Reviews

Published in 1895, H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine, is proof that the concept of time travel is not a new idea. The sci-fi novel takes today’s readers into the past and into the future, according to H.G. Wells.

The Time Machine takes place in two different settings and time periods. The “present” time setting is somewhere during the 19th century, in the Time Traveller’s dining hall. The majority of the book is the Time Traveller telling a story of an experience he had in the year 802,701. The main character of The Time Machine is the Time Traveller himself. There are a few minor characters, such as the narrator, who is telling us, the readers, the Time Traveller’s story. There are also some characters that the Time Traveller discusses his ideas with: Filby, the Medical Man, the Provincial Mayor, the Psychologist, the Very Young Man, and “I”. “I” is the narrator previously mentioned. No one, except Weena, is given a name throughout the story. Weena is one of the Eloi. The Eloi are one of the two groups of “people” in the place the Time Traveller visited. They are the pretty, happy, seemingly careless group. The other group of people are the Morlocks. The Morlocks are the not so pretty group. They look like monsters and live in darkness. Weena, one of the Eloi, becomes the Time Traveller’s companion while he visits 802,701.

The book starts out with the Time Traveller explaining concepts and theories to his companions, sending about all of them into existential crisis. He then shows him his time machine, which, of course, his companions don’t quite believe in. About a week later, there is a dinner with the Time Traveller as the host. He appears to the dinner late, looking quite worn out. This leads all of his guests to question his whereabouts and why he looks so disoriented. In response, the Time Traveller sits at the table, eats his dinner, and explains his experiences in the year 802,701. For at least a quarter of the story, the Time Traveller describes the Eloi people to his guests. They seem to leave peacefully among land that seems like a giant garden. They are pretty looking people. They speak and look differently than humans in the present time. One day, the Time Traveller saves an Eloi, Weena, from drowning. She becomes attached to him, and is his companion while he’s visiting. The Time Traveller says the most human thing about Weena is her affection.The Time Traveller’s time machine goes missing, which forces him to search around and find it, since he knows it couldn’t have travelled to another era, as he took out the levers that would allow anyone in the time machine to do so. He unintentionally finds a temple that leads to dark underground. He sees a half-human looking creature, who also looks a bit like a spider to him, with its odd movement and exaggerated features. These are the Morlock, and when the Time Traveller attempts to go underground to look for his time machine, he finds more and more Morlocks. The Eloi are afraid of darkness, and the Morlock are afraid of light. The Time Traveller comes to a realization: the Eloi are afraid of the dark because that is when the Morlock come out to eat them. In fact, contrary to what the Time Traveller believed, the Morlock almost “rule” the Eloi, since they are the ones hunting the Eloi, and not vice versa. In attempt to protect himself and Weena from the Morlock. However, after two days of no sleep, the Time Traveller falls asleep in the dark with his fire that he lit to ward off the Morlock, and unintentionally sets the forest they were in ablaze. Unfortunately, this does not end well for Weena. The Time Traveller finds his time machine shortly after. Then we are brought back to the dinner, where the Time Traveller finishes his story. The epilogue describes that the Time Traveller went on another mission three years ago, and has yet to return.

Overall, I’d say the book was quite interesting. The mysteriousness about the characters, along with imagining life in the year 802,701 is quite intriguing. Sci-fi is not a genre I usually read, but tend to enjoy. The Time Machine further enhanced my appreciation for the sci-fi genre. I’d say the targeted audience for The Time Machine is any sci-fi fiend with a large vocabulary, no matter their age. I had some trouble with a lot of the vocabulary in the book, but was still able to comprehend pretty well. I think I would recommend this book to someone if they wanted to explore a new genre, or if they wanted to expand their vocabulary.

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