

Dave rated it:

(review of isbn 0451528522)

05/21/07

bookshelves: fiction

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in May, 2007

recommends it for: Wells fans

In my opinion, Wells stories generally take a scientific theory and describe how people and the world are effected by the breaking or unlikely achievement of this theory, while not really concentrating on the character development. His characters are usually one-dimentional and his scientists are usually aggressive dicks that think of nothing but their personal advancement, maybe scientist used to be like this. The Invisible Man is no difference. The title character, who is already an egocent...more

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Kelley

Kelley rated it:

(review of isbn 0451528522)

04/30/08

Read in April, 2008

I thought this book was very interesting. Some parts of the dialect I was very confused on, but I liked how it was easy to understand the plot unlike Shakespeare's work. The Invisible Man follows the journey of a mad scientist who discovers the power of invisibility. Throughout the work he tries to find a cure to return himself to normal. One would think that being invisible would be fun, but it turns out it is more trouble then it is worth. Along the way he finds that keeping his invisibilty a ...more

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Laura

Laura rated it:

(review of isbn 014143998X)

05/30/08

bookshelves: h-g-wells

Read in May, 2008

Well, this is my fourth Wells novel to date, and I like it more than Time Machine but less than First Men in the Moon and The Island of Dr. Moreau. At first it was the secondary characters - they seemed too stereotyped and provincial under the nameless narrator's lens. But than it was the Invisible Man himself - he was just too mean and too cruel. Nothing redeemable about him. By the end though, after reading about his explanation and his death, the book had grown on me. I can see now why he inv...more

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puck

puck rated it:

(review of isbn 0451528522)

08/28/07

Read in August, 2007

recommends it for: people who are confused.

mostly the whole time i was reading this i was confused that it was not Invisible Man. it was an audiobook, and i waited until the end to look up covers and realize that, no, it was not the one i had started reading in the past (that i had gathered) or the one i wanted.

oh well. instead i experienced yet another story of an outsider gone crazy and put to death. still not sure what drove him to craziness, which i suppose is my major...more

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Zack

Zack rated it:

(review of isbn 0451528522)

12/04/08

Read in November, 2008

I went ahead and read this one after finishing Dr. Moreau. I never realized the invisible man of the title was originally an albino. In a way I sympathize with this unfortunate young mad scientist hero-villain. After arousing terror and the desire for vengeance among his neighbors, he has to stay naked in all kinds of weather or be sighted, consequently becoming angrier and more abrupt with everyone, only making himself "look" all the worse. ((Get it?))

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