The Invisible Man

The Invisible Man By H.G. Wells

The Invisible Man is an exciting, science fiction story of a man who becomes invisible, of course, only to find large disadvantages that force him to insanity.  His story is told vividly and magnificently.  H.G. Wells' The Invisible Man instills a lingering curiosity in the reader with its remarkable adventures and articulate writing style.

 

The story takes place in Iping and a few other villages in England during the late eighteen-hundreds.  H.G. Wells uses a style of writing that parks the audience in this period of time and place.  He accomplishes this by often using the slang of the setting and by writing the dialogue the way it actually would have been said.  For example, when one citizen speaks of the invisible man he says, in his English accent, "What's 'e been doin', then? Ain't hurt the girl, 'as 'e? Run at 'en with a knife, I believe' No 'ed, I tell ye. I don't mean no manner of speaking, I mean marn 'ithout a 'ed! Narnsense!" This type of dialogue reveals much about the type of people and their culture.

 

The charcters exhibited throughout the book do not vary by much.  The invisible man himself, who we learn is actually a doctor named Griffin, is, by far, the most intelligent character.  Why he becomes so frustrated with his position is very obvious.  However, the audience loses sympathy for Griffin when his temper is utterly lost and his rampage begins.

 

The story starts in a small village where the stranger, Griffin, arrives.  He is scrutinized by the village's people for his suspicious outfit, which covers every inch of his invisible body.  He orders a room and lives there for a while.  All the time he is there, he is carrying out dubious experiments.  Griffin loses his temper occasionally and crashes are heard.  Eventually, he reveals that he is invisible.  He races off and runs into a man named Thomas Marvel, who he forces to aid him.  Griffin ends up fleeing to a random home when he is shot.  The home belongs to Doctor Kemp, a man that Griffin attended school with.

 

The book advocates a very significant theme: Be happy with what you have.  The idea of invisibilty conjures up a tempting array of advantages and possibilities. Yet, the moment the man achieves his irresistable goal, he is abruptly doomed to numerous disadvantages he overlooked.  These disadvantages drastically outweigh any of the benefits he once thought were so great.

 

The Invisible Man is science fiction at its best.  The plot progresses nicely, revealing only as much at a time to satisfy the reader and keep them reading.  I recommend this read especially to fans of science fiction, mistery or suspense.  However, this book is a very popular classic and everyone should read it.