Island of Dr. Moreau

Rating:
Summary: Thought-provoking horror
Review: A shipwreck survivor finds himself trapped on an island where a mad scientist is conducting horrible experiments to transform animals into men. This slim volume is both compulsively readable and dense with thought-provoking elements. I did not expect the visceral, brutal quality of the more nightmarish sequences to be rendered so graphically and effectively in a 19th century novel. Small wonder that it caused controversy when it was published. But the novel offers more than just brilliant horror. Wells's story is also a parable on what it is to be human and the role of religion in a society. Excellent.

Rating:
Summary: Timeless classic on the plasticity of living things
Review: There are two things I associated with H.G. Wells. One is The Time Machine, which of course was the primary inspiration for my all-time favourite TV show, Doctor Who. The other is The Island Of Dr. Moreau, which like the Time Machine, I saw as a pioneer literary work in science fiction.

After being picked up from the dinghy of the Lady Vain by a trader ship, Edward Prendick goes to a small unchartered island in the Pacific, where he finds some very strange looking natives, including a serving man with furred pointed ears. The island is run by Dr. Moreau. Could this be the same Dr. Moreau who had to leave England in a hurry because of a scandal involving experimentation on dogs?

The contrast between man and animal is one theme here, as seen in the natives' laws: "Not to go on all Fours; that is the Law. Are we not men?" or "Not to claw Bark of Trees; that is the Law. Are we not men?" No we are Devo. Sorry, wrong reference. Prendick is also called a "five man," as in five fingers. What makes men different from animals? Reasoning, language, being bipedal, trimmed nails, and sophisticated in manner, although that last point is certainly debatable.

However, most people are so keen to see this as a pioneering sci-fi literary miss the intellectual background. After Darwin's theory of evolution started to crack the foundations of Victorian and religious thinking. It seemed that we were closer to apes than to God. However, humanism also reared its head again, and Moreau becomes another Dr. Frankenstein in playing God. Small wonder why Wells later called this a "an exercise in youthful blasphemy," though it's interesting that he initially became a disciple of pro-evolution scientist Thomas Huxley--in the novel, Prendick himself claims to be a student of Huxley.

So far, this book has been remade into at least four movies, none of which have faithfully adapted it. There was even a Dr. Who story, Timelash, which borrowed heavily from it, and the theme of man usurping God's place at his own peril comes through.

This book has some relevancy today, as stated in the afterword by Brian Aldiss: 'The spirit of Dr. Moreau is alive and well and living in these United States. These days, he would be state-funded.'

Rating:
Summary: Spooky and yet Amazing
Review: This book definetly deserves 5 stars. I loved it! I really did not expect that ending! Amazing! Truly Wells' masterpiece. I enjoyed it more than the Invisible Man.

Rating:
Summary: An exciting read
Review: When Edward Prendick, an unfortunate shipwreck survivor, is plucked out of the ocean by the strange Dr. Montgomery, little does he know that he has dropped out of the frying pan and into the fire. When they arrive at their destination, Prendick finds that the whole island is filled with unnatural seeming people, and the least unnatural, but the most frightening is the lord and master of the island Dr. Moreau. There is a secret to this island, something terrifying, and Prendick is about to find out what it is, whether he wants to or not.

This book is one of the crowning examples of nineteenth century fantastic fiction. But, it is not merely an early science fiction story. Mr. Wells wrote this story as something of a lesson about scientists playing God, and creating monstrosities (not unlike Mary Shelley's Frankenstein). This book is an exciting adventure story, with a fascinating lesson. Even though the book was written in 1896, it is still an exciting read, one that I highly recommend to you.

Rating:
Summary: This is a classic
Review: A classic written by one of the masters. I think any sci-fi fan should read this one.

Rating:
Summary: Wells' classic on the nature of mankind
Review: This is the only Wells novel I can imagine going back to again in my old age. It has had the good fortune to be made into 2.5 wonderful films. (The Charles Laughton and Burt Lancaster versions count as one each, and the Marlon Brando counts as a half, with Brando serving as the other half.) A mediation on the essential nature of man as well as a fast-moving adventure, it will leave you thinking, as the best science fiction does, about things you may have taken for granted.

Rating:
Summary: Are we not men?
Review: Like The Time Machine, this is a story about the descent of Man. Dr. Moreau turns animals into "men" on his island. There's only one problem - given the choice, they'd prefer to stay animals. As predicted, order gives way to chaos and the "men" quickly devolve back into animals.

Rating:
Summary: Amazingly modern and thoughtful
Review: Wells' imagination is almost scary. Despite being written over one hundred years ago, Wells presents a tale chilling and relevant to this day. A great story in it's own right, it delves deeper into human technological and biology conflicts that have only intensified in recent years. With the onset of cloning, gene therapy, and genetic modifications, the issues spark debate to this day.

It starts off with Pendrick, shipwrecked, eventually arriving on the Island of Dr. Mareau and discovering strange beasts. These strange beasts were not natural though, but instead modified animals made up to look and act like humans. Without giving away the plot, the book then moves into action, while moving into such themes as insanity, animals versus humans, and the existence and treatment of god.

This book works as a simple fun filled novel with intrigue, suspense and action. It's strange to have a book of such magnitude provide so much simple enjoyment. Even without the deep literary and social meanings, this book stands out by itself. The only flaw is the somewhat antiquated language.

Of course, as a sort of added bonus, the insights and issues brought up provide a great addition. Such a book could easily be debated in literary and scientific circles. If such a book was used in my English classes, as opposed to such crud and Faulkner and Jane Austin, I might have actually enjoyed class.

The Island of Dr. Maruea is the best mixture of plot and intellectual enjoyment I read since Animal Farm.

Rating:
Summary: A true classic of the genre.
Review: This book is one of a relatively small number of stories that could all be considered prototypes of the "mad scientist" subgenre of the science fiction genre. (Some of the others are "Frankenstein", by Mary Shelley, "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea", by Jules Verne, and "Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde", by Robert Louis Stevenson.) As such, there are many elements of the story that to a modern reader may seem trite and overused; what is necessary for the reader to understand is that these concepts were NOT trite and overused at the time; this is one of the writers who CREATED these concepts, which are so powerful that they've been copied by later writers until they seem downright hackneyed. If a modern writer had written this story, I'd rate it two or three stars for a fairly competent style, by no higher because it adds nothing new to the genre. But as it is, it's one of the originals, and is worth reading if for no other purpose than to be able to see the references back to it in later novels, such as "Jurassic Park", by Michael Crichton.

If you're bored with the "mad scientist" subgenre, you probably needn't read this book. But if you're at all curious to see one of the books that originated the concept, this is an excellent early example of the idea. And if you are a fan of the genre, this book is definitely a must-read.

Rating:
Summary: A great perspective of humanity.
Review: This book contains views about inhumanity which is very relative to todays technological advances. H.G Wells has written a extraordinary book which will never get outdated and will always be looked upon as a classic. The tale which is told brings up many different perspectives of the inhuman creations of Dr Moreau and many can either be argued or agreed to by the reader which makes this a very moving, realistic and interactive book. A book which must be read!!