The Invisible Man
Review of the H. G. Wells classic, Poll, Linkage
Note: This review may contain spoilers. Also, see POLL midway through review!
In my quest to read twelve classics in twelve months, I have read H. G. Wells’ The Invisible Man. I opened this book with certain expectations. I assumed we would meet The Invisible Man early in his life and see how he became invisible and dealt with it. That kind of linear storyline is not to be found here! He is invisible on page one!
Another expectation I had was that I would have a sympathetic view of The Invisible Man. It wouldn’t take much imagination that after the newness of being invisible wears off, there would be a desire to return to the visible world. Not so.
Herbert George Wells (September 21, 1866 – August 13, 1946), lived an interesting life chiefly characterized by writing and womanizing. At one point he was a teacher of famed author A. A. Milne. Known as “the father of Science Fiction” he wrote several works of note including The Time Machine, The Island of Dr. Moreau, and The War of the Worlds.
Religiously, H. G. Wells journeyed from his early upbringing in Christianity into eventual atheism. Though it does not appear he looked down upon religious people, he did not embrace a belief in a Divine being nor organized religion. He did write a book criticizing the Catholic Church in 1943.
Thus, searching for any religious themes in The Invisible Man would not be fruitful. There are no knocks against religion that I remember reading. The main character of the book is irreligious and free of moral restraint, and this is his undoing. I thought going into the book that I would be sympathetic to the plight of a man who was invisible and what all that might entail, but not so. There really is nothing about him to like. He seeks to be invisible in order to take advantage of others, and that is what he does. He hopes not only to be able to steal and do mischief but also hopes to bring terror to people. We have very little clue as to why other than his appearance as a visible man may have led to taunting from others. This is not directly revealed to us but it is present.
As a Christian, I’m left with the question that has been proposed by many: Who are you when no one is looking? If you were invisible to the world around you, would you continue to be the person you present yourself to be today? We should consider that question for a moment, as it relates to the genuineness of our commitment. Unfortunately, when he was able to escape the visible world, The Invisible Man chose to live without restraint. If we can learn anything from him, we can see that life without boundaries and accountability is a path to self-destruction.
I highly recommend this book. It starts off quickly and the pace doesn’t settle down. It has a lot of moments that made me laugh (I’m not sure it was meant to be humorous, but perhaps so). It illustrates something about human nature, I think. And for a few nights, I stayed up way past the time I should have been asleep, which is the mark of an excellent story.
A few other items. In this edition, there was a preview chapter or two of another book. I did not read them. I also looked on IMDB for movie versions, and it appears that many have taken the basis of this story and re-written their own tale with it. The 1933 version looks to be faithful to the book, but it is not currently free on Amazon Video. Kevin Bacon was the star of a movie called Hollow Man, which is the tale of The Invisible Man. Also, it was not free on Amazon and I generally do not rent movies on my television. My cable bill is already in outer orbit. I’ll check back sometime to see if they become available - or maybe see if the library has a DVD. I did see something on Tubi that was kind of a filmed stage production, and after 15 minutes I knew they were not sticking with the plot and it was agonizing to watch anyway. I’d still rather watch that than the political theatre of the State of the Union, but I opted for a few trusty episodes of Murder, She Wrote. Why am I telling you this in a book review?
Have you read The Invisible Man? What did you think? I’m reading twelve classics and have two down. I read Bram Stoker’s Dracula and now this book. What classic would you recommend?
Linkage … I have as many posts saved as I do in my inbox. And I love it.
Hugh Hunter takes us back into history to tell us about a priest who became a General! St. Raymond of Fitero
Rebecca Holden’s nostalgic Sorting the Button Tin is a delightful read.
Ryan Ramsey offers A Language for the Low Places. Excellent.
Craig Conaway’s frank and helpful post titled Jesus: The Destroyer of Shame. So needed.
Clean-up your House Before You Try to Clean Someone Else’s House. Brian McCutchen’s honest thoughts about judging others.
Joel J. Miller’s All The Books You’ll Never Read. I don’t know whether to smile, cry, or give in to anxiety. (I’m kidding … but the truth is… we’ll never read them all!)
Thanks, if you read this far.
I love the way you write John, I always feel as though I’m sitting with you and chatting over coffee.