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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
I read this for class and it was enjoyable despite the language. I am a sucker for a happy ending so I am happy his wife was alive. The discussions we had during class were enlightening, looking at the philosophical messages in sci-fi and in this one. The different characters in that really highlight it- don't wanna spoil it all read it.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Aliens and philosophy. Politics and social justice. What a masterpiece.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Something about this book just really didn’t click for me. I could acknowledge when certain sections would have usually pulled at my heartstrings or resonated with me, yet something was just missing. Never once did I feel I’d truly sunk my teeth into it or gotten into a ‘flow’. The narrative (maybe because of the combination of the first person and past tense?) felt weirdly distant and detached, and the events themselves felt underwhelming in that there wasn’t much of a plot or development of any kind: there were invaders, there was chaos, and then there was peace. I essentially feel like I just read an entire book of people running around crazily, and that’s it.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A fun read and hard to believe this was published in the 1800s. Such brilliant descriptions and great use of tension, despair and helplessness throughout the book.
I picked up The War of the Worlds because I had just finished another H.G. Wells book and thought it would be a great summer listen and as I had about 15 hours in a car coming up, I chose the audible version of the book. I should note at the outset that I think the narrator, Alexander Spencer, was wonderful and certainly added to the experience; in fact, I will be searching for other books in which he is the narrator. This is the third H.G. Wells book I have read and loved them all. In every case, I am amazed at how much insight Wells demonstrates in his writing.
In short, the story is about Martians coming to earth to subjugate the population, use them for food, but ultimately fail. This is a theme that has been redone hundreds of times, perhaps thousands, usually to a less effective degree than The War of the Worlds. The most obvious are the 1938 Orsen Wells Radio Play and the 1953 Movie, both of which are right on target. While I was reading (listening) to the book, many other stories/movies came to mind, but as I was driving I did not note them and as my short term memory is failing, I don't recall just what they are. They will, however, come to your mind as you read or listen.
I can hardily recommend The War of the Worlds. It is readily available in both print and audio versions from local libraries.
Enjoy.
In short, the story is about Martians coming to earth to subjugate the population, use them for food, but ultimately fail. This is a theme that has been redone hundreds of times, perhaps thousands, usually to a less effective degree than The War of the Worlds. The most obvious are the 1938 Orsen Wells Radio Play and the 1953 Movie, both of which are right on target. While I was reading (listening) to the book, many other stories/movies came to mind, but as I was driving I did not note them and as my short term memory is failing, I don't recall just what they are. They will, however, come to your mind as you read or listen.
I can hardily recommend The War of the Worlds. It is readily available in both print and audio versions from local libraries.
Enjoy.
I left it too long to come back to the book and just felt like I'd have to restart if I wanted to continue on. I will read it later this year.
"All our work undone, all the work—what are these Martians?"
"What are we?" I answered.
This was my second read, for book club this time, and I loved it just as much as I did the first time around. This story is remarkably ahead of its time in so many ways. Being one of the earliest works of science fiction, the technological concepts that Wells came up with show true creative genius on his part. As a work of horror, it is chillingly effective. Thematically, it dared to critique the evils of imperialism and serves as a timeless lesson: no matter how invincible an empire thinks themselves, a greater power may come at any time. In short: the horrors you inflict can happen to you. It's a brave stance at any time, but to have made it particularly during the height of the British empire was especially bold and prescient. The narrator explicitly compares the Martians to humanity throughout the book, clearly seeing them not as alien strangers, but as an ominous portending of the worst that humanity could become.
But it is not only a critique of imperialism. Despite its dire warnings about humanity's evils, it is surprisingly optimistic and portrays individual people as generally good. It is at its heart a very human story about survival, and not abandoning hope or the people you share the world with, even when that world has crumbled around you.
I also just adore Wells' prose. I find it so pointed and effective. The way he portrays scenes of peace erupting into chaos is so skilled. He conveys horrific concepts with efficency and restraint that, to me, is all the more effective for its brevity. He clearly understood that some things are simply too horrific for words - and so, rather than bother with overwrought attempts at description, he will simply leave the reader with the impression of a scene upon its narrator. Often when reading, I would stop and just let the preceding paragraph and all its implications sink in and feel my blood run cold.
I recommend this book to anyone really, but it's especially essential if you're a lover of sci-fi or horror with profound themes.
"What are we?" I answered.
This was my second read, for book club this time, and I loved it just as much as I did the first time around. This story is remarkably ahead of its time in so many ways. Being one of the earliest works of science fiction, the technological concepts that Wells came up with show true creative genius on his part. As a work of horror, it is chillingly effective. Thematically, it dared to critique the evils of imperialism and serves as a timeless lesson: no matter how invincible an empire thinks themselves, a greater power may come at any time. In short: the horrors you inflict can happen to you. It's a brave stance at any time, but to have made it particularly during the height of the British empire was especially bold and prescient. The narrator explicitly compares the Martians to humanity throughout the book, clearly seeing them not as alien strangers, but as an ominous portending of the worst that humanity could become.
But it is not only a critique of imperialism. Despite its dire warnings about humanity's evils, it is surprisingly optimistic and portrays individual people as generally good. It is at its heart a very human story about survival, and not abandoning hope or the people you share the world with, even when that world has crumbled around you.
I also just adore Wells' prose. I find it so pointed and effective. The way he portrays scenes of peace erupting into chaos is so skilled. He conveys horrific concepts with efficency and restraint that, to me, is all the more effective for its brevity. He clearly understood that some things are simply too horrific for words - and so, rather than bother with overwrought attempts at description, he will simply leave the reader with the impression of a scene upon its narrator. Often when reading, I would stop and just let the preceding paragraph and all its implications sink in and feel my blood run cold.
I recommend this book to anyone really, but it's especially essential if you're a lover of sci-fi or horror with profound themes.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No