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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I'd like to read as many of H G Wells' books as I can eventually. This was another good story, perhaps a little a child of its time with it's casual acceptance of vivisection - only getting shocking when he thinks they might be disecting people; but you have got to go with it and remember this book is set in a time now past.
This is the account of a sunken ship survivor, who was picked up by a passing ship, only to be thrown off for getting too friendly with the strange man who pulled him out of the sea. This strange man is Dr Moreau's assistant. Dr Moreau lives on a island in the middle of nowhere, a disgraced vivisectionist, and here he continues his strange and pointless experiments in peace. Letting the results run wild on the island, not thinking of the potential consequences...
This is the account of a sunken ship survivor, who was picked up by a passing ship, only to be thrown off for getting too friendly with the strange man who pulled him out of the sea. This strange man is Dr Moreau's assistant. Dr Moreau lives on a island in the middle of nowhere, a disgraced vivisectionist, and here he continues his strange and pointless experiments in peace. Letting the results run wild on the island, not thinking of the potential consequences...
I had heard about this book and I had an inkling of what it was about but I was still surprised out how creeped out it made me feel. I feel like books written more than 100 years ago are usually less gruesome because the sensibilities of the public were different, but even though the disturbing scenes were written in a more sterile way, it was still creepy and you were never really sure if Prendick was safe or if he would ever be able to return to society after what he saw on the island.
I thought it was really cool and I am glad that I read it.
I thought it was really cool and I am glad that I read it.
I read this back in my early teens, during my "Genetic Engineering" phase and loved it. It's been so long I didn't remember anything that happened, so I decided to pick it up again.
I got swept in the story, fascinated at every turn by the horrific creatures that populate the island. What makes man, from the perspective of man being a grander sort of animal? Is it speech? Laws? Thumbs?
Take a look at what might be
I got swept in the story, fascinated at every turn by the horrific creatures that populate the island. What makes man, from the perspective of man being a grander sort of animal? Is it speech? Laws? Thumbs?
Take a look at what might be
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This short, fast-paced Victorian sci-fi novel is a thrilling read with some terrifying and surprising moments. I was only vaguely aware of the story going into this and that's the best way as the tale doesn't play out in exactly the way you might imagine.
Somewhere in the South Pacific Edward Prendick is shipwrecked and rescued from certain death by Montgomery who is passing by on a schooner that is carrying a strange cargo. A menagerie of wild animals.
Edward thinks there's something not quite right about Montgomery's helper but he's not well enough at the time of rescue to think more of it.
Montgomery brings Prendick ashore on an unknown island and while being nursed back to health he comes into the presence of Montgomery's master, Dr Moreau.
The name rings bells & he soon realises this is the same vivisectionist who disappeared from society a few years ago after his practices came into question.
Moreau is a genius and his methods of vivisection and hypnotherapy have been put to use in mad science experiments to produce his own society where he is god!
A lot of the science techniques are unbelievable hokum but that's to be expected in a science fiction novel first published in 1896.
Why and how Dr Moreau is doing his experiments is never really fully explained and whenever anyone plays god it's inevitable that tragedy will occur but the level of horrific excitement is surprising.
It's a straightforward adventure but delving deeper there are big themes for such a short novel. Ethics & science, genetics & evolution, religion & society. There's enough here to engage the intellect for several readings. Moreau is part Dr Frankenstein & part Colonel Kurtz and with the sadistic experiments on a puma in his house of pain I can't help wondering if he's trying to create an equal to alleviate the loneliness in his personal heart of darkness.
Somewhere in the South Pacific Edward Prendick is shipwrecked and rescued from certain death by Montgomery who is passing by on a schooner that is carrying a strange cargo. A menagerie of wild animals.
Edward thinks there's something not quite right about Montgomery's helper but he's not well enough at the time of rescue to think more of it.
Montgomery brings Prendick ashore on an unknown island and while being nursed back to health he comes into the presence of Montgomery's master, Dr Moreau.
The name rings bells & he soon realises this is the same vivisectionist who disappeared from society a few years ago after his practices came into question.
Moreau is a genius and his methods of vivisection and hypnotherapy have been put to use in mad science experiments to produce his own society where he is god!
A lot of the science techniques are unbelievable hokum but that's to be expected in a science fiction novel first published in 1896.
Why and how Dr Moreau is doing his experiments is never really fully explained and whenever anyone plays god it's inevitable that tragedy will occur but the level of horrific excitement is surprising.
It's a straightforward adventure but delving deeper there are big themes for such a short novel. Ethics & science, genetics & evolution, religion & society. There's enough here to engage the intellect for several readings. Moreau is part Dr Frankenstein & part Colonel Kurtz and with the sadistic experiments on a puma in his house of pain I can't help wondering if he's trying to create an equal to alleviate the loneliness in his personal heart of darkness.
I started with this book as a bedtime read. It starts innocuous, an unnamed writer implying, "My uncle disappeared for a year after he was on a ship that sank, and then he was recently rescued in a dinghy, and here is his manuscript." I really do not know why this narrative device was popular in literature. (Island of Doctor Moreau was first published in 1896, says wikipedia.) Random dude says that some relative or acquaintance wrote a thing, and that gives it credibility?
Also note: Even though the word "island" is in the title of this book, it is not a vacation! This is not like Fantasy Island where men wear tuxedos and the small butler points at airplanes.
This book is a horror story. This is the source of the soundclip that has been embedded in my subconscious for who knows how long. "He who breaks the law goes back to the house of pain!" Seriously, I never knew movies had been made about this book (horror movies give me very uncool heebie jeebies), but when I read that line, it was like I've always known it. And one descriptive scene where Dr. Moreau discusses a failed experiment almost had me hiding under a blanket.
But here is my point of critique: this novel is limited by its "manuscript" structure. It tells and tells and tells, but it doesn't quite "show." It leaves many gaps for itself, which has been beneficial to screenwriters and modern authors, because they have been able to inject lots of further horrors, plot points, characters, etc. As I understand it, there is a YA series where the narrator is a young woman, supposedly the daughter of Dr. Moreau? I'm going to try to read it. It might be refreshing, or it might be irritating. It can really be whatever it wants, since the book in its original form has no female characters whatsoever, except maybe a botched specimen or two.
Also note: Even though the word "island" is in the title of this book, it is not a vacation! This is not like Fantasy Island where men wear tuxedos and the small butler points at airplanes.
This book is a horror story. This is the source of the soundclip that has been embedded in my subconscious for who knows how long. "He who breaks the law goes back to the house of pain!" Seriously, I never knew movies had been made about this book (horror movies give me very uncool heebie jeebies), but when I read that line, it was like I've always known it. And one descriptive scene where Dr. Moreau discusses a failed experiment almost had me hiding under a blanket.
But here is my point of critique: this novel is limited by its "manuscript" structure. It tells and tells and tells, but it doesn't quite "show." It leaves many gaps for itself, which has been beneficial to screenwriters and modern authors, because they have been able to inject lots of further horrors, plot points, characters, etc. As I understand it, there is a YA series where the narrator is a young woman, supposedly the daughter of Dr. Moreau? I'm going to try to read it. It might be refreshing, or it might be irritating. It can really be whatever it wants, since the book in its original form has no female characters whatsoever, except maybe a botched specimen or two.
adventurous
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
If you haven't read "The Island of Dr. Moreau", go do it! It's a classic and short enough to get through in a day or two. There's a mysterious island, Edward Prendick who always seems to be floating in the right spot at the right time, and the eccentric Dr. Moreau-- a scientist who (without giving spoilers), is quite mad and fond of vivisection.
3 stars, don't get mad at me HG Wells fans, because of the slower pace and odd structure of plot. I think it being published in 1896 also made it a little obscure for me. But still, go read it!
3 stars, don't get mad at me HG Wells fans, because of the slower pace and odd structure of plot. I think it being published in 1896 also made it a little obscure for me. But still, go read it!
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Did not expect that! My Kobo actually chose this book for me, by interpreting an accidental keypress as an invitation to open the book, and then I had to read it lest have the "1% READ" moniker haunt me forever. Next up is, apparently, [b:Ulysses|338798|Ulysses|James Joyce|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327869027s/338798.jpg|2368224], which I might have to skip if I want to get to my reading goal.
Anyway. To the book.
I did not expect it to be as good as it was, nor as dark. Apparently Mr. Wells wrote the main part, where Moreau explains his research, as a short story or article in a magazine, and then decided to work a book around that. It gets confusing at times, there are parts where, say,
It is wholly detached from the movie, at least the Val Kilmer movie, I've seen none other. Really the only relation is "Man visits mysterious island inhabited by a totally psychopathic madman and his assistant."
The resolution may feel a little contrived, however, but the conclusion at least resonates.
The book, it will sit uneasily with you, I guarantee.
Anyway. To the book.
I did not expect it to be as good as it was, nor as dark. Apparently Mr. Wells wrote the main part, where Moreau explains his research, as a short story or article in a magazine, and then decided to work a book around that. It gets confusing at times, there are parts where, say,
Spoiler
Moreau doesn't seem to understand the strange Beast-Law and the fact that they've deified him, and then later Moreau is clearly imposing himself and his Laws as a god.It is wholly detached from the movie, at least the Val Kilmer movie, I've seen none other. Really the only relation is "Man visits mysterious island inhabited by a totally psychopathic madman and his assistant."
The resolution may feel a little contrived, however, but the conclusion at least resonates.
The book, it will sit uneasily with you, I guarantee.
I saw the movie with Marlon Brando when I was in high school. I think it was the first Marlon Brando movie I ever saw, and boy was it weird. The main thing I remember about that movie was thinking that the animal-creatures were SO unrealistic. Uncanny Valley up the wazoo. Fine, special effects in the 90s weren't as good as they've become, but I was sure they were better than that.
And then I read this book, 25 years later, and realized that the movie pretty much nailed the animal-creatures. They were supposed to be Uncanny Valley. I felt like the story in the novel made more sense than the story in the movie, as well, though I have never rewatched it so that might just be bad memory. I really enjoyed it this time around, mainly appreciating the vast swaths of moral ambiguity portrayed in the doctor.
And then I read this book, 25 years later, and realized that the movie pretty much nailed the animal-creatures. They were supposed to be Uncanny Valley. I felt like the story in the novel made more sense than the story in the movie, as well, though I have never rewatched it so that might just be bad memory. I really enjoyed it this time around, mainly appreciating the vast swaths of moral ambiguity portrayed in the doctor.