You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Being published in 1898, H.G. Wells wrote a science fiction novel that was way ahead of its time. He perfectly crafted a story of an alien invasion that mirrors David vs. Goliath in which all of Englands military might is no match for the Martians superior intellect and technology. Ultimately, the mighty Martians despite their superiority were defeated by Earths oldest and smallest organisms, bacteria. The novel also reflects humans nature and our tendencies. Our sense of security and position on the hierarchy of the animal kingdom is squashed. All throughout various characters responses to the attack reflect the different ways humans react to stress and the uncertain.
The premise and story itself is flawless, especially considering the time. With that said, this was a rather difficult read at times. I often found myself having to reread sentences or entire paragraphs to fully grasp what he was trying to say. As perfect of a premise as this is, I felt it lacked in some areas as most of the Martians attack in the story was just people running away. As someone not from England, the continuous descriptions of the exact physical location of the narrator, Martians etc through city and street names very confusing. I did however find the reference map at the back of the book which I will be utilizing next time I read this.
The premise and story itself is flawless, especially considering the time. With that said, this was a rather difficult read at times. I often found myself having to reread sentences or entire paragraphs to fully grasp what he was trying to say. As perfect of a premise as this is, I felt it lacked in some areas as most of the Martians attack in the story was just people running away. As someone not from England, the continuous descriptions of the exact physical location of the narrator, Martians etc through city and street names very confusing. I did however find the reference map at the back of the book which I will be utilizing next time I read this.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
“the birth of science-fiction literature” yeah you can tell its the first one lol.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Short and sweet. Not much progression of plot, as is common with books of this era. Interesting to see how strongly this book has influenced much of today’s sci-fi.
adventurous
dark
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I read this for the "If You've Got it, Read it" challenge hosted by The Spine Breakers on Youtube. The challenge was "read the book you've owned the longest". I went to Goodreads and this was the 1st book that I ever added to my TBR shelf that I still hadn't read.
And, I can't believe how much I didn't like it! I'm so surprised! I really like "The Time Machine" and I like "The Island of Dr. Moreau" just fine, but I actively didn't like this book and felt just blah throughout. While I can appreciate how ground-breaking and original this book was at the time and all that it's done for the sci-fi genre since, I just can't get over how bored I was while reading it. There were so many superfluous descriptions, drawn out scenes that were way too long, and a main character that was as inspired as milk toast. I also don't think it helped that I already knew most of the story and had seen multiple adaptations. 2 stars for historical importance. :(
And, I can't believe how much I didn't like it! I'm so surprised! I really like "The Time Machine" and I like "The Island of Dr. Moreau" just fine, but I actively didn't like this book and felt just blah throughout. While I can appreciate how ground-breaking and original this book was at the time and all that it's done for the sci-fi genre since, I just can't get over how bored I was while reading it. There were so many superfluous descriptions, drawn out scenes that were way too long, and a main character that was as inspired as milk toast. I also don't think it helped that I already knew most of the story and had seen multiple adaptations. 2 stars for historical importance. :(
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I'm sure this is a good book. But boy was it not for me. It made me sleepy. In a bad way. The way it's written felt so flat and distanced. I simply didn't care about anything or anyone. Alien invasion doesn't sound boring - but it sure was exactly that in this book. Sorry to everyone who loves it. But at least I now know that Wells isn't for me.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Quit calling this the first sci fi novel inst ad of Frankenstein it's not going to happen