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T.S. McLellan

H.G. Wells

The Invisible Man Kindle Edition

by H.G. Wells (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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From the founding father of science fiction H.G. Wells, a masterpiece about a man trapped in the terror of his own creation.

The Invisible Man inspired The Map of Chaos by New York Times bestselling author Félix J. Palma. As a gift to readers, this ebook edition includes an excerpt from The Map of Chaos.

Print length

198 pages
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English
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Atria Books
Publication date

November 18, 2014
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4023 KB
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

H.G. Wells is considered by many to be the father of science fiction. He was the author of numerous classics such as The Invisible Man, The Time Machine, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The War of the Worlds, and many more.

From Publishers Weekly

These three volumes have been redesigned and reissued to commemorate the first anniversary of Ellison's death.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Review

“I personally consider the greatest of English living writers [to be] H. G. Wells.” —Upton Sinclair --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From AudioFile

Edward Hardwicke, who played Dr. Watson in the BBC "Sherlock Holmes" television series, reads with mounting excitement the classic tale of a man driven toward insanity by self-induced invisibility. Every character is sharply delineatedÐthe invisible man, for example, has a harsh, strong, impatient voice, while the tramp he briefly enslaves sounds befuddled and, finally, terror-stricken. The last attempted victim speaks with cultured and learned intonations because, after all, he is a Doctor of Medicine. Hardwicke is ideal in this role, and the listener is richly rewarded because of this performance. D.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Review

A harrowing read from cover to cover, THE INVISIBLE MAN is perfect for the audio format. The action-packed plot, eccentric characters, and entertaining dialogue could overwhelm a narrator, but British actor Daniel Philpott is the man for the job. His voice is energetic throughout the book and echoes the author's ironic tone. His vocal characterizations are wonderfully diverse, running the gamut from elderly busybodies to country constables. Much of the dialogue is exceedingly humorous because of Philpott's range of accents. The Invisible Man, insanely egotistical, is brought to life by Philpott's portrayal of his infuriated outbursts and scattered thoughts. Even though Wells's protagonist is difficult to imagine, Philpott's narrative skill makes it clear why this novel is such a memorable classic. --D.M.W. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER 1

THE STRANGE MAN'S ARRIVAL

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. He was wrapped up from head to foot, and the brim of his soft felt hat hid every inch of his face but the shiny tip of his nose; the snow had piled itself against his shoulders and chest, and added a white crest to the burden he carried. He staggered into the Coach and Horses, more dead than alive as it seemed, and flung his portmanteau down. "A fire," he cried, "in the name of human charity! A room and a fire!" He stamped and shook the snow from off himself in the bar, and followed Mrs. Hall into her guest parlour to strike his bargain. And with that much introduction, that and a ready acquiescence to terms and a couple of sovereigns flung upon the table, he took up his quarters in the inn.

Mrs. Hall lit the fire and left him there while she went to prepare him a meal with her own hands. A guest to stop at Iping in the wintertime was an unheard-of piece of luck, let alone a guest who was no "haggler," and she was resolved to show herself worthy of her good fortune. As soon as the bacon was well under way, and Millie, her lymphatic aid, had been brisked up a bit by a few deftly chosen expressions of contempt, she carried the cloth, plates, and glasses into the parlour and began to lay them with the utmost eclat. Although the fire was burning up briskly, she was surprised to see that her visitor still wore his hat and coat, standing with his back to her and staring out of the window at the falling snow in the yard. His gloved hands were clasped behind him, and he seemed to be lost in thought. She noticed that the melted snow that still sprinkled his shoulders dropped upon her carpet. "Can I take your hat and coat, sir," she said, "and give them a good dry in the kitchen?"

"No," he said without turning.

She was not sure she had heard him, and was about to repeat her question.

He turned his head and looked at her over his shoulder. "I prefer to keep them on," he said with emphasis, and she noticed that he wore big blue spectacles with sidelights, and had a bushy side-whisker over his coat-collar that completely hid his cheeks and face.

"Very well, sir," she said. "As you like. In a bit the room will be warmer."

He made no answer, and had turned his face away from her again, and Mrs. Hall, feeling that her conversational advances were ill-timed, laid the rest of the table things in a quick staccato and whisked out of the room. When she returned he was still standing there, like a man of stone, his back hunched, his collar turned up, his dripping hat-brim turned down, hiding his face and ears completely. She put down the eggs and bacon with considerable emphasis, and called rather than said to him, "Your lunch is served, sir."

"Thank you," he said at the same time, and did not stir until she was closing the door. Then he swung round and approached the table with a certain eager quickness.

As she went behind the bar to the kitchen she heard a sound repeated at regular intervals. Chirk, chirk, chirk, it went, the sound of a spoon being rapidly whisked round a basin. "That girl!" she said. "There! I clean forgot it. It's her being so long!" And while she herself finished mixing the mustard, she gave Millie a few verbal stabs for her excessive slowness. She had cooked the ham and eggs, laid the table, and done everything, while Millie (help indeed!) had only succeeded in delaying the mustard. And him a new guest and wanting to stay! Then she filled the mustard pot, and, putting it with a certain stateliness upon a gold and black tea-tray, carried it into the parlour.

She rapped and entered promptly. As she did so her visitor moved quickly, so that she got but a glimpse of a white object disappearing behind the table. It would seem he was picking something from the floor. She rapped the mustard pot on the table, and then she noticed the overcoat and hat had been taken off and put over a chair in front of the fire, and a pair of wet boots threatened rust to her steel fender. She went to these things resolutely. "I suppose I may have them to dry now," she said in a voice that brooked no denial.

"Leave the hat," said her visitor, in a muffled voice, and turning she saw he had raised his head and was sitting and looking at her.

For a moment she stood gaping at him, too surprised to speak.

He held a white cloth--it was a serviette he had brought with him--over the lower part of his face, so that his mouth and jaws were completely hidden, and that was the reason for his muffled voice. But it was not that which startled Mrs. Hall. It was the fact that all his forehead above his blue glasses was covered by a white bandage, and that another covered his ears, leaving not a scrap of his face exposed excepting only his pink, peaked nose. It was bright, pink, and shiny just as it had been at first. He wore a dark-brown velvet jacket with a high, black, linen-lined collar turned up about his neck. The thick black hair, escaping as it could below and between the cross bandages, projected in curious tails and horns, giving him the strangest appearance conceivable. This muffled and bandaged head was so unlike what she had anticipated, that for a moment she was rigid.

He did not remove the serviette, but remained holding it, as she saw now, with a brown gloved hand, and regarding her with his inscrutable blue glasses. "Leave the hat," he said, speaking very distinctly through the white cloth.

Her nerves began to recover from the shock they had received. She placed the hat on the chair again by the fire. "I didn't know, sir," she began, "that--" and she stopped embarrassed.

"Thank you," he said drily, glancing from her to the door and then at her again.

"I'll have them nicely dried, sir, at once," she said, and carried his clothes out of the room. She glanced at his white-swathed head and blue goggles again as she was going out the door; but his napkin was still in front of his face. She shivered a little as she closed the door behind her, and her face was eloquent of her surprise and perplexity. "I never," she whispered. "There!" She went quite softly to the kitchen, and was too preoccupied to ask Millie what she was messing about with now, when she got there.

The visitor sat and listened to her retreating feet. He glanced inquiringly at the window before he removed his serviette, and resumed his meal. He took a mouthful, glanced suspiciously at the window, took another mouthful, then rose and, taking the serviette in his hand, walked across the room and pulled the blind down to the top of the white muslin that obscured the lower panes. This left the room in a twilight. This done, he returned with an easier air to the table and his meal.

"The poor soul's had an accident or an operation or something," said Mrs. Hall. "What a turn them bandages did give me, to be sure!"

She put on some more coal, unfolded the clotheshorse, and extended the traveller's coat upon this. "And they goggles! Why, he looked more like a divin'-helmet than a human man!" She hung his muffler on a corner of the horse. "And holding that handkercher over his mouth all the time. Talkin' through it! . . . Perhaps his mouth was hurt too--maybe."

She turned round, as one who suddenly remembers. "Bless my soul alive!" she said, going off at a tangent; "ain't you done them taters yet, Millie?"

When Mrs. Hall went to clear away the stranger's lunch, her idea that his mouth must also have been cut or disfigured in the accident she supposed him to have suffered, was confirmed, for he was smoking a pipe, and all the time that she was in the room he never loosened the silk muffler he had wrapped round the lower part of his face to put the mouthpiece to his lips. Yet it was not forgetfulness, for she saw he glanced at it as it smouldered out. He sat in the corner with his back to the window-blind and spoke now, having eaten and drunk and been comfortably warmed through, with less aggressive brevity than before. The reflection of the fire lent a kind of red animation to his big spectacles they had lacked hitherto.

"I have some luggage," he said, "at Bramblehurst station," and he asked her how he could have it sent. He bowed his bandaged head quite politely in acknowledgment of her explanation. "To-morrow!" he said. "There is no speedier delivery?" and seemed quite disappointed when she answered, "No." Was she quite sure? No man with a trap who would go over?

Mrs. Hall, nothing loath, answered his questions and developed a conversation. "It's a steep road by the down, sir," she said in answer to the question about a trap; and then, snatching at an opening said, "It was there a carriage was up-settled, a year ago and more. A gentleman killed, besides his coachman. Accidents, sir, happen in a moment, don't they?"

But the visitor was not to be drawn so easily. "They do," he said through his muffler, eyeing her quietly through his impenetrable glasses.

"But they take long enough to get well, sir, don't they? . . . There was my sister's son, Tom, jest cut his arm with a scythe, tumbled on it in the 'ayfield, and, bless me! he was three months tied up, sir. You'd hardly believe it. It's regular given me a dread of a scythe, sir."

"I can quite understand that," said the visitor.

"He was afraid, one time, that he'd have to have an op'ration--he was that bad, sir."

The visitor laughed abruptly, a bark of a laugh that he seemed to bite and kill in his mouth. "Was he?" he said.

"He was, sir. And no laughing matter to them as had the doing for him, as I had--my sister being took up with her little ones so much. There was bandages to do, sir, and bandages to undo. So that if I may make so bold as to say it, sir--"

"Will you get me some matches?" said the visitor, quite abruptly. "My pipe is out."

Mrs. Hall was pulled up suddenly. It was certainly rude of him, after telling him all she had done. She gasped at him for a moment, and remembered the two sovereigns. She went for the matches.

"Thanks," he said concisely, as she put them down, and turned his shoulder upon her and stared out of the window again. It was altogether too discouraging. Evidently he was sensitive on the topic of operations and bandages. She did not "make so bold as to say," however, after all. But his snubbing way had irritated her, and Millie had a hot time of it that afternoon.

The visitor remained in the parlour until four o'clock, without giving the ghost of an excuse for an intrusion. For the most part he was quite still during that time; it would seem he sat in the growing darkness smoking in the firelight, perhaps dozing.

Once or twice a curious listener might have heard him at the coals, and for the space of five minutes he was audible pacing the room. He seemed to be talking to himself. Then the armchair creaked as he sat down again.

CHAPTER 2

MR. TEDDY HENFREY'S FIRST IMPRESSIONS

AT FOUR o'clock, when it was fairly dark and Mrs. Hall was screwing up her courage to go in and ask her visitor if he would take some tea, Teddy Henfrey, the clock-jobber, came into the bar. "My sakes! Mrs. Hall," said he, "but this is terrible weather for thin boots!" The snow outside was falling faster.

Mrs. Hall agreed with him, and then noticed he had his bag, and hit upon a brilliant idea. "Now you're here, Mr. Teddy," said she, "I'd be glad if you'd give th' old clock in the parlour a bit of a look. 'T is going, and it strikes well and hearty; but the hour-hand won't do nuthin' but point at six."

And leading the way, she went across to the parlour door and rapped and entered.

Her visitor, she saw as she opened the door, was seated in the armchair before the fire, dozing it would seem, with his bandaged head drooping on one side. The only light in the room was the red glow from the fire--which lit his eyes like adverse railway signals, but left his down-cast face in darkness--and the scanty vestiges of the day that came in through the open door. Everything was ruddy, shadowy, and indistinct to her, the more so since she had just been lighting the bar lamp, and her eyes were dazzled. But for a second it seemed to her that the man she looked at had an enormous mouth wide open,--a vast and incredible mouth that swallowed the whole of the lower portion of his face. It was the sensation of a moment: the white-bound head, the monstrous goggle eyes, and this huge yawn below it. Then he stirred, started up in his chair, put up his hand. She opened the door wide, so that the room was lighter, and she saw him more clearly, with the muffler held to his face just as she had seen him hold the serviette before. The shadows, she fancied, had tricked her.

"Would you mind, sir, this man a-coming to look at the clock, sir?" she said, recovering from her momentary shock.

"Look at the clock?" he said, staring round in a drowsy manner, and speaking over his hand, and then, getting more fully awake, "certainly."

Mrs. Hall went away to get a lamp, and he rose and stretched himself. Then came the light, and Mr. Teddy Henfrey, entering, was confronted by this bandaged person. He was, he says, "taken aback."

"Good-afternoon," said the stranger, regarding him, as Mr. Henfrey says, with a vivid sense of the dark spectacles, "like a lobster."

"I hope," said Mr. Henfrey, "that it's no intrusion."

"None whatever," said the stranger. "Though, I understand," he said, turning to Mrs. Hall, "that this room is really to be mine for my own private use." --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From Library Journal

Two of Wells's masterpieces get the red-carpet treatment here in these luxurious editions. Along with annotated texts, they feature scholarly introductions and appendixes, bibliographies, illustrations, and indexes. Though they are perhaps a tad pricey for most public libraries, academic collections supporting English departments should definitely invest in these volumes.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From the Back Cover

“I personally consider the greatest of English living writers [to be] H. G. Wells.” —Upton Sinclair --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From School Library Journal

Grades 4-7--The St. Charles Players perform this readers' theatre-style rendition of H.G. Wells' classic story. Using appropriate sound effects and alternating readers allows listeners to differentiate between characters and to develop a sense of place and time. The lively narration will hold listeners' attention from beginning to end. The story begins with a revolutionary Victorian scientist who claims to have invented a machine that allows him to travel through time. Using flashbacks, he recounts his adventures in the futurist world he visits in his time machine to a group of skeptical friends. This abridged version will work well as an introduction to classic literature in elementary grade classes, but omits too much of the original text for older students. Consider adding this title to audiobook collections that focus on classic, time-tested literature.
Sarah Prielipp, Chippewa River District Library System, Mt Pleasant, MI
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From the Inside Flap

A gripping and entertaining tale of terror and suspense as well as a potent Faustian allegory of hubris and science run amok, "The Invisible Man endures as one of the signature stories in the literature of science fiction. A brilliant scientist uncovers the secret to invisibility, but his grandiose dreams and the power he unleashes cause him to spiral into intrigue, madness, and murder. The inspiration for countless imitations and film adaptations, "The Invisible Man is as remarkable and relevant today as it was a hundred years ago. As Arthur C. Clarke points out in his Introduction, "The interest of the story . . . lies not in its scientific concepts, but in the brilliantly worked out development of the theme of invisibility. If one could be invisible, then what?" --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From the Publisher

This work is part of "The Annotated H.G. Wells" series from McFarland. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Book Description

Gifted scientist Griffin has found a way to make himself invisible, but to his frustration has not been able to reverse the experiment. Freed from the constraints of the law and rejected from a society that fears him, Griffin descends into brutality. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Review

"This is undoubtedly the definitive edition of H.G. Wells’s masterpiece, as fresh today in its imaginative power as the day it was written; but here refreshed by excellent introduction, notes and a comprehensive collection of appendices by Wells’s contemporaries. The method could not be bettered." (Brian W. Aldiss, author of the Helliconia trilogy; Billion Year Spree: A History of Science Fiction and, most recently, White Mars: or, the Mind Set Free: A 21st-Century Utopia )

"This is an invaluable edition of a text with a crucial role in modern culture. Wielding his meticulous scholarship and wide-ranging knowledge, Ruddick produces a splendid introduction and a rich selection of contextual materials." (H. Bruce Franklin, author or War Stars: The Superweapon and the American Imagination and Future Perfect: American Science Fiction of the Nineteenth Century )

"Ruddick offers a wide-ranging and stimulating Introduction to this generously documented edition of one of the great source texts of modern science fiction. General readers, students, and scholars will all be grateful for the comprehensive appendices, which provide a full selection of the scientific, philosophical, and cultural contexts out of which The Time Machine first emerged. This should be the scholarly edition for some time to come." (Douglas Barbour )

"The structure of Ruddick's book makes the complexity of The Time Machine easy to map, while the critical materials provide a basis for deep and detailed study. The impressive scholarship included ensures that it will remain a useful resource for teachers, essential for libraries and especially suitable for students or newcomers to Wells' canon." (Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts ) --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00L01GJ6M
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atria Books (November 18, 2014)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 18, 2014
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 4023 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 198 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ B08Y49Z6Y2
Lending ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled

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H. G. Wells
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The son of a professional cricketer and a lady's maid, H. G. Wells (1866-1946) served apprenticeships as a draper and a chemist's assistant before winning a scholarship to the prestigious Normal School of Science in London. While he is best remembered for his groundbreaking science fiction novels, including The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, and The Island of Doctor Moreau, Wells also wrote extensively on politics and social matters and was one of the foremost public intellectuals of his day.
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H.G. Wells
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T.S. McLellan
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I wrote my first novel at age 3, taking a ream of paper and a pen and mimicking the squiggly writing that I had observed grown-ups using. Okay, it was twenty pages of scribbles, but to me it was the Great American Novel, and my grandmother seemed to be pleased with it. Today I still enjoy writing novels, short stories, novellas, screenplays, stage plays, and lyric plays. Perhaps the mark of the writer is not what he writes, but that he writes. I always enjoyed comedy, so my first few efforts were of a comedic nature, and I will always instill some humor even into my more serious, mainstream works.
I have been trying to crack the secret to writing classics; I try to read mostly authors whose works have remained in print for eighty years or more. Still, I have time for more contemporary works, like those of Kurt Vonnegut, Tom Robbins, and Douglas Adams, to name but a few. I think I may have struck upon the crucial sequence, plots, characters, writing style and everything to keep me published for a hundred years or more. Now I just need to sell some books.
I have recently resettled in San Antonio, Texas, to try to remember the Alamo. No matter how deeply I concentrate, it still feels a little before my time.
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Roger Dapiran

This is not the original text of the "The Invisible Man" - barely intelligible

Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2020

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I started reading this version of HG Wells' "The Invisible Man" and after a few paragraph was completely confused by the writing. After a few pages, the writing was almost unintelligible. I can't be sure but I would assume this is a translation into English from a foreign language - and done poorly.

Here is the Kindle version of the first sentences of the story:
The stranger GOT here early in February, one wintry day, thru a biting wind and a RIDING snow, the ULTIMATE snow fall of the 12 MONTHS, over the down, walking from Bramblehurst railway station, and SPORTING a little black portmanteau in his thickly gloved hand.

Here's the original text (I assume) from the Barnes & Noble Classics Collection (I've bolded the differences) the differences become more pronounced and undecipherable:
The stranger CAME here early in February, one wintry day, thru a biting wind and a DRIVING snow, the LAST snow fall 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.

81 people found this helpful

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Reinold F.

Cut from humanity. (AmazonClassics Edition)

Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2020

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Good literature never gets old and "The Invisible Man" is not the exception. Japanese invented emojis because internet communications, without gestures, are difficult to transmit the real feelings or motivations of our interlocutor. Each day we talk with armies of invisible men and women. Angels or monsters we don't know. This novel begins with the works of the invisible man in a small village, we don't know if he is in despair or hurt, but the vacuum behind his bandages, the nothing, is more horrible than mere tentacles or scars. I don't love this first part, I like it very much, but feels a bit slow, as if the invisible man (such a village name) would be trapped into a dull place. I loved the second part, when the invisible man now has a name, Griffin; when he tells his life in the city of London, as fantastic as him. We will not get to see his face, but his mind and heart are exposed in all their cruelty; the rejection of richness, almost its cursing, by the obsession of power and revenge. The end shows the usual care of Wells to develop secondary characters, an end i will not tell of course, as it is infinitely better told in the book.

The AmazonClassics edition as always, for English speaking authors, is the best edition of classic works already in the public domain. The formatting is clean and comfortable to read, the typography is modern, the X-Ray is an unobtrusive help for terms and characters, and, which I love so much, the text is pure as the day it was published, without busybody intellectuals to spoil the plot. Or pure as the year it was published, for some reason AmazonClassics always lack the year of first publication... and it is not an exception in "The Invisible Man." Beyond that minor detail the comfort to read Wells through the AmazonClassics Edition set it as a standard to measure other editions.

10 people found this helpful

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BMH

Do you want Well’s Invisible Man or Ellison’s?

Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2020

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First of all this book is mixed in with Invisible Man written by Ellison not this one written by H G Wells. That is my bad. But that being said I will read it because Well’s books are classics. I just happened to be on another literary journey but failed to READ the description!
I have checked the comments others have made about this book since receiving it. I see a lot of complaints about pages not being numbered. Well that I can attest has been corrected but the 85 page content makes
The font so tiny it will give headaches. If this is the book you want to order check for a version of paperback which has double the amount of pages or at least over 100 pages so the type will be normal size.

17 people found this helpful

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A thought provoking tale, which is a parable

Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2011

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Many books about an invisible man tantalize readers with adventures where an invisible man takes immoral advantage of other people, sexually and financially. An example is the ancient fable of a man who obtains a magic ring that makes him invisible. He enters the palace of the king, kills the king, and takes his wife, kingdom, and gold. Wells turns the tale in an opposite direction. He details the difficulties that an invisible man would face in society.

The invisible man in Wells' story, Griffin, needs to find the formula and then the chemicals to restore himself to visibility. While invisible, he needs to cover himself entirely from his hair to his toes; otherwise people would realize that he was invisible, fear and mistreat him. This causes many difficulties. When he wants to go out without being seen, for example, he needs to remove all of his cloths; and since it is winter, he catches a cold, coughs and sneezes; and walking without shoes, he cuts his feet, bleeds and leaves tracks.

Griffin had robbed his father of money to finance his discovery of invisibility, but is now, books and go out to find the chemicals that are required to restore him to visibility. He resorts to theft again and is discovered because of his bloody foot prints and his sneezes. The police and town people pursue him determined to kill him. He persuades a tramp to help him. Since he cannot carry his scientific books, for people would see the apparently floating books and know that he is carrying them, he gives them to the tramp to carry, but the tramp runs away with them. He goes to a friend from his school days who seems to sympathize with him, but the friend thinks that Griffin is insane and calls the police.

Readers will puzzle over the question "Has Griffin become crazy?" and answer it to their satisfaction. In reading the gripping tale, they will have to decide whether the many deaths in the story can be blamed on Griffin. Also, does a great discovery justify theft? They will be curious what happens to him and to the tramp. They may also ask, "Is Wells offering us a parable and, if so, what is the message?"

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gudekitsune

Charming, funny, philosophical

Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2021

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I found my self chuckling at the universal human quirks. The moral dilemmas made this play out like a very dark situational comedic story.
I was unexpectedly surprised and glad to have picked it up.

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A most extraordinary tale.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 28, 2020

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“It’s very simple,” said the voice, “I’m an invisible man.”

Would you vanish if you found the secret to invisibility and try to gain all the advantages you could by concealing yourself from the human eyes?

Yes?

Most of us would.

So too did our friend here.

One day, a bandaged man with a very pink nose, wanders into Iping’s Coach and Horses pub and demands a room.

His peculiar nature and his very oddly covered head soon become the talk of the town.

This was the first book I had read by H G Wells and I was not disappointed. The writing was very good. The irony was magnificent.

4 people found this helpful

M. Dowden

Always A Good Read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 7, 2017

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Originally appearing as a serial, the book came out in the same year of 1897. As a stranger appears in the village of Iping, Sussex on a cold February evening so the village will never be quite the same again. For this stranger as we are about to find out is invisible. As we read of the incidents that happen in the village it eventually becomes too much for people, and as things progress so the invisible man has to escape and find somewhere else to stay.

When Griffin, as we find out the name of the invisible man eventually comes into contact with a former fellow student, Kemp, so we find out more about his tale, and how he became invisible. From time immemorial Man has told tales of cloaks, potions and rings that will render their users invisible, right up to today’s experiments being tried for military purposes, but for Griffin he knows the answer. The only thing is that he has no way to render himself visible again.

This story still holds people’s imaginations, even if you read it numerous times, and as we see here Griffin starts out with an idea and as he progresses and not helped by the fact that he cannot render himself visible, goes mad wanting to eventually take over power, and rule. There is comedy here as well with some of the incidents caused by being invisible and able to move about without being seen, and there is a lot to ponder upon here as well. Always a pleasure to read this is great for both young and old.

5 people found this helpful

M. Dowden

Always A Good Read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 12, 2016

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Originally appearing as a serial the book came out in the same year of 1897. As a stranger appears in the village of Iping, Sussex on a cold February evening so the village will never be quite the same again. For this stranger as we are about to find out is invisible. As we read of the incidents that happen in the village it eventually becomes too much for people, and as things progress so the invisible man has to escape and find somewhere else to stay.

When Griffin, as we find out the name of the invisible man eventually comes into contact with a former fellow student, Kemp, so we find out more about his tale, and how he became invisible. From time immemorial Man has told tales of cloaks, potions and rings that will render their users invisible, right up to today’s experiments being tried for military purposes, but for Griffin he knows the answer. The only thing is that he has no way to render himself visible again.

This story still holds people’s imaginations, even if you read it numerous times, and as we see here Griffin starts out with an idea and as he progresses and not helped by the fact that he cannot render himself visible, goes mad wanting to eventually take over power and rule. There is comedy here as well with some of the incidents caused by being invisible and able to move about without being seen, and there is a lot to ponder upon here as well. Always a pleasure to read this is great for both young and old.

8 people found this helpful

M. Dowden

A Personal Favourite

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 18, 2014

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We are here freely being given H G Wells’ tale ‘The Invisible Man’ as a gift as part of the promotion for Felix J Palma’s novel ‘The Map of Chaos’ which we have a sneak peek at with an excerpt from it at the rear of this book. Palma’s book which is available next year is the concluding book of his trilogy, and it is worth reading the excerpt that we have been given here.

Of course, this book starts off with the classic ‘The Invisible Man’ which was first published in 1897 in serial form, and then as a book. A personal favourite of mine the thought of being invisible has come to us all at different times. When I was a teenager of course the thought entered my head as a way to gain entry covertly to the girls’ changing rooms (something teenage boys love to fantasise about), and then growing older to be able to sneak into private meetings and such like to hear what goes on. We all have such ideas whether it is just as a thought for an individual, or something more sinister as Governments think about the process for military and intelligence gathering uses.

As a stranger enters a bar in the village of Iping in West Sussex late one February our story begins. This man, who is heavily covered and bandaged, will turn out to be none other than Griffin, the actual invisible man. As the story continues we see how solitary, secretive and angry this man is. Eventually becoming revealed the Press and the whole country become alerted to this new type of man. As Griffin makes an escape from Iping he eventually ends up at the house of an old fellow student, Kemp. This is when we first hear the name of the invisible man and hear his story.

This story is fast paced and quite action packed and I always enjoy reading this. Although a fun read this does have very deep underlying themes, such as morality and ethics. For Griffin he starts off just pondering the idea of invisibility and whether it can be achieved, whilst trying to stay secretive to prevent his research being stolen. From there he starts to see the implications of such a power, but not thinking things out properly he doesn’t see the consequences and the problems of being invisible. Making himself invisible he then finds that he hasn’t come up with an antidote to revert the procedure, so when he eats or drinks for a while his insides will be visible, and to remain hidden from others he has to be naked, okay perhaps in the summer and heat, but not ideal in the cold of wintertime.

Often this book falls into the ‘Mad Scientist’ category, but you do start to wonder if this is quite fair. Griffin is an albino anyway, and so you can imagine him being thought of as a freak to start off with. He admittedly becomes engrossed and obsessed with his experiments, and does ultimately become full out mad, but this may have something to do with the frustration of his ultimate condition. I look upon this story more as something apocryphal and as a warning to us with regards to science. Science makes some massive inroads into subjects, but along with this comes at times unforeseen consequences. It is not only science though as groups of people or even individuals have done environmental damage due to schemes that although well thought out at the time, no one was really aware of the damage that would ultimately arise. If you have never read this book before then now is an ideal time to do so, and I am sure that like me you will come back to it time and again.

6 people found this helpful

Max Watt

Insane, thoughtful, and moving

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 18, 2010

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HG Wells, author of THE TIME MACHINE, the first novel to mention time travel, and THE WAR OF THE WORLDS, the first story of alien invasion, and father of science fiction, delivers an extremely entertaining novel.

I personally see it in two parts - the first being from the perspective of working class people, and the second from the perspective of the invisible man himself.

The first half consists of much insanity such as moving furniture, burglary, and an unveiling of a mysterious character.

One event follows another which follows another and it never slows down. You'll read chapter after chapter, refusing to put it down. Not to mention, it's actually really funny.

In the second half, however, things become much more serious, as back story is developed. Readers are taken on a journey, from being an outsider to understanding the invisible man. Some may even find poignance in the climactic ending. But that's for you to decide.

Overall it's a fantastic piece of literature containing many qualities ranging from humour to drama.

4 people found this helpful

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