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The Island of Dr. Moreau (Bantam Classics) [Mass Market Paperback]

H.G. Wells
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (187 customer reviews)

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Book Description

May 1, 1994 0553214322 978-0553214321
Ranked among the classic novels of the English language and the inspiration for several unforgettable movies, this early work of H. G. Wells was greeted in 1896 by howls of protest from reviewers, who found it horrifying and blasphemous. They wanted to know more about the wondrous possibilities of science shown in his first book, The Time Machine, not its potential for misuse and terror. In The Island of Dr. Moreau a shipwrecked gentleman named Edward Prendick, stranded on a Pacific island lorded over by the notorious Dr. Moreau, confronts dark secrets, strange creatures, and a reason to run for his life.

While this riveting tale was intended to be a commentary on evolution, divine creation, and the tension between human nature and culture, modern readers familiar with genetic engineering will marvel at Wells’s prediction of the ethical issues raised by producing “smarter” human beings or bringing back extinct species. These levels of interpretation add a richness to Prendick’s adventures on Dr. Moreau’s island of lost souls without distracting from what is still a rip-roaring good read.

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A shipwreck in the South Seas, a palm-tree paradise where a mad doctor conducts vile experiments, animals that become human and then "beastly" in ways they never were before--it's the stuff of high adventure. It's also a parable about Darwinian theory, a social satire in the vein of Jonathan Swift (Gulliver's Travels), and a bloody tale of horror. Or, as H. G. Wells himself wrote about this story, "The Island of Dr. Moreau is an exercise in youthful blasphemy. Now and then, though I rarely admit it, the universe projects itself towards me in a hideous grimace. It grimaced that time, and I did my best to express my vision of the aimless torture in creation." This colorful tale by the author of The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, and The War of the Worlds lit a firestorm of controversy at the time of its publication in 1896. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

The Island of Dr. Moreau takes us into an abyss of human nature. This book is a superb piece of storytelling.”
V. S. Pritchett


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Product Details

  • Mass Market Paperback: 160 pages
  • Publisher: Bantam Classics (May 1, 1994)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0553214322
  • ISBN-13: 978-0553214321
  • Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 0.4 x 6.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (187 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #414,954 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Great science fiction novel. Heather Blickley  |  24 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
118 of 127 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps Wells' Finest Novel February 5, 2004
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Although it is less often read than such Wells novels as THE WAR OF THE WORLDS, the basic story of THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU is very well known through several extremely loose film adaptations. Pendrick, a British scientist, is shipwrecked--and by chance finds himself on an isolated island where Dr. Moreau and his assistant Montgomery are engaged in a series of experiments. They are attempting to transform animals into manlike beings.

Wells, a social reformer, was a very didactic writer, and his novels reflect his thoughts and theories about humanity. Much of Wells writing concerns (either directly or covertly) social class, but while this exists in MOREAU it is less the basic theme than an undercurrent. At core, the novel concerns the then-newly advanced theory of natural selection--and then works to relate how that theory impacts man's concept of God. Wells often touched upon this, and in several novels he broaches the thought that if mankind evolved "up" it might just as easily evolve "down," but nowhere in his work is this line of thought more clearly and specifically seen than here.

At times Wells' determination to teach his reader can overwhelm; at times it can become so subtle that it is nothing short of absolutely obscure. But in THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU, Wells achieves a perfect balance of the two extremes, even going so far as to balance the characters in such a way that not even the narrator emerges as entirely sympathetic. It is a remarkable achievement, and in this sense I consider MOREAU possibly the best of Wells work: the novel is as interesting for the story it tells as it is for still very relevant themes it considers.

It is also something of an oddity among Wells work, for while Wells often included elements of horror and savagery in his novels, MOREAU is not so much horrific as it is disturbingly gruesome and occasionally deliberately distasteful. This is not really a book than you can read and then put away: it lingers in your mind in a most unsettling way. Strongly recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

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29 of 33 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Once again, do NOT WATCH THE MOVIE FIRST!! April 30, 2001
Format:Paperback
This book is less known than Wells' other works like The War of the Worlds and The Time Machine, but in many ways it exceeds these other, more popular works. This novel is a story essentially about the nature of humanity. What is it that makes us people? What, exactly, separates man from the beasts? Wells' insidious Dr. Moreau is the perfect character to explore these questions as he has no conscience. As you read this book you find yourself identifying more with the "beasts" than with the Dr. or his assistant; and you find yourself wondering whether or not the noble beasts are in fact more human than the human characters. This work is decades before its' time; as today genetic research and animal rights are garnering more attention and headlines. I believe Wells was somehow able to see these issues decades ago when he wrote this story; and it remains one of the most salient writings on the topic to date. I heartily endorse this book for any fan of science fiction. Enjoy!
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Yesterday's horror meets today's science lab March 22, 2010
By CB
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I got this on Kindle simply because it looked interesting and was $0.00. Once I began to preview the book to determine whether or not I was going to keep in on my Kindle or delete it...I couldn't put it down! The language is somewhat dated however, it adds to the story line and keeps the events back in the time they should be rather than allowing them to creep into today's timeframe. It is so interesting to read something that was written that long ago and let your imagination decide how it may pertain to today's life in the form of genetic, hybrid and biological engineering. The fictional events on The Island of Dr. Moreau seem as though they could be going on in the local university biology research lab and hidden from the public eye. Typically I'm not into science fiction reads but this may be a turning point for me. I enjoyed this book a great deal and have recommended it to several friends to read. Enjoy!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
Couldn't put this book down. One of HG Wells best! I have seen the movies to this book but they don't do justice to this great read.
Published 11 hours ago by Kristina
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent sci-fi classic
I haven't read a classic novel in a really long time, and so this was a little hard to get into at first. Read more
Published 5 days ago by AshleyF
5.0 out of 5 stars cool
literary masterpiece for free on your mobile device, if you complain you will just sound spoiled and dumb, so don't
Published 14 days ago by Nathan D. Cress
5.0 out of 5 stars Broadview editions are simply rhe best.
Broadview Editions are the only editions to buy in English literature.The foot-notes and the size of the type are helpful.
Published 24 days ago by John Ryland
3.0 out of 5 stars Good, Quick Paced Story
As far as H.G. Wells stories go, it's decent. I like how it's not long or drawn out it gets straight to things and then things happen at a good pace, moving through things quickly.
Published 26 days ago by Koby
5.0 out of 5 stars A dark and cautionary tale of genetic engineering
Another classic SF tale by H.G. Wells that still holds up well over a century later. Very affecting and well-told.
Published 28 days ago by mowry4875
3.0 out of 5 stars It's OK
I was considering reading "The Madman's Daughter" and got this book to educate myself on the story line of "The Island of Doctor Moreau". Read more
Published 1 month ago by Charles David Badeau
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting
It makes you wonder if this kind of curiosity and knowledge was known way back when, how much has it progressed and how such of that has became a success.
Published 1 month ago by Sergio Rodriguez
5.0 out of 5 stars H. G. Wells, the brilliant and insightful.
I read the Island of Doctor Moreau many years ago, and now I am revisiting it. It still holds the fascination for me that it did way back then. Read more
Published 1 month ago by bill
4.0 out of 5 stars Very strange indeed
The Island of Doctor Moreau was a strange and fantastical read. Being on a mostly desert island would be to some a fantasy. But in this book it is a nightmare.
Published 1 month ago by Ruth Scott
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