The Island of Doctor Moreau

[Book]

The Island of Doctor Moreau
4 Stars

This is a scarily appropriate read for October featuring as it does an island full of half human half beast creatures and the mad scientist who has created them.

This is a creepy book made all the more creepy by the advances in science since it was originally published.

Full review to appear here soon https://thereadersroom.org/

[Diane]

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Read in 2010, re-read October 2016

Definitely a creepy book and definitely appropriate for this time of year. The book is about a mad scientist on a remote South Seas island and his gruesome creations - animals given human traits through vivisection. The book is told from the perspective of an Englishman who becomes shipwrecked on the island. The book was written in response to the controversy regarding the practice of animal vivisection during the Victorian Era.

[John]

As I read this it struck me in three ways:

1) Prophetic: Having seen recent stories regarding Chimera, such as: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/ne...

2) Scary: My morning walks have gotten darker and darker as winter approaches in the northern hemisphere. I don't really need these images in my head. The cyclists are scary enough.

3) Pokémon. Need I say more?

[Beverly]

The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells
3 stars

I've never seen this movie but have heard about it and still this wasn't exactly what I thought it was going to be. Basically a man is shipwrecked on an island where he finds a number of "monstrosities" created by a Dr. Moreau. Various animals have been combined and resculpted to resemble humans and then taught to live by certain "laws". As you might expect, it is difficult to maintain this transition and the beasts began returning to their more animalistic behaviors. It was OK and I'm sure that in it's time it caused quite the stir. I did find it rather atmospheric, the forested island with the channeled landscape. I kept imagining our narrator traversing the dark landscape, in the fog, hearing the cries of the mutilated beasts. Kind of creepy.

[MaryAnn (EmilyD1037)]

The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells
1 star

I have read slightly over half of the book, Another book with no redeeming qualities as far as I can see. I am used to reading books with a point, a plot, and an end result, which I really don't see in this book. I am not going to finish it.

[Zeejane]

I listened to the audio book, narrated by Gordon Griffin. This is another one that I feel that I've read before, but couldn't remember any of the details. Probably another college requirement, many years ago! Overall I enjoyed this story-the characters were well fleshed out, and the setting was full of realistic and interesting details.

The story felt a bit dated though, I don't think this one has aged well. What was unimaginable horror back when this was written, has in some aspects become reality in our day and age. Modern science is really quite scary when you start thinking about AI etc.

I did enjoy the mad scientist aspect though, it has similarities to Frankenstein: The 1818 Text, which I enjoyed.