100 Book Challenge—Book #1: The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells

I thought that I would try to write a short review or blurb about the books I'm reading for the challenge.

As I have mentioned before, I really read this book by accident. I downloaded the audiobook from librivox, thinking that Wells’ was the one that was on my “Top 100 books” to read list (This list, and many others, are in the back of my reading journal http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Journal-Lovers-Potter-Style/dp/0307591662/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327349173&sr=8-1). Actually, though, I really enjoyed it. I listened to it on my way to and back from TX.

The whole premise, of course, is that there is an invisible man (imagine that) running around the countryside of Britain. We learn the story of how he became invisible around the middle of the book as things reach the climax of the story.

I find it interesting that I enjoyed the book, because there really aren’t any likable characters in the story. The invisible man, Griffin, is too snobby, too aloof, too aware of his genius and too ready to take advantage of his invisibility for an evil purpose to allow him to be really likeable. And the men who stand against him aren’t very likable either. The characters in the town at the beginning of the novel, Iping, are dense and seem unintelligent. They are the basic gossipy country folk of every great British novel. Then, when Griffin meets his old schoolmate, Dr. Kemp, Kemp is almost likable. He is intelligent and able to converse with Griffin and learn his story. Kemp can hardly be the hero of the story because Kemp is undeniably a coward when he hides in fear from Griffin. Yet, at the end, Kemp is the one to show compassion.

I think this is an interesting novel and a good introduction to Wells’ writing. I’m hoping to read his Time Machine.