Title: The Invisible Man
Author: H. G. Wells
Genre: sci-fi
Book Number/Goal: 16/52
My Rating: 4/5
Notes: for Coursera Fantasy and Science Fiction course (reread)
Download: project Gutenberg

Review:
A scientist discovers a way to make living creatures invisible. So he makes himself invisible - just because he can, and because he envisions invisibility as a huge advantage over the rest of mankind, not unlike being a sighted person in the country of the blind. But his plans go terribly awry...

I've read this novel a long time ago, at school, but I don't remember it being so funny! The writing oozes with irony, and even though it's a bit too slow and verbose, it feels more atmospheric than dated. There are some silly jokes ("This, this Invisible Man, then?" asked the man with the black beard, with one hand behind him. "I guess it's about time we saw him.") and some jokes that sound surprisingly modern ("One might think we were in the thirteenth century.").

The characters, as comedy goes, are simple and stereotypical; in particular, Griffin the Invisible Man is a selfish asshole with no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and his main antagonist Dr. Kemp is a bland "righteous citizen". Griffin's story is considerably less funny than the rest of the novel (oh that poor kitty!) but more dramatic and tense, inducing a constant feeling of a disaster waiting to happen - which doesn't disappoint.

Classics is often a pain in the ass to wade through, but not this one... seriously, it's a great reading.
Title: The Island of Doctor Moreau
Author: H. G. Wells
Genre: sci-fi
Book Number/Goal: 7/52
My Rating: 4/5
Notes: reread for Coursera Fantasy and Science Fiction course
Download: at Project Gutenberg

Review:
After being rescued from a shipwreck, the protagonist is stranded on a Pacific island owned by a scientist and his assistant, who perform horrifying experiments on animals - or on humans?

Dr. Moreau is an archetypal "mad scientist" who puts science above human ethics. Exiled from England, his career ruined when the public finds out what he's up to, he pursues the opportunity to continue his research in spite of all the setbacks, and achieves dramatic progress, although there's still a long way to perfect success. He is not concerned with his subjects' suffering, and is driven by curiosity, not by any "higher purpose", but his persistence, hardworking, creativity and intelligence make him a compelling character. His assistant is a simple-minded guy, caught by the circumstances and lacking Dr. Moreau's passion; even though going with the flow, he's somewhat kind-hearted and sympathetic.

The writing is vivid and includes plenty of foreshadowing; it creates tension and eerie atmosphere, but the mystery of the experiments can be guessed almost from the start. The scientific explanation is rather naive (the story was written in 1896). The descriptions are sometimes too overloaded with details.

Overall, a great story, even though unavoidably moralistic. I had read it a long time ago, but enjoyed rereading it.
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