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One of the Great Sci-Fi Classics

Customer Rating:

During my current tear through a list of the great English-language classics, this book quickly bubbled to the top as one I wanted to knock off early. H.G. Wells' 1897 novel, The Invisible Man, is a fantastic book worthy of its high-ranking position among the great science fiction stories of our time. Well's masterful ability to describe not only the story's environments, but also what goes on within the often fatally flawed psyches of the characters who inhabit them is as apparent in this book as his other classics such as The Island of Dr. Moreau. At under 200 pages, this is a great book if you're looking for something to read over a long weekend or while on the beach. Incidentally, if you've ever seen the movie Hollow Man, you'll quickly see the selfish and at times psychotic similiarities between Sebastian Caine (played by Kevin Bacon) and the book's main protaganist Griffin, although the film borrows little more from the original story.

Excellent book, though not Well's most exciting.

Customer Rating:

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.

Short and great!	Customer Rating:
H.G. Wells has created an extraordinary story about a man who becomes invisible, and how he struggles to survive in society given his unusual predicament. This story is as much about science fiction as it is about cultural norms and biases. It's a short read and I highly recommend it! -Vince [..]

science fiction.huh	Customer Rating:
this is a small novel that you could finish in a day. is it worth reading? probably yes!. the events of the story are really predictable since many books and movies were made in this field of invisibility. however;the fact that this was published in 1897 is a bonus. the book is easy read.

A rousing good story!

Customer Rating:

When a strange man, wearing bandages and dark glasses comes into town, the city of Iping, tongues begin to wag. But, when strange things begin to happen, the town soon finds itself facing a nightmare in the form of an invisible man. Mr. Griffin was never filled with the milk of human kindness, and when a scientific experiment leaves him invisible, he decides that the mores of the common people no longer apply to him. And now, now that he feels threatened by the entire world, he decides that the entire world will feel his wrath. This book is one of the crowning examples of nineteenth century fantastic fiction. It is an early work of science fiction, but it is much more than that. Mr. Wells wrote this story as something of a lesson about scientists playing God, and placing themselves above normal people. So, if you are interested in early science fiction, or in a rousing good story with a thoughtful lesson, then I highly recommend this book to you!