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Summary: The Island of Doctor Moreau
Review: Vivisection is the practice of performing medical experiments on live animals. In The Island of Doctor Moreau, H.G. Wells tells the story of a mad doctor who does just that but also does something more. He tries to make them into people!
Robert Prendick ship is wrecked and he is rescued by a man named by Montgomery, who turns out to be a assistant to the infamous Dr. Moreau. Little does Prendick know of the horrors that await him on the island that he is being taken to. on the island he meets the Beast Men: the results of Moreau's grotesque and terrifying experiments. Eventually, the Beast Men rebel against Moreau and Montgomery, killing them and leaving Prendick alone on the isle. One day, he manages to escape and is rescued once again and is brought back to society. People think he is insane and he is permanently scarred from his experience on the Island.
From action packed chases through a tropical jungle, to Prendick contemplating his situation on the island, this book is an extremely good read. It really makes your think how far man should be allowed to meddle with the course of nature. Some other good books by this author would be War of the Worlds and The Time Machine. They are both science fiction novels, like this one.
Ages 12 and up
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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.
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Summary: Chilling Horror Story of Man's Misuse of Science
Review: Years ago I avidly read the thrilling fiction of Edgar Allan Poe, Jules Verne, and H. G. Wells. All three authors created highly imaginative, sometimes frightening stories. H. G. Wells was the more modern author and with some revisions to reflect modern biology and medicine, The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896) could easily be a contemporary horror story. In this tale Wells employed the narrative style characteristic of nineteenth century fiction. The story is told by the only survivor of three men drifting aimlessly at sea with little water and food. The rescued Edward Prendick finds himself on a ship with a most unusual cargo - a menagerie of animals - all destined for a remote island. Unexpectedly, as a fellow traveler disembarks along with the caged animals, Prendick is forcefully cast ashore on this strange island, the island of Dr. Moreau. Wells allows Prendick (and the reader) to gradually unveil the horrifying mystery of Dr. Moreau's isolated laboratory. This exciting blend of science fiction, horror, and mystery is surprisingly suspenseful. H. G. Wells is best known for The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, The Time Machine, and The Island of Dr. Moreau. These four superb science fiction novels share the common theme of man overwhelmed by the potential of science for harm and evil. His entertaining stories are surprisingly provocative. In his later years H. G. Wells became increasingly pessimistic about man's future. He refused to leave his home in Regent's Park during the German bombing of London. He died in 1946. Hint: When searching for editions by title, check under Dr. Moreau and Dr Moreau and Doctor Moreau. These different spellings can yield different results.
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