Review of "The Invisible Man: A Science Fiction Novel" by H.G. Wells

 

For fun, I decided to revisit this classic to see how it holds up.

The story is about a brilliant but troubled molecular physicist named Griffin who discovers a way to make himself invisible. Griffin then goes on a crime spree, at first just stealing things he needs, like food, clothes, etc. However Griffin's mental health quickly deteriorates, and he becomes a full blown sociopath.

There are some funny parts at the beginning of the book, when Griffin takes a room in a small rural boarding house to continue his experiments. The nosy townsfolk are naturally curious about this man who's all bandaged up and mysterious, so they spy on him, gossip about him, and so on.



Things soon take a dark turn though, when Griffin becomes violent.

At one point Griffin explains his method of becoming invisible to a doctor, a complex rigmarole involving the reflection and refraction of light.



One big fly in the ointment...food Griffin eats is visible until it's digested. (That would be a frightening sight to see. Food meandering down the invisible alimentary tract!!)

Of course Griffin can't wear any clothes if he wants to be completely unseen and this part is very unrealistic. Griffin has to run around completely starkers, without shoes or anything, and I think his privates jostling around would be a problem (among other things). Still, invisibility is a fun idea. The thing to make invisibility REALLY work would be to make anything you hold or wear invisible also.

This story has spawned a whole array of TV series and movies - ranging from serious films to comedies.....and they just keep coming! 💕😊🍀

















The book is a real classic in the sense that it's old-fashioned, but - since it's at the hub of so much literature and entertainment - it's worth reading.

Rating: 3 stars