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4.64k reviews for:
The War of the Worlds (illustrated version): with biography and text analysis
H.G. Wells
3.6 AVERAGE
4.64k reviews for:
The War of the Worlds (illustrated version): with biography and text analysis
H.G. Wells
3.6 AVERAGE
When it comes to alien invasion novels (a subgenre I'm particularly fond of), this is the original and the best.
For a Victorian novel, it's tightly-plotted and vivid.
Fans' favourite bit is the Thunder Child scene, which is an absolute masterclass in how to write a crisp and engaging action sequence, and holds up against the best modern work.
As an engineer, I also very much appreciate how the technology is portrayed. Wells' descriptions of the Martian capsules plunging through the atmosphere, and the deployment of their weaponry are astonishingly prescient. The
famous heat-ray is a better portrayal of an infrared laser than most, despite being written decades before its invention.
Its been adapted many times but rarely done justice (Good ones include Jeff Wayne's musical, the 1953 movie, a BBC radio adaptation from 2015ish. Stinkers include the Spielberg/Cruise movie & the 2019 BBC TV mini-series. I've always meant to give the legendarily panic-inducing Orson Wells radio play a listen.
For a Victorian novel, it's tightly-plotted and vivid.
Fans' favourite bit is the Thunder Child scene, which is an absolute masterclass in how to write a crisp and engaging action sequence, and holds up against the best modern work.
Spoiler
...The aliens are not as ridiculously overpowered as those elsewhere in fiction, and the humans get in a few strikes, but they overmatch us through tactics, comms & manoeuvrability as much as their battle-tech. Their invasion force would almost certainly have been spanked by a post-WWI military armed with aerial spotting, radio & motorised artillery. Somehow this makes them seem more menacing as they finally roll over London's defences. The deus ex machina deployed to defeat them works well with the plot and themes, and is more satisfying than most of fiction's other examples.As an engineer, I also very much appreciate how the technology is portrayed. Wells' descriptions of the Martian capsules plunging through the atmosphere, and the deployment of their weaponry
Spoiler
...(particularly the gas)famous heat-ray is a better portrayal of an infrared laser than most, despite being written decades before its invention.
Its been adapted many times but rarely done justice (Good ones include Jeff Wayne's musical, the 1953 movie, a BBC radio adaptation from 2015ish. Stinkers include the Spielberg/Cruise movie & the 2019 BBC TV mini-series. I've always meant to give the legendarily panic-inducing Orson Wells radio play a listen.
An interesting take on an alien invasion, set against the background of Victorian London. An interesting read both as a Londoner and from a scientific perspective. Particularly the heat ray is an interesting hint at things like lasers.
Hesitated between 3 and 4 stars - but the end of the book, and the fact that this was written so long ago and still being timeless, made me lean towards that 4th star. Liked it
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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:
No
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is my first time reading any of the works of H.G Wells having been put off many times by the date of its publication (1898). For some reason I always assumed books from this time period would be too challenging to read at a flowing pace. I couldn't of been more wrong about that. A fantastic journey through victorian london at the turn of the century. Wells is so great at describing the surrounding of a world at war while at the same time adding pressure and progression to the chapters. Marvelous. A delight to read. The book isn't long enough to ever feel bored, pure action and carnage I did not expect from a book so old. I assumed it would be very tame. This was brutal. Reading this book has broadened my horizons, I'm now keen to read more from H.G Wells amongst other classics with a little less hesitation. War of the Worlds is a classic that absolutely lives up to the hype. Read it now!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced