Rating: 
Summary: An HG Wells Classic
Review: "The Invisible Man" by HG Wells is a compelling story of a scientist, named Griffin, who discovers a method in which he can turn nearly anything invisible - including himself. At first thrilled at the idea of being invisible, he soon discovers the many negative aspects and must continue his research in pursuit of a method of reversal. He is drawn to a small town where he remains heavily clothed and suspiciously clandestine, causing the townspeople to investigate his activities which sparks an incredible chain of events and eventually drives him crazy.Similar to his novel "The Time Machine", HG Wells has written "The Invisible Man" on a scientific, albeit theoretical, basis which gives the story a stronger foundation in reality. With an exciting plot and unique characters, all described in vivid details, Wells creates a whole new world of reality filled with suspense, thrill, excitement and wonder up to the very last page. Furthermore, the characters' unpredictability and complex personalities combine to toy with your emotions throughout the entire read, as you slowly discover the intricate web of variables created by each individual's role in the Invisible Man's quest for satisfaction. This toying of emotions is what gives the novel its unique substance - you feel sympathy for Griffin, despite his being a homicidal maniac, and you must consider his position as you ponder what would you might do in the same situation; yet opposite to this, you also feel sympathy for the innocent, unsuspecting townspeople who are the victims of Griffin's immense rage. Even by the end, you are still left pondering. I would highly recommend this classic novel to anyone who enjoys reading thrilling-to-the-end adventures with an emotional side to them; it is definitely a must-read for every HG Wells fan.
Rating: 
Summary: decent..
Review: "The Invisible Man" by H. G. Wells is not your typical science fiction book. It doesn't have the long pages to develop a truly complex storyline and it doesn't have any mystical aspects that one might be attracted to. But in fact what it does have is characterization, suspense, and plot. The beginning of the book is all characterization, developing the story around our mysterious stranger who suddenly appears in the small English village of Iping. Townfolk grow curious and want to know more about their curious visitor. It is once they expose the Invisible Man that they infuriate him and cause him to go on a rampage, although this book does not have the standard violence and gore that others may have. Wells does a good job of describing the Invisible Man's temper and growing dementia. The conclusion of the novel depicts his final plunge into outright megalomania - spurred on in fact by his own genius and the reaction of others to his invisible condition. Each character has a unique personality and all of the characters strongly influence the outcome of the story. The final element in this story, theme, talks about how technological advancements should be put into the hands of the righteous who would use those advancements for good and not evil. This story is an excellent piece of science fiction literature by one of the world's most renown sci-fi authors-H.G. Wells and each character has its own personality by the end of the book, and this is not a very long book. Wells proves that it is quality, and not quantity that makes up a good story.
Rating: 
Summary: A book that isn't what you would expect...
Review: "The Invisible Man" by H.G. Wells is not your standard sci/fi-horror novel. Wells wrote in a different era of time, and so uses a different style than what you might expect. The book begins in the village of Iping, and Wells does a masterful job of presenting each character with thier own style and the impact that Griffin/The invisible man has on them. In fact the entire first third of the book is almost a study in using dialog and mental asides for characterization. Then the novel shifts to Dr. Kemp and his relationship to Griffin - along with a healthy does of Griffin's account of his youth and scientific discoveries. Again Wells does a good job of explaining Griffin's temper and growing dementia. The conclusion of the novel depicts Griffin's final plunge into outright megalomania - spurred on in fact by his own genius and the reaction of others to his invisible condition. The book is a good read, but not without it (minor) flaws. If you are not into characterization, you will probably find the first 1/3 to 1/2 of the novel pretty uninteresting. If you are expecting excessive violence you will be dissappointed (only 2 persons die if I recall properly). In the end, this book is a very good example of the amount of detail a great author can heap into a small book. In our day and age of 'More Is Better' pop-hack authors like Eddings and Jordan, Wells still proves that with writing - size isn't important, it's how you use what you know. Wells squeezes more into 1 page than Jordan 'squeezes' into 100 pages.
Rating:
Summary: An HG Wells Classic
Review: "The Invisible Man" by HG Wells is a compelling story of a scientist, named Griffin, who discovers a method in which he can turn nearly anything invisible - including himself. At first thrilled at the idea of being invisible, he soon discovers the many negative aspects and must continue his research in pursuit of a method of reversal. He is drawn to a small town where he remains heavily clothed and suspiciously clandestine, causing the townspeople to investigate his activities which sparks an incredible chain of events and eventually drives him crazy. Similar to his novel "The Time Machine", HG Wells has written "The Invisible Man" on a scientific, albeit theoretical, basis which gives the story a stronger foundation in reality. With an exciting plot and unique characters, all described in vivid details, Wells creates a whole new world of reality filled with suspense, thrill, excitement and wonder up to the very last page. Furthermore, the characters' unpredictability and complex personalities combine to toy with your emotions throughout the entire read, as you slowly discover the intricate web of variables created by each individual's role in the Invisible Man's quest for satisfaction. This toying of emotions is what gives the novel its unique substance - you feel sympathy for Griffin, despite his being a homicidal maniac, and you must consider his position as you ponder what would you might do in the same situation; yet opposite to this, you also feel sympathy for the innocent, unsuspecting townspeople who are the victims of Griffin's immense rage. Even by the end, you are still left pondering. I would highly recommend this classic novel to anyone who enjoys reading thrilling-to-the-end adventures with an emotional side to them; it is definitely a must-read for every HG Wells fan.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book, Don't Be Confused...
Review: Don't confuse this book with the piece of trash written by Ralph Ellison called The Invisible Man. This is another masterpiece from Wells.
Rating:
Summary: One of Wells' Weaker Efforts
Review: Frankly, I was disappointed by this book. I won't dispute the fact that Wells is a fantastic writer, but this strikes me as a sub-par effort on his part. I never got "into" this novel at all. Largely, this is due to the characters, not one of whom I liked or identified with. The invisible man himself is a wholly irredeemable character. A mad scientist like Dr. Frankenstein earns some respect in my eyes because he is pursuing a grand mission; the mad scientist in this novel pursues invisibility solely for the purpose of satiating his own wishes and desires. On top of that, he really lacks even a basic gameplan, so he ends up pillaging whenever the idea strikes him. His harsh treatment of his fellow human beings and of animals is not adequately explained, so I do not know why he should be so mean-spirited. His decision to suddenly institute a reign of terror among his fellow man seems rather silly and immature. Thus, I simply dislike him. The explanation of invisibility and how it is achieved seems rather unconvincing to me. Certainly, such an imagined explanation is hard to put forth, but I felt Wells could have delved more deeply into the subject. I was glad to see that only the man's body, and not his clothes, achieved invisibility, and I also liked the notion of his ingested food and drink being visible until such time as they are adequately digested. As for the action, the characters all seemed to run around like Keystone cops throughout the story, an impression only intensified by Wells' use of dialect in the words of the less educated men and women. There was an air of unbelievability inherent in the actions of both believers and nonbelievers in the invisible man. The whole thing seems like a comedy of errors performed by wooden, puppetlike characters who did nothing to capture my attention. Even the plot is rather unimaginative, culminating in a less than surprising ending. I am a great admirer of H.G. Wells, but I just can't offer many praises for this particular novel. If you want to read Wells, though, you almost have to read The Invisible Man at some point. I would not start out with this book, but I would certainly put it on a short list of Wells novels to read simply because it is recognized as one of his more famous half dozen or so novels.
Rating:
Summary: One of Wells' Weaker Efforts
Review: Frankly, I was disappointed by this book. I won't dispute the fact that Wells is a fantastic writer, but this strikes me as a sub-par effort on his part. I never got "into" this novel at all. Largely, this is due to the characters, not one of whom I liked or identified with. The invisible man himself is a wholly irredeemable character. A mad scientist like Dr. Frankenstein earns some respect in my eyes because he is pursuing a grand mission; the mad scientist in this novel pursues invisibility solely for the purpose of satiating his own wishes and desires. On top of that, he really lacks even a basic gameplan, so he ends up pillaging whenever the idea strikes him. His harsh treatment of his fellow human beings and of animals is not adequately explained, so I do not know why he should be so mean-spirited. His decision to suddenly institute a reign of terror among his fellow man seems rather silly and immature. Thus, I simply dislike him. The explanation of invisibility and how it is achieved seems rather unconvincing to me. Certainly, such an imagined explanation is hard to put forth, but I felt Wells could have delved more deeply into the subject. I was glad to see that only the man's body, and not his clothes, achieved invisibility, and I also liked the notion of his ingested food and drink being visible until such time as they are adequately digested. As for the action, the characters all seemed to run around like Keystone cops throughout the story, an impression only intensified by Wells' use of dialect in the words of the less educated men and women. There was an air of unbelievability inherent in the actions of both believers and nonbelievers in the invisible man. The whole thing seems like a comedy of errors performed by wooden, puppetlike characters who did nothing to capture my attention. Even the plot is rather unimaginative, culminating in a less than surprising ending. I am a great admirer of H.G. Wells, but I just can't offer many praises for this particular novel. If you want to read Wells, though, you almost have to read The Invisible Man at some point. I would not start out with this book, but I would certainly put it on a short list of Wells novels to read simply because it is recognized as one of his more famous half dozen or so novels.
Rating: 
Summary: Heavy on details, weak on the big picture...
Review: H.G. Wells is undeniably a master of ideas. Unfortunately, his concern for scientific details often interferes with his execution of a particular story. This is the case in his 'The Invisible Man'. Wells takes a fascinating idea of how invisibility could be possible and forces it into the story. The idea is good, the story is good, but they never meld. The requirements for invisibility are so specific that in order to find a suitable candidate, the executor must be a malevolent genius albino. Despite this improbability, the story could work, but Wells is much more interested in furthering his plot than in character development. The genius combined with the evil stupidities of his invisible man make the story almost laughable at points when it most wishes to horrify. One brief example is the dramatic moment when the invisible man succeeds in achieving invisibility. Despite the fact that he is a brilliant scientist, the man works the change during January in England. In order to be successful, the man has to be nude. As one may imagine, many inconveniences that help the plot ensue. There is no human nature to be found in this book, and for that reason, I quickly became bored. I love Wells' original ideas, but I find his execution heavy handed.
Rating:
Summary: Heavy on details, weak on the big picture...
Review: H.G. Wells is undeniably a master of ideas. Unfortunately, his concern for scientific details often interferes with his execution of a particular story. This is the case in his 'The Invisible Man'. Wells takes a fascinating idea of how invisibility could be possible and forces it into the story. The idea is good, the story is good, but they never meld. The requirements for invisibility are so specific that in order to find a suitable candidate, the executor must be a malevolent genius albino. Despite this improbability, the story could work, but Wells is much more interested in furthering his plot than in character development. The genius combined with the evil stupidities of his invisible man make the story almost laughable at points when it most wishes to horrify. One brief example is the dramatic moment when the invisible man succeeds in achieving invisibility. Despite the fact that he is a brilliant scientist, the man works the change during January in England. In order to be successful, the man has to be nude. As one may imagine, many inconveniences that help the plot ensue. There is no human nature to be found in this book, and for that reason, I quickly became bored. I love Wells' original ideas, but I find his execution heavy handed.
Rating:
Summary: The Invisible Man
Review: Here Wells develops the original notion of, well... being invisible. An unknown scientist is obsessed by the idea of becoming invisible, and he manages to pull it off. But the potential for power and mischief that come along with being invisible trigger very anti-social behavior. This book, in addition to being a superb sci-fi story, is a commentary on human nature. The invisible man is defeated only because of his impatience and carelessness. Both are caused by his newly acquired feeling of power. Thus this book is also a warning about the destructive potential of new and radical technologies. Not long before his death in 1946, Wells commented that reality took a page from his book and made it into an even more desperate and dark nightmare. There have been modern adaptions of this book, most recently by Hollywood in a less than impressive "Hollow Man."
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