Rating: 
Summary: Classic
Review: Another classic from H.G. Wells, the father of the science fiction. In my opinion, "The War of the Worlds" is his best, but this one isn't far behind. Wells' ability to spin a gripping yarn embellished with his powerful descriptive skills make comparison with most modern day sci-fi unfair.
Rating: 
Summary: Goes for the "what ifs" rather than the unexplainable hows
Review: As a student, you probably recall a time where you had to do a creative writing essay about what you would you if you were invisible. The ideas you had were likely unrealistic (I'm sure mine would be too if it had to be done in a short time). Maybe you said pilfering, playing practical jokes, and peeking into the girls shower room if you were so honest. But in "The Invisible Man," Wells does not just go into the "how" of a man could turn himself invisible, but "what if" he did. The scientist somehow manages to do so, but he finds it's not as glorious as we normally may imagine. For one, it's much harder to get the normal needs of everyday life - food, clothing, shelter, etc. This is more about human nature than oddly worked science fiction (not like interplanetary travel novels that take probably unreasonably looks at the effects of a method for effective space travel, such as light speed vehicles and such). Think about this book as you might for Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" (in which the main character turns into a bug overnight). Although rhetorical and philosophical, it's thought provoking and makes you wonder about how you might react. Think about it, and read the book if you're interested.
Rating:
Summary: Very detailed and frighteningly realistic
Review: Griffin was one of the most graphic book characters I have ever read about. H. G. Wells makes this novel put you in suspense by just turning the first page.
Rating:
Summary: All the way!
Review: Having read other reviews, I could not hold back. The actors take you into their recreated world of H.G. Wells and make it possible for you to forget where you are completely. One warning however, do not listen to this wonderful tale alone in the dark (especially not while playing it on your walkman), b/c it might frighten you. (as you can see, that was my mistake ;-))
Rating:
Summary: There seems to be some interst that extra tersetrial invent
Review: I would not stop at the cover to read given myself the time to do so, at this point my imagination has benn awakened to ALEIN VO"CES!.._.
Rating:
Summary: The book was so exciting that I never wanted to put it down.
Review: I would recommend reading this book to anyone fifth grade and up. Students should be required to read this book. The best part of the book was when the Dr. Kemp and the police were trying find, capture and destroy the invisble man.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as I'd hoped, I'd prefer a 2.5
Review: I've been catching up on Wells' work lately, and up to this point, I've been fairly impressed. His best work, written at the turn of the century, holds up fairly well: it's entertaining and thought-provoking (The Time Machine, War of the Worlds).I wasn't very impressed with this book, however. It doesn't read like his other works. The story probably could have been told in 20 or so pages, definitely a short-story candidate. I was amazed that Wells stretched this out to its present length, as the middle 40-odd pages were quite dull and really didn't go anywhere. The science behind the story (while iffy, of course), is fascinating. Griffin is a great character, but more could have been done with him, besides his spending so much time having to convince people that he IS, in fact, invisible ("I am invisible. I really am an invisible man", etc, etc). It gets mind-numbing after a while. I guess the biggest let-down of the book is the fact that the title gives everything away. Once you've seen the cover, you pretty much have it; no real surprises. Yep, he's invisible, and there ya go.
Rating:
Summary: humor and horror
Review: Okay, so Wells didn't load the book with the violence seen in the recent movie Hollow Man. Consider when the book was written, and what was comparable at the time. I, for one, was engrossed in the book and read it in about three sittings.
Wells excellently portrayed Griffin (Invisible Man) as a man crossing back and forth from sanity to madness. You may catch yourself considering how you would overcome his difficulties, or how you might abuse his power. What really stood out for me was the tongue-in-cheek undertones Wells incorporated into the story, such as the cockney dialect and rustic behavior of the people of Iping. Also, consider Wells' narration during intense moments, such as the fight between Griffin and the people of Iping...
"...[Huxter's] shin was caught in some mysterious fashion, and he was no longer running, but flying with inconceivable rapidity through the air. He saw the ground suddenly close to his face. The world seemed to splash into a million whirling specks of light, and subsequent proceedings interested him no more."
Later elaboration of the events included the terrifying realization that Griffin was "smiting and overthrowing, for the mere satisfaction of hurting." If you find the book difficult to follow, try the version adapted by Malvina Vogel, complete with illustrations by Pablo Marcos. It's not as powerful, but easier to understand.
Rating:
Summary: humor and horror
Review: Okay, so Wells didn't load the book with the violence seen in the recent movie Hollow Man. Consider when the book was written, and what was comparable at the time. I, for one, was engrossed in the book and read it in about three sittings.
Wells excellently portrayed Griffin (Invisible Man) as a man crossing back and forth from sanity to madness. You may catch yourself considering how you would overcome his difficulties, or how you might abuse his power. What really stood out for me was the tongue-in-cheek undertones Wells incorporated into the story, such as the cockney dialect and rustic behavior of the people of Iping. Also, consider Wells' narration during intense moments, such as the fight between Griffin and the people of Iping...
"...[Huxter's] shin was caught in some mysterious fashion, and he was no longer running, but flying with inconceivable rapidity through the air. He saw the ground suddenly close to his face. The world seemed to splash into a million whirling specks of light, and subsequent proceedings interested him no more."
Later elaboration of the events included the terrifying realization that Griffin was "smiting and overthrowing, for the mere satisfaction of hurting." If you find the book difficult to follow, try the version adapted by Malvina Vogel, complete with illustrations by Pablo Marcos. It's not as powerful, but easier to understand.
Rating:
Summary: a lofty standard
Review: Roughly a century ago, H.G. Wells and Jules Verne virtually created the Science Fiction novel. In a period of less than 4 years, Wells wrote three seminal classics of the genre: The Time Machine (1895), The Invisible Man (1897) and The War of the Worlds (1898). The Invisible Man, which owes an obvious debt to Frankenstein, is based on one of the eternal themes of mankind and one of the perennial themes of Science Fiction. First, it explores the nature of man by asking whether an invisible man would still be bound by normal morality. Second, it develops the theme of science as a two edged sword; after initially conveying great power, scientific innovation turns on its wielder, driving him mad. One hundred years later, this ambivalence about technology and scientific progress has remained a central part of our culture. As in all of the best books of the genre he helped to create, Wells combines these speculations with an exciting, fanciful tale. He and Verne truly set their successors a lofty standard to aspire towards. GRADE: A-
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