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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
My 2006 bookcrossing review:
I've marked this as science fiction, but I don't think anyone should let that put them off reading it. It is very well written and a great read. It's also very different to that Tom Cruise film... Hollywood mangles another book.
This one is set in the UK in the late 1800s (and first published in 1898!)- making it something of a marker in the history of writing and science fiction, I think. The action plays out in the home counties and London and how the alien invaders affect the lives of people. Imagining this scenario is really quite frightening.
I've marked this as science fiction, but I don't think anyone should let that put them off reading it. It is very well written and a great read. It's also very different to that Tom Cruise film... Hollywood mangles another book.
This one is set in the UK in the late 1800s (and first published in 1898!)- making it something of a marker in the history of writing and science fiction, I think. The action plays out in the home counties and London and how the alien invaders affect the lives of people. Imagining this scenario is really quite frightening.
Écrit en 1898, le livre raconte l’arrivée incongrue de martiens près de Londres, la panique de la population, et tout ce que cela implique : angoisse, inconnu, menace, mort…
Impressionnant de se dire que bien avant que la science commence à évoquer la vie ailleurs, que la littérature commence à imaginer la possibilité de voir des martiens, un auteur a raconté une invasion !
Absolument innovant si on pense au contexte et à l’époque, et le livre est d’autant plus angoissant que les moyens de communication et les connaissances d’alors sont bien maigres par rapport à aujourd’hui.
En plus, ça ressemble tellement à certains de mes vieux rêves récurrents que c’est un bonheur ! lol
Impressionnant de se dire que bien avant que la science commence à évoquer la vie ailleurs, que la littérature commence à imaginer la possibilité de voir des martiens, un auteur a raconté une invasion !
Absolument innovant si on pense au contexte et à l’époque, et le livre est d’autant plus angoissant que les moyens de communication et les connaissances d’alors sont bien maigres par rapport à aujourd’hui.
En plus, ça ressemble tellement à certains de mes vieux rêves récurrents que c’est un bonheur ! lol
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, War
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
H G Wells' War of The World - the book that spawned a thousand alien invasion movies, frequently featuring Will Smith wise-cracking his way through a bit of world-saving. From Independence Day to Mars Attacks!, the influence of the novel on the science fiction genre can not be underestimated.
To call this a science fiction novel, though, is to miss a significant part of the subtext, the commentary on events in late 19th century Britain.
Narrated by an unnamed protagonist, we see through his eyes the unfolding of events when Martians land on Earth, in southern England, from the initial curiosity of the indigenous population, to the fear and panic when they realise these alien creatures are intent on destruction, to the beginning of rebuilding when nature defeats the Martians. So far, so science fiction.
But there are various themes that, for me, are far more important than the science fiction element. The book was written at a time when the British Empire was at its height; European countries had a habit of colonising overseas territories, imposing their laws and moral codes upon the indigenous populations. In War of the Worlds, an Imperial power itself becomes the victim of imperial aggression, allowing Wells, through the protagonist's thoughts, to dwell on this: 'I felt....a sense of dethronement, a persuasion that I was no longer a master, but an animal among animals. With us it would be as with them, to lurk an watch, to run and hide; the fear and empire of man had passed.'
Then there is much on Darwinism, survival of the fittest and the process of evolution; the Martians are described as having large brains, being of very high intelligence, but lacking the ability to move any great distance without the aid of machinery. Written at a time when new technology was making travel easier, this could be a warning; are the Martians what, ultimately, humans could become?
And there is some debate on Religion versus science. The protagonist is temporarily imprisoned with a curate, who's behaviour and views the protagonist has no time for. And yet, towards the end of the book, the protagonist thanks God for the turn of events: that the Martians were 'slain, after all man's devices had failed, by the humblest things that God, in his wisdom, has put upon this earth'
War of the Worlds, read properly, is a thought-provoking novel, even now, more than 100 years after it was written - the themes it raises are still matters of much debate.
To call this a science fiction novel, though, is to miss a significant part of the subtext, the commentary on events in late 19th century Britain.
Narrated by an unnamed protagonist, we see through his eyes the unfolding of events when Martians land on Earth, in southern England, from the initial curiosity of the indigenous population, to the fear and panic when they realise these alien creatures are intent on destruction, to the beginning of rebuilding when nature defeats the Martians. So far, so science fiction.
But there are various themes that, for me, are far more important than the science fiction element. The book was written at a time when the British Empire was at its height; European countries had a habit of colonising overseas territories, imposing their laws and moral codes upon the indigenous populations. In War of the Worlds, an Imperial power itself becomes the victim of imperial aggression, allowing Wells, through the protagonist's thoughts, to dwell on this: 'I felt....a sense of dethronement, a persuasion that I was no longer a master, but an animal among animals. With us it would be as with them, to lurk an watch, to run and hide; the fear and empire of man had passed.'
Then there is much on Darwinism, survival of the fittest and the process of evolution; the Martians are described as having large brains, being of very high intelligence, but lacking the ability to move any great distance without the aid of machinery. Written at a time when new technology was making travel easier, this could be a warning; are the Martians what, ultimately, humans could become?
And there is some debate on Religion versus science. The protagonist is temporarily imprisoned with a curate, who's behaviour and views the protagonist has no time for. And yet, towards the end of the book, the protagonist thanks God for the turn of events: that the Martians were 'slain, after all man's devices had failed, by the humblest things that God, in his wisdom, has put upon this earth'
War of the Worlds, read properly, is a thought-provoking novel, even now, more than 100 years after it was written - the themes it raises are still matters of much debate.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Have you ever been in the position where you have to run for your life, but you don't realize it right away? Maybe a fire has broken out in your building, but instead of evacuating, you run around the apartment, rescuing old photos and library books. Or maybe you hear about a looming catastrophe so incredibly overwhelming that you shut it out completely and go on with your life as usual.
Something like that happens in The War of the Worlds.
When fire-breathing Martians land in the English countryside and start eviscerating any humans that cross their path, Londoners act like nothing strange is happening just outside their city. The depiction of the numbed public staying calm when they should be anything but is as relevant a lesson today as it was when Wells wrote this classic, in the late 1890s.
Say what you will about how dated Wells's science fiction has become - thanks to the myriad imitators and to the scientific knowledge we have accumulated over 125 years - but the societal quiet before the storm rings so very true.
All we have to do is think back to what we were doing in early 2020, when headlines about a dangerous virus were already ubiquitous - but the virus itself hadn't reached our community yet. I certainly wasn't acting like I was ever going to be affected by it until one of my conferences got cancelled. And on that day, panic hit me all at once.
Part I of The War of the Worlds, The Coming of the Martians, was admittedly not as suspenseful for me as Part II, The Earth Under the Martians. But Part I has the human reactions to the Martians' arrival - the city dwellers ignore the news, while curiosity drives country dwellers right into the pit of death rays. And that felt so incredibly astute.
Something like that happens in The War of the Worlds.
When fire-breathing Martians land in the English countryside and start eviscerating any humans that cross their path, Londoners act like nothing strange is happening just outside their city. The depiction of the numbed public staying calm when they should be anything but is as relevant a lesson today as it was when Wells wrote this classic, in the late 1890s.
Say what you will about how dated Wells's science fiction has become - thanks to the myriad imitators and to the scientific knowledge we have accumulated over 125 years - but the societal quiet before the storm rings so very true.
All we have to do is think back to what we were doing in early 2020, when headlines about a dangerous virus were already ubiquitous - but the virus itself hadn't reached our community yet. I certainly wasn't acting like I was ever going to be affected by it until one of my conferences got cancelled. And on that day, panic hit me all at once.
Part I of The War of the Worlds, The Coming of the Martians, was admittedly not as suspenseful for me as Part II, The Earth Under the Martians. But Part I has the human reactions to the Martians' arrival - the city dwellers ignore the news, while curiosity drives country dwellers right into the pit of death rays. And that felt so incredibly astute.
The War of the Worlds is also on my list of books I read in high school. It's a good science fiction novel and other than a few dry sections a really interesting read. The attack of the Martians is well written and a great start to the book. Around the middle of the book when the narrator is running around or we are following his brother, I lost a little interest, but it was recovered for the ending.
This is the second time that Wells has done this to me (and yes, it is definite that he wrote ALL his novels in the late 1800s with the sole intent of wooing and shocking some random lady in the far future. Whatever.) The book's beginning lures me into complacency, thinking, "Oh, what a cute bit of early scifi." And then the book proceeds to scare the crap out of me.
I read this book as a July read in the Group Classics without all the Class. And I posted a thread about the few absurd points offered in War of the Worlds. I believe it was Wells's intent to present the alien invaders as ridiculous at first sight, and this leads all readers to be complacent, which results in fear and shock when the invaders overcome their weaknesses, build huge terrifying death machines and destroy a good portion of Southern England.
First impression of aliens: big globs of brown goo that fall splat out of the spaceship and then yell out with a deep sort of complaining noise.
But do not laugh, humans! Because you will annihilate yourselves trying to escape!
I read this book as a July read in the Group Classics without all the Class. And I posted a thread about the few absurd points offered in War of the Worlds. I believe it was Wells's intent to present the alien invaders as ridiculous at first sight, and this leads all readers to be complacent, which results in fear and shock when the invaders overcome their weaknesses, build huge terrifying death machines and destroy a good portion of Southern England.
First impression of aliens: big globs of brown goo that fall splat out of the spaceship and then yell out with a deep sort of complaining noise.
But do not laugh, humans! Because you will annihilate yourselves trying to escape!
This was a pretty grim view of humanity and war. Very bleak.