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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Fiction about a man who turns himself invisible as part of a scientific discovery, but he quickly becomes violent and inhuman. The pace was much slower than my preference and I didn't feel hugely engaged. I can see why this is a classic, but just not for me
What an amazing concept. Wells captures the essence of humanity in this text, truly exploring all avenues.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
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
The Invisible Man was more thought provoking than it was interesting - the plot and character development weren’t captivating to me, none of the characters really stand out besides the Invisible Man, who you do thoroughly hate by the end (as the author intended). This book could have gone in so many different directions, but it really did feel more like a thought experiment than a novel, which I actually did enjoy! Wish I could find books more often that are a good combination of the two - secret life of Addie LaRue was one that I felt needed to expand on the concept more and instead focused too much on the plot. Regardless, it was a quick, easy and interesting read, if not exactly enjoyable.
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
“I wouldn’t do what he did; I’d just - well!”
The later parts of the book are interesting enough, but this means you have to wade through the boring beginning first. Cast of characters is pretty bloated, and the prose doesn’t blow me away. Griffin is overall a pretty entertaining character though with how much of an ass he is. Seeing how this is one of his earlier work, this doesn’t dissuade me from checking out Wells’ other fiction.
The later parts of the book are interesting enough, but this means you have to wade through the boring beginning first. Cast of characters is pretty bloated, and the prose doesn’t blow me away. Griffin is overall a pretty entertaining character though with how much of an ass he is. Seeing how this is one of his earlier work, this doesn’t dissuade me from checking out Wells’ other fiction.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Stalking
Minor: Ableism, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism
A reoccurring theme I've found with me reading sci-fi is that I usually enjoy the questions the medium raises more so than the thing itself - and that is still the case here.
After turning himself invisible, Griffin attempts to reverse the process, but finds himself engaged against all others when he goes to extremes to keep himself safe.
I really enjoyed how the characters (mainly, Griffin) and the plot became more complex as the story went on, because sci-fi raises difficult ideas, like who is in their rights to defend themselves, and how fear can influence our actions towards others. The morality of the book is pretty clear, but I liked the ambiguity and imperfectness of parts of it, likethe science behind invisibility still being studied after Griffin's death and his human body being revealed during his death . It added a touch of cynicism, almost, to the book which tied it together well for me. It isn't a happy story, but it does question what actions humanity would take.
The only real downside was that at around 200 pages, I wasn't super-invested in the characters, though I'm not sure I was supposed to be. If it weren't for the philosophical questions, I wouldn't be interested at all, since the style wasn't really my taste.
After turning himself invisible, Griffin attempts to reverse the process, but finds himself engaged against all others when he goes to extremes to keep himself safe.
I really enjoyed how the characters (mainly, Griffin) and the plot became more complex as the story went on, because sci-fi raises difficult ideas, like who is in their rights to defend themselves, and how fear can influence our actions towards others. The morality of the book is pretty clear, but I liked the ambiguity and imperfectness of parts of it, like
The only real downside was that at around 200 pages, I wasn't super-invested in the characters, though I'm not sure I was supposed to be. If it weren't for the philosophical questions, I wouldn't be interested at all, since the style wasn't really my taste.