H.G. Wells

Book description * The Invisible Man is an 1897 science fiction novella by H.G. Wells. Wells' novel was originally serialised in Pearson's Magazine in 1897, and published as a novel the same year. The Invisible Man of the title is Griffin, a scientist who theorises that if a person's refractive index is changed to exactly that of air and his body does not absorb or reflect light, then he will be invisible. He successfully carries out this procedure on himself, but cannot become visible again, becoming mentally unstable as a result.

The Invisible Man

H. G. Wells

The invisible man

Stephanie 

Rohit Arondekar

An easy read that picks up in the second half. I honestly did not understand the allegories and possible criticism of Victorian times, at least not all of it, but it's still a good story. I liked the exploration of the character of Invisible Man and how he rationalizes his actions.

Great classic read!  A scientist has developed a formula that makes him invisible.  He is able to get away with so much while he’s invisible until the town people catch on.  This story is about his escapades while he’s invisible.

Barbara Williford

Andy Sawyer

The Invisible Man (Penguin Classics)

Wynter

I generally like Wells, but he is yet to wow me. Unfortunately this novel did nothing to convert me into a fan. I really disliked Griffin as a min character. While I understand that he was supposed to be a vile and misguided person, it was really hard to stick around him for so long. On the other hand, Well proved yet again how much of a scientific visionary he was during his lifetime, so I'm giving The Invisible Man an extra star.

W. Warren Wagar

A scientist who has discovered a way to make himself invisible unleashes his growing madness and frustrations by terrorizing a small town.

Colleen

4 Stars
 
*A straightforward yet compelling SciFi novella well-deserving of its status as a classic masterpiece*
 
 
The Invisible Man is a straightforward story: A scientist turns himself invisible but is unprepared to deal with the consequences of his actions. But although the concept seems simple, the story opens many doors for exploring human nature.
 
Sometimes it is hard to review classics because you are familiar with the descendants of the story than of the original. There are so many retellings of any given classic. The Invisible Man is certainly a tale that has been respun many times. So I was already familiar with the basic story and knew how it ended. It did take me a little while to get into the story because it starts slowly. But Wells’ writing is absorbing and easy to read despite being published over a century ago.
 
The plot is quite simple; what makes the story so interesting is the exploration of psychological affects of invisibility. It is mostly monologuing though, so if that isn’t your style you might find yourself bored. But I recommend giving The Invisible Man a chance. Wells was certainly a visionary and deserves his place as one of the pillars of Science Fiction writing.
 
The story contains notes of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but it is still highly original. Again, it is so hard to look at Wells’ work without viewing everything that is built upon his foundation. Which is both good and bad. It’s good because you can see how influential his work has been and continues to be. It’s bad because it takes some of the awe away. It’s hard to look back from the twenty-first century and imagine how visionary Wells’ writing was.
 
The Invisible Man also has similar themes to The Island of Doctor Moreau, but this is a more polished story without the stylized, frenzied repetition of The Island of Doctor Moreau. Though I understand why he chose that style for The Island of Doctor Moreau, I certainly enjoyed The Invisible Man more. I highly recommend this novella to anyone who wants to explore the roots of the SciFi genre.

 
RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 4 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 4 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 4 Stars
Level of Captivation: 4 Stars
Originality: 5 Stars

Sofia Arcângelo 

192 pages? Why did it felt like 1649 pages? I liked the premise of this book, but couldn't get myself to enjoy this book. It was so tedious that I took months to finish reading it. Just not my kind of book.

First published in 1897, The Invisible Man is one of the first science fiction stories. The disturbing tale centers on Griffin, a scientist who has discovered the means to make himself invisible. His initial, almost comedic, adventures are soon overshadowed by the bizarre streak of terror he unleashes upon the inhabitants of a small village. Notable for its sheer invention, suspense, and psychological nuance, The Invisible Man had been filmed many times and continues to enthrall science-fiction fans today as it did the reading public nearly 100 years ago.

One of my fave classics, and always a fun reread for spooky season. 

Floofyflower

High Fidelity

His hair and brow were white--not grey with age, but
white with the whiteness of albinism--and his eyes were like garnets.

Lauren Wightman

When I actually sat to down read it went quickly, but I never really felt connected to the story. I think I struggled most with the narrative structure in which the narrator is unknown and we have no true protagonist. The only consistent character from beginning to end is Griffin whose story we only hear as a summary and who's introspection we never receive.

Liked the premise, didn’t like the execution. 

I‘m still trying to figure out what the story should have been about and what the author was trying to tell me. There were too many unnecessary characters, breaks and change of perspectives. The character of the MC himself was inconsistent and getting attached to him was impossible for me. He just appears out of nowhere, does some crazy stuff and then the book is over. Like what was the point in all that? 

Rebecka S.

Kevin Maschke

Another great and must-read classic. Absolutely enjoyed it and would highly recommend it to anyone.
It's interesting to read it and think about what I would do if I was in the situation of being invisible, or what other people would do. I honestly think that most people, if not everyone, would do some evil. Being invisible does just make being evil easier, and I'm pretty sure that everyone at some point thinks or has thought about doing something bad, something evil, but hasn't done it just because of the possible consequences they'd have to face if caught.

Sam Pulliam

2.5
I don't think I really like sci-fi in general but I still thought I'd give this a try. I didn't hate it. I just didn't care much about the characters so it made it a little bit of a drag.

Elaine

this started slow but was hard to put down at the end. At first I didn't really know what to expect, but H.G. Wells created a novel, which is not only entertaining, but also gives a scientific explanation for the invisibleness, which is rare in sifi. 
This was really good, and I hope to read more by H.G. Wells.

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?"From the Trade Paperback edition.

Becca Leigh

4.5 Stars! This book is so full of intrigue and astoundment. The portions explaining how one becomes invisible are my favorite: it is so well thought out, realistically. This makes me want to read more classic horrors in the future!

Mariana Miralles

Al principio tiene un dejo de humor inglés que está entretenido y la intriga de saber por qué el hombre invisible es invisible te mantiene atado a la lectura.(view spoiler)[ Si bien el personaje resulta ser un histérico de mierda, pero uno imagina que eso es entendible porque ser invisible no debe ser nada fácil. 

Luego empieza a irse todo al carajo y cuando Griffin termina de casualidad en la casa de Kemp y le cuenta toda su historia desde el inicio te vas dando cuenta de que el muy hijo de puta siempre fue una basura y ser invisible solo lo potenció. 

La manera de reaccionar de Kemp me pareció la más sensata, sobre todo cuando al final de toda la conversación el loco agarra y lo quiere hacer cómplice de su Reino del Terror. Y a partir de esa altura el personaje de Griffin me empezó a dar miedo, me dio miedo porque tenía una personalidad muy parecida a algunas personas que he conocido en el pasado y las maneras de reaccionar y los planes que tenían podían ser perfectamente elaborados por ellos. Entonces el hecho de ser hasta realista me ponía sumamente nerviosa. Y los últimos capítulos uno solo desea que lo maten de una vez. 

El final me pareció medio pobretón. No se justifica mucho por qué al morir se vuelve visible otra vez, y el epílogo sinceramente, no sé si es porque me estaba durmiendo o qué , pero no me pareció muy claro. Si tuviera que compararlo con algo sería con uno de los finales de Stanley Parable, el final de Mariella.  (hide spoiler)]

En fin, si bien estuvo bien, no me gustó. No porque sea un mal libro sino simplemente porque el desarrollo de las cosas y los personajes no me gustaron. Le tengo más fe a otros libros del mismo autor.

Elodia

*3.5
I enjoyed this book and the characters. The main character was selfish and overall a bad person, but I feel like he was made to be like this by the author, so I don’t mind. It would have been a four star read, but the beginning felt disjointed from the rest of the story.

Kerri McDonald

Short and sweet is the best way I can describe this book. I would have been interested to see the beginnings of The Invisible Man fleshed out a little more, but I feel that's just the way of things with Mr. Wells. Still, it was a fun read. Honestly, I didn't know much about this book going into it and was expecting the titular character to be more sympathetic. I think it was kind of a shock (though a good one) that he wasn't. Good book, all in all.

Angelica Bercic

I can understand the power this book had during its release, but in present day it's very plain. I like how H.G Wells bring up the negative sides of being invisible, and what side effects it has to a person.

Shea Newton

The invisible man himself is so twisted, and petty. A really fun read.

Depicting one man's descent into murderous brutality, The Invisible Man is a hugely influential and riveting exploration of science's power to corrupt. With his face swaddled in bandages and his eyes hidden behind dark glasses, Griffin, a guest at an inn, is assumed to be an accident victim. But the true reason for his disguise is far more chilling: he has developed a process that makes him invisible, and is desperate to find the antidote. It is a struggle that will turn him into a monster.

Carolina Lopes

Sonia Flores

Recomendado para aquellos que busquen un buen libro de sci-fi, corto, sencillo e interesante.
En él predominó el caos, el desastre, el desasosiego, pero se disfruta mucho y entretiene, además de que se lee muy rápido. Aunque hubo cosas en las que se pudo haber profundizado aún más, me parece que está bastante bien.

Michael Camilleri

The story ends a little abruptly and the characters are little more than props to advance the plot but the brilliance of Wells's mind shines throughout. The exploration of the extreme difficulties that would attend invisibility is so wonderfully logical that it's worth the price of admission alone.

The Invisible Man stands out as possessing one of the most complicated heroes, or perhaps anti-heroes, in literature. A thoroughly unlikeable character, the Invisible Man is defined by his arrogance, impulsiveness, rudeness, and, at times, violence. He is, however, a man of great genius; but, his genius is selfish—no one profits from his experiments, not even himself. The Invisible Man is not only a commentary on imagination and the great spirit of invention that elevated the nineteenth century but also a warning against the eugenic and self-interested policies that threatened the twentieth. This edition includes a valuable collection of the nineteenth-century narratives of invisibility that inspired Wells’s novel, as well as excerpts of Wells’s nonfiction writings on education and class. Additional appendices situate the novel in its late-Victorian scientific and technological contexts, including material on radio waves and x-rays.

The Invisible Man

Reviews

Highlights