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spacemanchris 's review for:
The War of the Worlds
by H.G. Wells
adventurous
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
Although it's one of the most famous science fiction tales of all time, I'm going to give a spoiler warning for anyone who stumbles onto this review without knowing how the 'war' ends.
I've been fascinated and terrified by The War of the Worlds ever since I was a small child and heard the opening chords of Jeff Wayne's musical adaptation. I used to flee the house whenever my mum listened to it because I could so distinctly picture those monstrous machines striding through the nearby fields, and shooting their heat rays at buildings causing them to collapse on the fearful masses. Any sort of fiction has rarely caused me to have nightmares, but this musical is one of the few exceptions.
Although I've read this many times before, I decided to re-read this novel again in preparation for Stephen Baxter's upcoming sequel 'The Massacre of Mankind' and more importantly because if I ever had to choose a single favourite, a book to fill my number one slot it's The War Of The Worlds.
While the musical was responsible for my early childhood nightmares, it's also responsible for introducing me to the fantastic imagination of H.G. Wells and the massive influence he had on science fiction that continues to resonate to this day.
Sometimes it's difficult to get into a book written so long ago with all the differences in language and storytelling but this book is like an old friend to me. I immediately picture H.G. Wells as the nameless narrator, and I feel like I've been plunged back in time to journey along with him.
The first thing that strikes me upon re-reading it is how much of an every-man the narrator is. He's not brave, he's clever but not clever enough to overcome the Martians. He's just a man and it really helps put the reader in that position of helplessness and fear, particularly as the war goes on and he and the country descend into a more primitive nature.
We're so used to seeing alien invasion movies these days with the might of the 21st Century's Military pitted against unstoppable forces, but to strip it all back to the might of the late 19th Century's military really sets it in another frame. Even Wells seems aware of the situation he's creating by commenting upon how apathetic everyone is towards the Martians at the start. The narrator is unnerved at how indifferent the populace feels towards the oncoming threat and reading it in a 21st Century context I can't help but picture how instantly the entire world would be aware of the happenings thanks to the Internet.
It's so easy to take things for granted when you read the book, for example Wells is clearly describing a laser when he refers to the Martian's heatray but in a way that would make sense to a 19th Century reader. Wells' ability to predict the future isn't apparent until you realise it wouldn't be for another sixty years that the technology would be invented.
Wells also successfully predicts the brutality of modern warfare, something that was still seen as gentlemanly and honourable at the time of publication. The Martians' use of advance weaponry as well as black smoke (a foreshadowing of biological warfare) is a sign of things to come.
Nothing I've written here is particularly insightful or original. People have studied Wells' work for over a century, but I simply wanted to take the chance to add my own thoughts as to why I consider this to be my favourite book.
I'm not sure if it broke any storytelling conventions of the time, but it's certainly unusual for the narrator to never give his name, or his wife's and to break away from his own retelling to mention an account from his brother's perspective. There's also the assumption that the war was eventually won by humanity considering the many references to documents published afterwards.
For its faults I still find this to be a gripping, enjoyable tale with far reaching implications. Man doesn't defeat the Martians, simple bacteria does. A warning to the colonial nature of certain countries at the time perhaps, that invading less advanced countries may not turn out so well.
As a teenager I also enjoyed Wells' barely contained disgust at organised religion with his unfavourable depiction of the curate, but the initial reveal of the fighting machine during the lightning storm is such a vividly cinematic image, it has stayed with me since I first read this book years ago.
I'm glad that this book still holds up, despite its age, despite the writing style. I hope that it continues to terrify and inspire many more generations to come.
I've been fascinated and terrified by The War of the Worlds ever since I was a small child and heard the opening chords of Jeff Wayne's musical adaptation. I used to flee the house whenever my mum listened to it because I could so distinctly picture those monstrous machines striding through the nearby fields, and shooting their heat rays at buildings causing them to collapse on the fearful masses. Any sort of fiction has rarely caused me to have nightmares, but this musical is one of the few exceptions.
Although I've read this many times before, I decided to re-read this novel again in preparation for Stephen Baxter's upcoming sequel 'The Massacre of Mankind' and more importantly because if I ever had to choose a single favourite, a book to fill my number one slot it's The War Of The Worlds.
While the musical was responsible for my early childhood nightmares, it's also responsible for introducing me to the fantastic imagination of H.G. Wells and the massive influence he had on science fiction that continues to resonate to this day.
Sometimes it's difficult to get into a book written so long ago with all the differences in language and storytelling but this book is like an old friend to me. I immediately picture H.G. Wells as the nameless narrator, and I feel like I've been plunged back in time to journey along with him.
The first thing that strikes me upon re-reading it is how much of an every-man the narrator is. He's not brave, he's clever but not clever enough to overcome the Martians. He's just a man and it really helps put the reader in that position of helplessness and fear, particularly as the war goes on and he and the country descend into a more primitive nature.
We're so used to seeing alien invasion movies these days with the might of the 21st Century's Military pitted against unstoppable forces, but to strip it all back to the might of the late 19th Century's military really sets it in another frame. Even Wells seems aware of the situation he's creating by commenting upon how apathetic everyone is towards the Martians at the start. The narrator is unnerved at how indifferent the populace feels towards the oncoming threat and reading it in a 21st Century context I can't help but picture how instantly the entire world would be aware of the happenings thanks to the Internet.
It's so easy to take things for granted when you read the book, for example Wells is clearly describing a laser when he refers to the Martian's heatray but in a way that would make sense to a 19th Century reader. Wells' ability to predict the future isn't apparent until you realise it wouldn't be for another sixty years that the technology would be invented.
Wells also successfully predicts the brutality of modern warfare, something that was still seen as gentlemanly and honourable at the time of publication. The Martians' use of advance weaponry as well as black smoke (a foreshadowing of biological warfare) is a sign of things to come.
Nothing I've written here is particularly insightful or original. People have studied Wells' work for over a century, but I simply wanted to take the chance to add my own thoughts as to why I consider this to be my favourite book.
I'm not sure if it broke any storytelling conventions of the time, but it's certainly unusual for the narrator to never give his name, or his wife's and to break away from his own retelling to mention an account from his brother's perspective. There's also the assumption that the war was eventually won by humanity considering the many references to documents published afterwards.
For its faults I still find this to be a gripping, enjoyable tale with far reaching implications. Man doesn't defeat the Martians, simple bacteria does. A warning to the colonial nature of certain countries at the time perhaps, that invading less advanced countries may not turn out so well.
As a teenager I also enjoyed Wells' barely contained disgust at organised religion with his unfavourable depiction of the curate, but the initial reveal of the fighting machine during the lightning storm is such a vividly cinematic image, it has stayed with me since I first read this book years ago.
I'm glad that this book still holds up, despite its age, despite the writing style. I hope that it continues to terrify and inspire many more generations to come.