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april_does_feral_sometimes 's review for:
The Invisible Man
by H.G. Wells
Englishman Griffin, a 19th-century giant in science, maybe, in the novel 'The Invisible Man', has changed himself into a Superior UberMan, or so he believes. He thinks himself a human of enormous power, hidden though it may be to everyone around him.
After years of research and even stealing money to support himself while experimenting, which caused ruin to his victims, the antagonist Griffin has accomplished the impossible - he has discovered a scientific procedure to make his body invisible to the eye. He isn't entirely certain, but he believes the fact he is an Albino, with the whitest white of human skin, and red eyes, made his transformation to a invisible superman possible. Griffin may be nothing to the eye of even the lowliest English villager who is living a simple life of honest labor, but he feels he can now at last teach them he is the superior creature! If he can only figure out how to reverse the procedure...
Griffin has already learned being invisible has not made people behave quite as cravenly as he hoped. He has had to run away from his original laboratory because of stupid interfering busy bodies and the lowest classes of English society (Jews, in Griffin's mind). He has set up another small laboratory in a little village using money he stole like a common thief, but again, there is nothing but interference from these ridiculously respectable lowbrow simpletons surrounding him! He is about to lose his mind...
The 'mundane' and 'unintelligent' conversation the author H. G. Wells puts in the mouth of his simple villagers is actually extremely entertaining and touchingly humane, demonstrating quite ably that the 'lowly' villagers and innkeepers are actually the strength of society, not its weakest point, in being the upholders and believers of the standards of common decency.
I was delighted, absolutely delighted, by the socially progressive Wells' clever clever construction of this novella! I believe he was writing an amusing and entertaining sly answer to one of Friedrich Nietzesche's more famous philosophical thought explorations, i.e., quoted from Wikipedia:
"Nietzsche calls for exceptional people to no longer be ashamed of their uniqueness in the face of a supposed morality-for-all, which he deems to be harmful to the flourishing of exceptional people. He cautions, however, that morality, per se, is not bad; it is good for the masses, and should be left to them. Exceptional people, on the other hand, should follow their own "inner law." A favorite motto of Nietzsche, taken from Pindar, reads: "Become what you are.""
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Nietzsche
Intellectuals of the 19th century were very much excited by this general idea that some men were superior to other men because of their intelligence and strength of character so that as a result such 'Supermen' should be above social mores which were taught to the masses to enforce a 'herd' morality.
[b:Crime and Punishment|7144|Crime and Punishment|Fyodor Dostoevsky|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1382846449l/7144._SY75_.jpg|3393917], an intensely depressing and serious literary commentary on society, was one famous Russian author's horrified response to the concept of UberSuperman. The German Nazis, on the other hand, embraced UberSuperman theories. So did many eugenics supporters around the world, including in America https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics_in_the_United_States.
The Englishman Well's response, which is what I think 'The Invisible Man' story was, to the UberSuperman philosophy is an answer with much more plucky derisive satire than the mournful Russian writers; and I think WAY more obviously supportive of the authority of the power of the little people of the earth, slow and witless and ignorant and poor as villagers may be. If I am right about the implied reaction of the English, the Germans, and the Russians from the various 19th-century novels I've read written as answer to these so-called Supermen theories, it reflects the stereotypes we (or maybe just me, I apologize) have of these national cultures!
If you have only seen the movies based on this book, gentle reader, you are missing a lot of the craft and hidden philosophical implications I think Wells wanted people to take away from his little story! By the way, Wells created the character Griffin as a total evil creep, so sensitive readers may be very shocked by his depravity. Wells is not graphic, but he throws in everything, EVERYTHING which would horrify his readers of the time.
Ooooh. I simply loved this tiny gem of a tale!
After years of research and even stealing money to support himself while experimenting, which caused ruin to his victims, the antagonist Griffin has accomplished the impossible - he has discovered a scientific procedure to make his body invisible to the eye. He isn't entirely certain, but he believes the fact he is an Albino, with the whitest white of human skin, and red eyes, made his transformation to a invisible superman possible. Griffin may be nothing to the eye of even the lowliest English villager who is living a simple life of honest labor, but he feels he can now at last teach them he is the superior creature! If he can only figure out how to reverse the procedure...
Griffin has already learned being invisible has not made people behave quite as cravenly as he hoped. He has had to run away from his original laboratory because of stupid interfering busy bodies and the lowest classes of English society (Jews, in Griffin's mind). He has set up another small laboratory in a little village using money he stole like a common thief, but again, there is nothing but interference from these ridiculously respectable lowbrow simpletons surrounding him! He is about to lose his mind...
The 'mundane' and 'unintelligent' conversation the author H. G. Wells puts in the mouth of his simple villagers is actually extremely entertaining and touchingly humane, demonstrating quite ably that the 'lowly' villagers and innkeepers are actually the strength of society, not its weakest point, in being the upholders and believers of the standards of common decency.
I was delighted, absolutely delighted, by the socially progressive Wells' clever clever construction of this novella! I believe he was writing an amusing and entertaining sly answer to one of Friedrich Nietzesche's more famous philosophical thought explorations, i.e., quoted from Wikipedia:
"Nietzsche calls for exceptional people to no longer be ashamed of their uniqueness in the face of a supposed morality-for-all, which he deems to be harmful to the flourishing of exceptional people. He cautions, however, that morality, per se, is not bad; it is good for the masses, and should be left to them. Exceptional people, on the other hand, should follow their own "inner law." A favorite motto of Nietzsche, taken from Pindar, reads: "Become what you are.""
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Nietzsche
Intellectuals of the 19th century were very much excited by this general idea that some men were superior to other men because of their intelligence and strength of character so that as a result such 'Supermen' should be above social mores which were taught to the masses to enforce a 'herd' morality.
[b:Crime and Punishment|7144|Crime and Punishment|Fyodor Dostoevsky|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1382846449l/7144._SY75_.jpg|3393917], an intensely depressing and serious literary commentary on society, was one famous Russian author's horrified response to the concept of UberSuperman. The German Nazis, on the other hand, embraced UberSuperman theories. So did many eugenics supporters around the world, including in America https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics_in_the_United_States.
The Englishman Well's response, which is what I think 'The Invisible Man' story was, to the UberSuperman philosophy is an answer with much more plucky derisive satire than the mournful Russian writers; and I think WAY more obviously supportive of the authority of the power of the little people of the earth, slow and witless and ignorant and poor as villagers may be. If I am right about the implied reaction of the English, the Germans, and the Russians from the various 19th-century novels I've read written as answer to these so-called Supermen theories, it reflects the stereotypes we (or maybe just me, I apologize) have of these national cultures!
If you have only seen the movies based on this book, gentle reader, you are missing a lot of the craft and hidden philosophical implications I think Wells wanted people to take away from his little story! By the way, Wells created the character Griffin as a total evil creep, so sensitive readers may be very shocked by his depravity.
Spoiler
Nothing is too awful for Griffin - animal abuse (he tortures a cat!), spitefully beating and breaking the bones of elderly women and toddlers, stealing money for which Griffin's father is blamed for, which causes Griffin's father to kill himself, murdering anyone who gets in his way, burning down an apartment building, etc. Of course, Wells also has Griffin be the absolutely most stupid and clumsy of criminals, whose every idea falls apart. He is the Master Man of foiled plans and dumb science. He is only good at committing violence against those who are the weakest in society.Ooooh. I simply loved this tiny gem of a tale!