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joyceontheroad's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed these stories and enjoyed his style of writing. Will read more if his works in the future.
planetas's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
maebee25's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
davbat's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Two short stories about interesting characters but very low stakes. Not a page turner.
wheelofparm's review against another edition
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
carsonbarson's review against another edition
4.0
Two very different stories are told in this novella. These are my reviews for both:
The Door in the Wall: 5/5
A beautiful and tragic illustration of a man torn between his fantasy and morality. This cautionary tale of the imagination that warps conformity is ambiguous in the way that sticks with you for days. Wells springs the reader with the question, "Is escape from conformity escape from life?" If offered such an escape, would YOU take it? The ending has kept me within my thoughts for a solid three hours now, and I still find myself sitting with it as I write this review. Incredible.
A Slip Under the Microscope: 3/5
A short and perplexing tale about a college student's reflection on guilt, righteousness, and the "system." The characters were very one-dimensional and weren't quite fleshed out. A lot of the descriptions didn't make a lot of coherent sense in regards to the plot, however the message of this story is incredibly important as well as ahead of its time, which excuses the often confusing direction Wells takes the perception of the reader. Wells, in this brief excerpt, questions that "In a world as morally uneasy as ours, is doing the right thing always worth the consequences?"
Overall: 4/5
The Door in the Wall: 5/5
A beautiful and tragic illustration of a man torn between his fantasy and morality. This cautionary tale of the imagination that warps conformity is ambiguous in the way that sticks with you for days. Wells springs the reader with the question, "Is escape from conformity escape from life?" If offered such an escape, would YOU take it? The ending has kept me within my thoughts for a solid three hours now, and I still find myself sitting with it as I write this review. Incredible.
A Slip Under the Microscope: 3/5
A short and perplexing tale about a college student's reflection on guilt, righteousness, and the "system." The characters were very one-dimensional and weren't quite fleshed out. A lot of the descriptions didn't make a lot of coherent sense in regards to the plot, however the message of this story is incredibly important as well as ahead of its time, which excuses the often confusing direction Wells takes the perception of the reader. Wells, in this brief excerpt, questions that "In a world as morally uneasy as ours, is doing the right thing always worth the consequences?"
Overall: 4/5
perjacxis's review against another edition
3.0
Both stories were good, but very short and I was hoping for more science fiction elements.
meg_reads83's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
sophieskilling's review against another edition
3.0
yeah that was fine! i read the first story before for a class and i don’t feel like i gained anything new from it reading it again, but the second story very pleasantly surprised me and i emotionally connected with it much more
no idea if this is representative of HG wells’ writing overall but i own war of the worlds so it’s a nice taster i guess!! not bad for something i just randomly picked up to read after sleeping over at my friends’ when i woke up before everyone else
no idea if this is representative of HG wells’ writing overall but i own war of the worlds so it’s a nice taster i guess!! not bad for something i just randomly picked up to read after sleeping over at my friends’ when i woke up before everyone else
smitchy's review against another edition
2.0
I enjoyed the first story more than the second. A mystery door that appears to tempt a man only when he absolutely must be elsewhere. The second story really was not what I expected from Wells. It was very firmly "real world". But what did surprise me was how modern the class room interactions where between the male and female characters. The fact that there were female characters studying science at a university also surprised me given the story was originally published in 1896.