Transparent embodiment of anger punches his way through Victorian England.
Not what I expected at all. Elaborate fight scenes aren't really what you would expect out of a science fiction classic about someone turning themselves invisible. Yet those are what I found most enjoyable about this book. The titular protagonist punches, shoves, kicks and strangles in all directions in multiple crowds and the ensuing chaos is described in a fun and enjoyable way.
The moral angle of someone being consumed by his work to the point of complete lunacy was also quite interesting but really the insane fighting was what made me like this book and it came completely out of left field.
Parts of it definitely drag on with its incredibly pretentious, long winded characters but that does not stop the meat of the story from being engrossing and enjoyable. A classic for a reason and it 100% holds up.
Im sure there's some solid advice in here. A lot of the beginning chapters read like self-help cliches wrapped in a thin veneer of “if you feel good you're more charismatic”.
I do appreciate finally being able to notice why so many people in business feel like slimy sociopaths. Its because they read stuff like this and imitate it poorly, which makes them far less likable than just being a weird nerd.
This felt like Tom Holland but slightly more academic. Fantastic narrative history with enough charm and humor to prevent it feeling dry. I also appreciate the author being very explicit about how much we actually know of certain events and what our sources for them are.
Would definitely recommend. Read “The World of Late Antiquity” by Peter Brown too if you want another great look at Roman collapse from the Eastern Empire's perspective.
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16/12 booksRead 12 books by Dec 30, 2024. You're 7 books ahead of schedule. 🙌
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