Apatt’s review of The War of the Worlds > Likes and Comments

In my recent read of James Joyce, a letter from Wells to Joyce is quoted in full. It is brilliant and has contributed to my opinion of Wells.... I may have to reread this... or at least some of his other works.

Kalliope wrote: "In my recent read of James Joyce, a letter from Wells to Joyce is quoted in full. It is brilliant and has contributed to my opinion of Wells.... I may have to reread this... or at le..."

How interesting! What did Wells write to him about?

I don't have the book with me, and I want to reread this letter, but in it he explains to Joyce that he has not understood his Ulysses, but his clear reasoning proves that he has. He just simply did not find interest in Joyce's literary pursuit. Very articulate.

Ben wrote: "I found it.

http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/11/...

The second one from Vladimir Dixon is believed to be written by Joyce."

Yes, that's the one... I did not know the other and does seem by have been penned by Joyce.

Ben wrote: "When you think about it these two men are a perfect inversion of each other: One wrote of unconventional and visionary worlds in a very homely and practical literary style; the other wrote of homel..."

Exactly...!!!

Ben wrote: "When you think about it these two men are a perfect inversion of each other: One wrote of unconventional and visionary worlds in a very homely and practical literary style; the other wrote of homel..."


Damn clever comparison Ben. I have to confess my attempt at reading Ulysses was a miserable failure, I personally can't stand the absence of quotation marks, which is probably my failure of thinking outside the box!

Bravo Apatt...great review! I didn't get that 5-star feeling when I read it....but was well worth the time invested. The Island of Doctor Moreau was pretty awesome too. HGW wrote his classics approximately 120 years ago...truly amazing.

spikeINflorida wrote: "Bravo Apatt...great review! I didn't get that 5-star feeling when I read it....but was well worth the time invested. The Island of Doctor Moreau was pretty awesome too. HGW wrote his classics a..."

Thanks Spike, I don't often get that 5 stars feeling either, especially in hotels and restaurants!

Apatt, I think this is my favorite review of yours, excellent writing! And it helps that I totally agree with your assessment of the amazing talent of H.G. Wells. Completely ahead of his time, and yet still relevant and entertaining today. That's quite a hat trick for books written over a century ago! I'm posting my own review as well.

Stuart wrote: "Apatt, I think this is my favorite review of yours, excellent writing! And it helps that I totally agree with your assessment of the amazing talent of H.G. Wells. Completely ahead of his time, and ..."

Thanks so much Stuart, that makes my day! :) Let's read or reread all the Wells and compare notes! Any way, next up for me is The Invisible Man, I always wondered why they don't just throw a bucket of flour or something all over the room to make him visible!

A wonderful review, curiously and uncharacteristically devoid of Whovian nods.

Also, in addition to all the screen adaptations, there's Jeff Wayne's musical, recently revived (the death rays used real flames!!!).

Regarding your bonnet(?!) and its resident bee, do you have similar objections to using "really" in a metaphorical sense for something that is not actually real, or saying you're "starving" when you're merely very hungry?

;)

Cecily wrote: "A wonderful review, curiously and uncharacteristically devoid of Whovian nods.

Also, in addition to all the screen adaptations, there's Jeff Wayne's musical, recently revived (the death rays used ..."

Aww, you are too kind Cecily. I should have shoehorned in some stuff about the Daleks to be sure. I am thinking of switching to Abba references instead (here I go again, my my).

I remeember the song "Forever Autumn" which is very nice, didn't buy the album unfortunately. I'd love to see that musical, even at the risk of having my eyebrows singed (Capaldi should stay away from this show).

When I say I'm starving I am usually literally starving due to my dire straits, I blame Mark Knobbler.

I am literally chuckling and figuratively LOLing.

Truly excellent review. HG Wells elevated what Verne and Shelley had birthed into a high art. Every science fiction author and reader owes a debt to him.

With regard to the movies, let me just say that they show with regards to well done art, the best bet is almost always to convey the story faithfully rather than adapt it. So much of the stories power is lost in the adaptations.

Matt wrote: "Truly excellent review. HG Wells elevated what Verne and Shelley had birthed into a high art. Every science fiction author and reader owes a debt to him.

With regard to the movies, let me just ..."

Thanks very much Matt, that reminds me, I should read some Verne too, I'll work through Wells' bibliography first though!

Happy reading. May I suggest in particular 'First Men on the Moon', 'The Time Machine', and 'Food of the Gods'.

Verne is a both more challenging of a read, less satisfying to my mind, and far... 'pulpier' for lack of a better term, though I did make it through both '20000 Leagues...' and 'Journey to the Center of the Earth'. Still, worth it to see where it all begins.

Matt wrote: "Happy reading. May I suggest in particular 'First Men on the Moon', 'The Time Machine', and 'Food of the Gods'.

Verne is a both more challenging of a read, less satisfying to my mind, and far....."

You must have missed my Time Machine review ;)
The Invisible Man next for me I think.

Sabah wrote: "So can I annoy you and say this is "literally" the best review of this book I've read. Lol. How annoyed are you? Wonderful review Apatt and Thankyou for the additional info in regards to the origin..."

Haha! You are too kind Sabah. Your comment literally makes my day :D I do read a lot of sci-fi which probably is not your scene, but I will always try to keep my reading balanced with classics and other more mainstream books.

Ah, sorry I just assumed from your bookshelf :) I only had a quick look though, I'm nosy too.

Sabah wrote: "How dare you be presumptuous to a true trekkie! X files, star trek, Dr Who, Hitch hikers, and the list goes on............:)"

Red Dwarf?

That's one of my favourite episodes.
Well, that and Polymorph.
Not forgetting Legion.
And the one with the Despair Squid was brilliant, too.
I could go on, and Apatt doesn't mind going off-topic...

Apatt won't mind. It's still sci-fi, so more on-topic than some of his comments on other people's reviews. ;)

(Just drop in some tribute or interesting fact about Dr Who and all will be forgiven.)

Cecily wrote: "That's one of my favourite episodes.
Well, that and Polymorph.
Not forgetting Legion.
And the one with the Despair Squid was brilliant, too.
I could go on, and Apatt doesn't mind going off-topic..."

Unfashionable, I know, but I've always had a soft spot for the first two series, as for several years those were all I had. I liked the original Holly and the more... depressing and stultifyingly dull - sitcom aesthetic of those early seasons before they made it go in a more adventure-y direction. So I think it's hard to beat "Queeg", and not just for one of the most audacious endings in TV history. Speaking of endings, there's not enough love for "Out of Time", the final 'true' Red Dwarf episode, which is quite impressively dark and inconclusive for what was effectively the series finale (before it was resurrected again three years later).

Then again, come to think of it, it would also be hard to argue with "Marooned" as the best of the lot. At the other end of the scale, "Gunmen of the Apocalypse" is great fun. "Stasis Leak" is maybe their best time travel piece and also gives our best view of the pre-catastrophe ship. "White Hole"! "White Hole" is mindbending and hilarious. "The Inquisitor" is funny, has character depth, and a clever plot. Obviously 'Polymorph' and 'Back to Reality' and 'Legion'... 'Terrorform' is lunatic fun too, with a contender for the funniest scene of the series (kryten's hand/giant tarantula). Although there are many contenders for that.

You know, thinking back, I'd forgotten that almost every episode of the first six seasons (well ok, from 2 to 6) was an absolute classic: conceit, plot, jokes, acting, characterisation, they really had everything. Even strip out the humour, I think the SF elements alone may be as good as any other SF show on TV.

Incidentally, apparently series XI and XII are being made. I actually quite liked X - nowhere near the classic series, but decent blend of nostalgia and some good jokes, and leagues ahead of VIII or Back to Earth, or most of VII (from VII you can take 'Tikka to Ride', the Ace Rimmer intro from 'Stoke me a Clipper', and the Rimmer Song from whichever episode that's from, and burn the rest so far as I'm concerned).

I went to bed and woke up to complete anarchy on my War of the Worlds review!
I think Red Dwarf jumped the shark in season 7 (1997) when Kochanski came back. The actress just isn't funny.
My favorite episode is when they go to Backward Earth, especially when the Cat took a leak :D

Apatt wrote: "I went to bed and woke up to complete anarchy on my War of the Worlds review!..."

Yes... and? ;)
You're not complaining, are you. :D

Anyway, words won't do, Apatt, not even when accompanied by a teapot:

Now you just need to make a mashup of Ace with a Dalek...

Wastrel wrote: "Unfashionable, I know, but I've always had a soft spot for the first two series..."

There's nothing wrong with being unfashionable (I certainly hope not, from a personal perspective), but I generally prefer the middle series. And then you list SO many excellent episodes. Maybe I'll get out the DVDs when I go home tonight.

Excellent review of what is a masterpiece of fiction, both horror and sci-fi

Andrew wrote: "Excellent review of what is a masterpiece of fiction, both horror and sci-fi"

Thank you very much Andrew, very kind of you. I love Wells and Verne's proto sci-fi.

The first review I'm reading in 2016. Off to a great start :-)

Matthias wrote: "The first review I'm reading in 2016. Off to a great start :-)"

Very honored to be the first Matthias! :)

1 light year=the distance light travels in1 year It's a common misconception but it is not a measurement of time.

Personally, the book was a dissapointment after I had read a snippet of it in a comprehension passage (at school). I found some things a bit boring and not very engaging

Great review Apatt ! Wells was truly light years ahead of his time, was a trained biologist..I experienced him in the time machine. I recall that Sphinx and flowers :)

Praveen wrote: "Great review Apatt ! Wells was truly light years ahead of his time, was a trained biologist..I experienced him in the time machine. I recall that Sphinx and flowers :)"

Thank you, Praveen! What Sphinx and flowers? (•ิ_•ิ)?

Apatt wrote: "Praveen wrote: "Great review Apatt ! Wells was truly light years ahead of his time, was a trained biologist..I experienced him in the time machine. I recall that Sphinx and flowers :)"

Thank you, ..." Those were symbols used in "The Time Machine'' :)

Great review of a great book!

Carmen wrote: "Great review of a great book!"

Thanks very much, Carmen 🤓

That was literally a fantastic review, Apatt. I literally couldn't believe how good it was! I also agree that Wells was literally light years ahead of his time.

Kevin wrote: "That was literally a fantastic review, Apatt. I literally couldn't believe how good it was! I also agree that Wells was literally light years ahead of his time."

I always thought you were literally literary, Kevin 🤣

Apatt wrote: "I always thought you were literally literary, Kevin..."

Yes, being a literate lad, I literally produced a litany of alliteration!

Kimber wrote: "Tremendous review, Apatt as always!

"Any way, never dismiss H.G. Wells' sci-fi as old hat because he invented the hat and it is still superior to most of today's headgear." I love this line! Lite..."

Haha! Thank you, Kimber 🤓

Great review! I recently read almost all I could find of the works of Wells -still have a few to go- and found, as you have, that he was a great writer and still completely readable today. Heinlein pointed out at some time that Wells had written, or covered, all possible scifi subject matter in one story or another during his career. As for non-genre, I particularly liked "Wheels of Change". A story of the impact the bicycle had on the middle class society in 19th century Great Britain.

Denis wrote: "Great review! I recently read almost all I could find of the works of Wells -still have a few to go- and found, as you have, that he was a great writer and still completely readable today. Heinlein..."

Thanks, Denis. I should read more Wells, I haven't read all of them yet!

This is a very good review of a very good story and I totally agree with all of your points. It is crazy to think that the story was written in the last 1800s, far before any kind of real intense technology was out. Looking at it from today's perspective, it is still very relevant, as there is talk all the time of what lives on other plants and there have been many movies about what space life looks like. I also agree that Wells did an excellent job of using descriptive detail and dialogue thought the story to help enhance it and make the reader feel as if they are actually in the story themselves. Also, Well's novels, at least those that I have read, have all been very good and he is one of my favorite authors to read. With that being said I am also intrigued to read more of his stories, especially the sci-fi novels, so let me know if you have any that you think have been especially good. Thanks, and once again, great review!

R wrote: "This is a very good review of a very good story and I totally agree with all of your points. It is crazy to think that the story was written in the last 1800s, far before any kind of real intense t..."

Thank you so much, R. For a very good modern sci-fi House of Suns is one of my favorites. I have done loads of sci-fi reviews so if you like sci-fi I hope you may find them interesting.

I am sold. Your review answered and cleared my doubts regarding this book by Wells. I am actually reading A Short History of The World by Wells, and it is amazing; and finding that he is equally fantastic as a sci-fi writer I am tempted to read his fiction.

PS: I tried to read his Time Machine thrice but couldn't move beyond 30 pages.