A review by georginadean
The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells

funny tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

from the very first page of this novel, the atmosphere enveloped me and immersed me completely into the strangeness of this mad scientist. he is shrouded in mystery through the clothing he wears and the manner in which he holds himself; refusing to take off his jacket when he is hot, for example. i immediately fell in love with the writing style and the disposition of the characters.

further into the novel, the furniture flying of its own accord, appearing possessed and attacking the inn owners, seemed a nod to classic horror novels in relation to the supernatural. i found this to be an interesting plot point because wells has an explanation for these usually unexplainable occurrences - the invisible man defies all rules of horror and subsequently lulls the reader into a false sense of security.

this is especially relevant considering his anger when the town finds out who he truly is. getting beaten up by an invisible man simply for the fact that his secret has been discovered, even though he was the one who unveiled himself, uses psychology more than the supernatural in order to scare the audience. the characters and therefore the reader knows that the town is dealing with an unhinged, dangerous, infuriated man who is able to harm anyone and escape with ease. 

the invisible man puts into perspective how silly some supernatural fears are. they simply aren’t possible, and wells appears to be explaining that there is always an explanation for things that happen which seem to be uncanny. i really enjoyed the deconstruction of the classic supernatural genre and how the fears are created and dispelled by the author.