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The Invisible Man (Signet Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author), W. Warren Wagar (Introduction) "THE STRANGER came early in February, one wintry day, through a biting wind and a driving snow, the last snowfall of the year, over the..." (more)
Key Phrases: man with the black beard, scientific romances, invisible man, Doctor Kemp, Thomas Marvel, Teddy Henfrey (more...)
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Product Description

This masterpiece of science fiction is the fascinating story of Griffin, a scientist who creates a serum to render himself invisible, and his descent into madness that follows.

Product Details

  • Mass Market Paperback: 192 pages
  • Publisher: New American Library/Penguin Books (September 3, 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0451528522
  • ISBN-13: 978-0451528520
  • Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,468 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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H. G. Wells
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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First Sentence:
THE STRANGER came early in February, one wintry day, through a biting wind and a driving snow, the last snowfall of the year, over the down, walking as it seemed from Bramblehurst railway station, and carrying a little black portmanteau in his thickly gloved hand. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
man with the black beard, scientific romances, invisible man, parlour door, empty sleeve
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Doctor Kemp, Thomas Marvel, Teddy Henfrey, Jolly Cricketers, Port Burdock, Great Portland Street, Port Stowe, Sandy Wadgers, Oxford Street, Colonel Adye, Tottenham Court Road
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Customer Reviews

51 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (51 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Influential, Extremely Memorable, February 2, 2004
On the surface, THE INVISIBLE MAN concerns a scientist named Griffin who has discovered the means to invisibility--but who has gone mad in the process. When frustrated in his efforts to restore himself to visibility, he determines to embark upon a reign of terror that will make him master of the world. It is worth noting, however, that Wells was very much a social writer and that his novels are inevitably commentaries on various social evils. Once you scratch the surface of THE INVISIBLE MAN you will find that it is very much a parable of class structure that dominated British life during the Victorian age: there are many "invisible men;" this particular one, however, is in a very literal situation.

And it is the literal situation from which the novel draws most of its power. Invisibility sounds attractive--but what if you were to actually become so? How would you cope with the ordinary details of every day life? Griffin does not cope well at all, and although Wells suggests that his madness have arisen from a number of sources, he also implies that it may arise from the fact of invisibility itself, again twisting the context back into the social criticism on which the novel seems based.

First published in 1897, THE INVISIBLE MAN is one of Wells earliest novels, and for all its charms it creaks a bit in terms of plot and structure. Some may disagree, but to my mind the most effective portion of the novel are the chapters in which Griffin relates his adventures to fellow scientist Kemp--but regardless of its flaws remains extremely influential and it has tremendous dash and style throughout. Short enough to be read in a single sitting, it is a quick and entertaining read and it is also quite witty in an underhanded, subversive sort of way. Extremely memorable!

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars One of his best.., October 17, 2006
By Stephen Balbach (Ashton, MD United States) - See all my reviews
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H.G. Wells was a prolific Victorian English author who is best remembered today by four novels written in a three year period early in his career: "The Time Machine" (1895), "The Island of Dr. Moreau" (1896), "The Invisible Man" (1897) and "War of the Worlds" (1898). He was writing "The Invisible Man" at the same time he was working on "War of the Worlds" which came out just a few months later. According to one commentator, a common characteristic of all four novels, and the secret of their success, is their graphic violence contrasted with the innocence of their settings.

Wells was not the first to write of invisibility, other works from the 19th century include Gui de Maupassant's "Le Horla" and American novelist Fitz-James O'Brien "What Was It?". However it was Well's who created the mythological character that is immediately recognizable to anyone who has never even read the book. The invisible man, Griffith, is partly a mad scientist in the tradition of Dr. Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll dabbling in the mysterious arts, and partly a warning about the dangers and fears of science to an innocent public which was seeing dramatic change brought on by scientific advances.

The first part of the novel is fairly light-hearted with the invisible man seemingly a sad victim of his fate trying to hide his true nature and scorned by society, and even dogs. But then he begins to commit petty crimes, even gleefully taunting those around him - and then he designs to go on a "reign of terror" - similar to Frankenstein who was born innocent, but taught by those around him who saw only the fearsome and loathsome, he lives up to his reputation and becomes the evil which others "see" (or don't). His creation of invisibility is an innocent act, but it is man reaction and use of that invention that leads to evil.

"The Invisible Man" can also be contrasted with the English 'Invasion Literature' genre that was popular at the time ("War of the Worlds" is invasion literature canon). Similar to "Dracula" (1897) which played on the fears of a foreign invasion of the "dark" Eastern Europeans, "The Invisible Man" was a "Stranger" (the title of the first chapter), invading the otherwise peaceful confines of a quiet and normal English village.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Has Lost Its Impact, October 4, 2006
By N. Hirsch (Connecticut) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
A mysterious stranger cloaked in bandages arrives in a sleepy town only to be discovered as invisible. This magical discovery breeds distrust and fear among the town's residents, while further isolating the invisible man from society and driving him mad with envy and loneliness.

It is easy to imagine the impact this short novel had during the 1890's, but it holds no surprises for the modern reader. The theme and plot developments have been done so many times that all original impact is lost to new readers. The writing is not particularly good and there is not much character development. What you are left with is an appreciation for how this book influenced generations of authors and movie makers.

Although the plot does not hold the readers attention as it must have when it was written, the commentary on the affects of human behavior when shunned and isolated from society is very much relevant today. As an outcast the invisible man's loneliness and fear of society destroys his empathy and he seeks solace in the only thing that makes him feel alive: hatred and revenge. I could not read this transformation without thinking about the recent violence in the schools by displaced teenagers. Could they be today's invisible man?

The impact may be lost, but the commentary and influence are very much felt today. For that at least it deserves a reading.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A simple story filled with poignant social commentary
This is a quick and easy read that should be enjoyed by readers of all ages. On the surface, an adventurous story of a disgruntled mad scientist whose experiment succeeds... Read more
Published 27 days ago by C. T. Hunter

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm not really a reader, but I loved this
I seem to have an attraction to H.G. Wells' writing, and I had seen the classic Invisible Man movies, The Invisible Man, The Invisible Man Returns, The Invisible Woman, Invisible... Read more
Published 7 months ago by RockinRobin411

2.0 out of 5 stars A Little Disappointing
"It's fascinating to think that all around us there's an invisible world we can't even see. I'm speaking, of course, of the World of the invisible Scary Skeletons. Read more
Published 8 months ago by R. Nielsen

4.0 out of 5 stars HG Wells: The Master of a Genre
HG Wells was a prolific writer and "The Invisible Man" was one of his signature works. It is this book and others such as "The Time Machine", "The Island of Dr Moreau" and "The... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Andrew Desmond

5.0 out of 5 stars Innovative. Fanciful. Climactic
It's astounding when one considers just how innovative and influential the works of H.G. Wells are. It's perplexing (to say the least) that no-one before him had the imagination... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Adam L. Kopcinski

4.0 out of 5 stars A Unique Free-Read
Although "The Invisible Man" might not be for everybody, it certainly does provide a unique reading experience. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Vincent

5.0 out of 5 stars Still Relevant Today
If only Wells had plumbed the depths of the Invisible Man's psyche a little more, exploring the cause of his mental disintegration, instead of just finishing him off.
Published 10 months ago by W.W.

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the Great Sci-Fi Classics
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. Read more
Published 13 months ago by W. Jason Gilmore

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, though not Well's most exciting.
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... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Ravenskya

5.0 out of 5 stars Short and great!
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. Read more
Published 17 months ago by V. Lowry

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