It's an invisible Man...! An invisible Man...! Invisibility...! Such possibilities...!

And yet what I found was probably the dullest and most simplistic classic science fiction tale that I'll end up reading. It could have been thrilling, dark and menacing, fun and entertaining but wasn't really any of them.

I would have loved an internal monologue, with the main focus being Griffin's mischievous antics - he could practically do what ever he wanted. Go on, cause outright chaos...!
Even the principal moral questions it prompted weren't really explored fully, while the frantic police search trying to capture or kill him couldn't rouse me from the depths of boredom. The only good thing I can say is that at least it wasn't poorly written. Just not the novel I was hoping for.

I know it's 1897 but I'm just going to be mean and say that all the films based on the source material - even the not so good ones - were way better than this. Such a great theme but Wells' lack of imagination was itself mostly invisible.

*speaker steps up to podium to give review*

Good evening,
Invisible Man is one of those rare novels that have changed the shape of American literature. This nightmare journey across the racial divide tells unparalleled truths about the nature of bigotry and its effects on the minds of both victims and perpetrators. Readers are ushered into a parallel universe that throws our own into harsh and even hilarious relief. Suspenseful and sardonic, narrated in a voice that takes in the symphonic range of the American language, black and white, Invisible Man is one of the most audacious and dazzling novels of our century.

*intern runs up on stage and whispers*
*cocks head to the side and listens intently*
whipering.. "Wells?.. Science Fiction?... "THE!"
.
..
...
still whispering.. "You're telling me Invisible Man and THE Invisible Man are two different books?"... "Which was this buddy read for?"... "huh..."
*intern slips away*
.
..
...

*Ahem*
Well then.

And that is Invisible Man. Quite an excellent book and you should all read it. But today we are here to talk about THE...Invisible Man by H. G. Wells. (apparently). The Invisible Man is a science fiction book about... my word... a man who is actually invisible! It is a classic tale of... hold on a minute.

*goes to read Anne's review*
... hmm.. well that can't be right...

So... uhm... what do you all say to a ten minute break? Great, great. Just.. go get a drink or something.
*audience shrugs and goes to get coffee*
-----------
*returns shortly*

The Invisible Man is about a man trying to conduct some peaceful experiments in an inn in some hick town. The townsfolk constantly pepper him with questions like "What's up with the bandages?" and "Why don't you take off your coat?" and "Would you like some cheese?" The invisible man's typical reply is to sniffle at them.

*glances down below podium, flipping through pages*

Let's see... right, right

After sniffling at the wrong person, the invisible man is eventually found out and chased out of town! At this point we start to see the invisible man for who he really is; an angry and violent man. He threatens a local man into helping him recover his belongings and *book slips and falls to ground* *audience eyes stage suspicously*

*snatches book from floor and opens to a random page*

Uh, yes, but that's not important. What is important is when *glances down at pages* he kills a cat! wtf? he does what? well this guy is a right bastard

Yes! This is where the reader begins to realize that the invisible man was not slowly driven mad due to his condition, but was crazypants to begin with! He finds an old associate and begins to tell the tale of how he became invisible, revealing that being invisible merely gave him an outlet for his dark desires. huh, this is pretty good

*reads*
oh, well that's interesting
*reads*
*audience starts to look at each other*
*reads*
oh, it's on now!
*audience slowly filters out of the room*
*reads*


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Buddy Read on 8/10 with Anne, Jeff, Delee, Evgeny, Tadiana, Stepheny, Will, Dan, Dan 2.0 , Alissa, Steve, Jess, Licha, MIRIAM, Jenna, Auntie J, & Ginger.

I don't even think I'm friends with some of those people. Should be fun.

I believe any insanity will be collecting around Anne's review if you want in.

Vanish! It is irresistible...

In this World, where every body is trying to earn their own Identity, the desire to vanish from the eyes of others, sometimes, seems to be irrefutable among the weaker and unfortunate souls, for which the Invisibility offers Freedom and Power...

The title itself hints what the story might be about: the story of a Wretched-Soul-turned-into-A-Savage who lost himself in the invisibility and tries to regain himself back in the middle of the other haphazard events which ensued because of his wanton indulgence of whims. The tendency to despise this story as some thing banal among us is quite normal, as there are umpteen number of stories in papers and screens on the same topic: the Invisibility. But, We should appreciate the idea which was originally seeded by Wells and his outstandingly simple story with seemingly believable arguments. It would not be far-fetched, if I say that almost all movies on this very topic borrows or borrowed something from this undeniably-great work of classic science fiction.

Even if there is really a way to vanish, What is the good?

"what is the good of pride of place when you cannot appear there?
What is the good of the love of woman when her name must needs be Delilah?"

My second H.G. Wells novel. Honestly, I didn't enjoy The Invisible Man quite as much as I did The War of the Worlds. The storyline and writing were both top notch, but I just found it hard to REALLY enjoy a novel in which I totally despised the main character.

In all actuality, I guess my feelings towards the protagonist/antagonist (yes, both are the same character) would be considered a win for the author, as I feel that Wells didn't intend for the reader to truly like this character. What I find interesting is that as I was reading the novel, I did feel a bit of sympathy for the main character's plight from time to time, but then he would do something so over-the-top or horribly nasty that I would immediately lose any sympathetic feelings and replace them with something more akin to loathing.

I did enjoy the novel for the most part though and Wells crafts a wonderful story that keeps the reader interested throughout. I found the science behind his explanation of events to be sufficient to carry the story especially considering the time in which it was written and think that this is another fine example of early Science Fiction before Science Fiction was actually defined as a genre.

A scientist invents a invisibility drug and slowly goes mad. Chaos ensues!

I read this as part of a colossal Invisible Man group read. We're all familiar with the basics of the tale. For a story written before R'lyeh sank beneath the waves, it was surprisingly readable.

So a scientist named Griffin invents a serum that makes him invisible. What's he do with it? Become an even bigger douche nozzle! Griffin becomes invisible and is suddenly above the law, stealing as he sees fit and cheapshotting people who can't see him. Sadly, I think a lot of people would let their id take over under similar circumstances. While on the surface, it's the tale of a dickish scientist, it's more about what people do when no one is watching and what they'd do without fear of punishment.

The book is pretty slim and Griffin spends most of it being a bullying shit to people when he's not relating his backstory. The concept is still interesting after all these millennia but I like the works inspired by it better than the genuine article. 3 out of 5 stars.

In this famous 1897 novel by H.G. Wells, a reclusive man, swathed in layers of clothing, moves into an English inn. He's unfriendly and angry, and when a burglary occurs, people start to wonder. As well they might!

The Invisible Man is a classic read with conflicts galore: Between society and the individual. Between lust for power and wealth, and the collective good of society. Between my literary side that wanted to ruminate on themes of alienation and self-absorption...



and my nerdling side that just kept wanting to pick apart the scientific underpinnings of invisibility.



Why did the invisible man's potions and radiation work, especially on, say, dead body parts like hair and nails? Why would it stop working when the guy died? Especially on his hair and nails?? I don't require actual science here, just plausibility, so my mind will stop worrying at the logical problems and get back to Deep Themes like identity and isolation.

August 2015 buddy read with Jeff, Anne, Delee, Evgeny, Will, Stepheny, the Dans, Alissa, Christopher, Steve, Jess, and more...

Even though some might view the language and storytelling might arguably--ARGUABLY--be a bit awkward compared to contemporary writing styles, I totally appreciate the utterly mind-blowing uniqueness and creativity this would have had in 1897 and its impact. A lot of horror, sci-fi and thriller literature, seems to me, owes a fair amount to H.G. Wells and his short novel, The Invisible Man.

If I could make my own time machine, I'd probably add shaking his hand to my temporal bucket list.

I enjoyed this from finish to start. H.G. Wells did a great job of blending science fiction, crime, and subtle horror. Dr. Griffin was a highly respected physicist who dedicated his research to optics. He invented a way to manipulate the human body's refraction index to that of air. This prevented the body from absorbing and reflecting light therefore making him completely invisible. The story started when he is already the Invisible Man and attempting to reverse the process. Dr. Griffin was a scientific genius who transformed into a narcissistic egomaniac.

As the story progressed, the Invisible Man became more unhinged and wantonly violent. He went on the run after the village he was staying in became aware of an invisible man terrorizing the town. On his own he came across a former colleague, Dr. Kemp, and told him the entire backstory. Dr. Kemp learned everything and refused to aid the Invisible Man in his violent life of self-preservation: burglary, looting, and unnecessary murder to remain concealed from the public. This triggered the Invisible Man to resort to more violence to survive at any cost. The story concluded nicely I thought.

Overall this one of my favorite H.G. Wells up this point, with The Time Machine in close second. I would recommend both of these novels to fans of early science fiction with subtle mystery/horror elements. Thanks!

I love Wells, why I was never made to read anything by him in high school I will never know. The Invisible Man follows the story of an un-named man who enters a tavern/inn in a small town. The man is wrapped head to toe in bandages, eyes covered by goggles and a hat pulled down. Assuming the mysterious man to have been horribly scarred, the innkeeper’s wife rents him a room without even asking his name. Very quickly the reader learns that the man is invisible, and not all that pleasant to begin with.

Although the book starts out slowly soon there is a robbery and mass pandemonium ensues. Whilst escaping from the chaos he has caused, our invisible man comes across a man he knows from his days in the university. Instantly trusting his old professor we learn the invisible man is actually an albino medical student named “Griffin.” Griffin sets down and tells his long tale to the silent professor, a tale of murder, violence, theft, animal testing, and the general mad scientist messing with nature.

To keep from revealing too much of the plot I will stop there, this book can be very easily taken at face value and thoroughly enjoyed as a scientist creates a monster tale. However if you want to delve deeper you might get a glimpse at what Wells thinks is the true soul of man. What would you do if you knew for a fact that you could not be caught? Would an innocent man steal? Murder? or worse? Society is filled with the concept of “invisible” people, faceless crowds that the most could not remember… whether they be the poor, the destitute or whatever the undesirable race of that particular timeframe was. Does their being ignored and viewed as a mass rather than an individual give them the feeling of anonymity encouraging crime? Then there is also the rather xenophobic aspect of this novel, in which an outsider enters a small town and is immediately ostracized, speculated about, followed, harangued and finally viewed with suspicion. The fact that the stranger does turn out to be a not so nice figure may be there as a warning to the reader against the taking in of strangers that we do not know the motivation of (perhaps on a grander scale than the local inn and tavern). One could write papers on this book and its possible concept about immigration, racism, or the basic nature of human morality.

This is not a long story and could feasibly be read in an hour or two. It is also not one of Well’s most exciting entries into his literary cannon, but it may be one of the most simple to discuss in groups in relations to the theories and possible societal commentary included within such a simple story. This is also an excellent introduction into classic literature for the young adult group… I would assume that most 12 and older children should have no problem reading and comprehending this, children as young as 9 might be capable of reading it, but would need explanation and discussion about the difference in the times. Also some of the older language may be difficult for a younger child to comprehend on their own, but they should be able to comprehend it with a little bit of help from a parent or teacher.

I think the idea of invisibility has long fascinated people. Many of us will have heard the ancient story of the Ring of Gyges and its power of invisibility. In that tale the opportunity to act without consequences results in moral corrosion. In Wells’ novel the central character is obsessed with what he might gain from the ability to make himself invisible, but he finds that his new power is not all he had hoped for. I’ll say no more for fear of spoilers.

I’ve always considered this story one of the four sci-fi classics written by Wells, the others being The Time Machine; The War of the Worlds; and The Island of Dr. Moreau. I’d rate this alongside The Time Machine as the most entertaining of them. The Invisible Man is a memorable creation, and the story has quite an exciting dénouement.

The story poses the question - once a scientific discovery is made, can it ever be unmade?

I understand the hype around this classic, but I didn’t love the storytelling here. As most other readers will probably feel, I hated the invisible man, and then found that I could have sympathized with him when we started to learn about his background, but it took too long in the story to get there.

Overall, I liked it. But I didn’t care so much for the structure. For such a short story, there were so many characters. Many of whom did not feel very important to the core functions of this book.

First encountered as an Urdu translation,when I was a kid. Hugely enjoyable at the time,and memorable too.

Decided to revisit it,after all these years. It didn't disappoint. A scientist finds a way to become invisible,and dreams of the advantages it would bring him.

But a whole lot of undesirable,unintended consequences follow. He finds himself in trouble. Still,his cruelty and selfishness compel him to try and unleash a "reign of terror".

Lively pace and good action. A quick read,fairly enjoyable,all the more so because it was a trip down memory lane.

3.5 stars