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bearystarry's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-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
2.0
This felt very… meandering? Feels like 80% of the book was just descriptions of people running away and/or travelling to other places and how starving or mean or “silly” they are. Pretty sexist and racist; making reference to indigenous american people when talking about violent invading aliens was certainly A Choice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Grief, War, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Violence, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexism, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, and Racism
its_kievan's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The most interesting thing I've experience with "classic" fiction like this (Heart of Darkness is another example that comes to mind) is how deeply they stick in my mind afterwards, even though they're never really much fun to read. The War of the Worlds isn't a particularly engaging book - it's deliberately written at arm's length from the horror of its plot, the narrator is little more than a mobile POV provider, and most of the characters don't even get names - but it left me completely fascinated. Maybe it's because it really gives you a sense of the time and place; I guess because Wells was deliberately examining the culture of 1890s England, instead of just being a writer who happened to exist there, it makes it all feel so much more real. Maybe it's because the narrative is so threadbare it leaves more room for his ideas - about evolution, imperialism, and the relationship between humanity and nature - than other, more engaging books. Or maybe it's something else, I don't know. All I know is that when I finally read The War of the Worlds I was underwhelmed by the narrative but absolutely unsurprised by the way it completely dominated popular culture.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism
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