The Time Machine

Very short and description rich story. It gains points for the wondrous journey it takes us through millions of years in time.

My review is broken down by topic:

Writing style: * - Not bad. It's early 1900's style writing. I have read two other books by H.G. Wells and enjoyed them. Started off slow, but still readable. Characters: ** - Under developed, but unsurprising for the time. I wanted to punch the main character. He could speak their language in less than 3 days? and found a love interest? and do all these other fantastical things? Yes, I get it, it's sci-fi, but what an infuriating man and completely illogical character. It reminded me too much of the father in Swiss Family Robinson (another horrible “classic” book) Plot Movement: - Started at **, grew up to *** near the end. Overall a ** plot speed. Plot: ** - Could have elaborated a lot more. Personally, I prefer to have the action happen in the present. Knowing from early on that the time traveler makes it back alive took away some of the excitement from the plot. Based on the time this was written, it was probably fascinating.

Overall: the second half of the book was very fast paced. I loved the pacing. H.G. Wells can build up a plot pretty well. The main character was infuriating, and the whole concept of time travel is preposterous. Still, it greatly impacted future books, films and tv shows. I have to give it credit for it's impact on society. Overall, it was a decent read, but not a book I would re-read or give space to on my shelf. (No, I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. It was a middle of the road classic for me)

I do love a time travel book. I think I would have enjoyed this a lot more if I hadn't read so many other books that derive from it.

Wow. WOW!

I did not intend to read this book all in one sitting today. I was amazed at how instantly engaging this was. Have I really not read any Wells before? I guess not, because his visionary genius and captivating storytelling would have made an impression. Sadly I think the execrable 2002 movie put me off the idea of this story; little did I know how much it disrespected its source material!

I found this required no adjustment for the time in which it was written. The language is straightforward and the story fresh. The introductory lesson in space-time dimensions drew me in right away, and on reflection is amazing for its anticipation of relativity. It's a lean story that doesn't overstay its welcome, and maintained my thirst to know what would happen next.

Finally, the latter portion treads boldly into cosmic horror, presaging Lovecraft's vision of a universe indifferent to humanity. It's downright chilling, and fantastically imaginative and bold.

Looks like I have some catching up to do with Wells's other fiction!

Après avoir [b:Vingt mille lieues sous les mers 355944 Vingt mille lieues sous les mers Jules Verne https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1454514587l/355944.SY75.jpg 1112418] de Jules Vernes, j'ai enfin lu cet autre classique de la science-fiction, ou de la proto-SF pour les puristes.Ce roman de H. G. Wells est bien connu, il introduit le voyage dans le temps et la figure du voyageur dans le temps.Le récit est plaisant et interroge surtout sur la société du XIXe siècle, son évolution possible, et plus globalement sur l'avenir de l'humanité et de la planète.C'est un court roman qui se lit facilement mais qui pour autant est certainement plus profond qu'une première approche pourrait le laisser penser. Un grand et excellent classique des prémisses de la science-fiction.

I can't overstate how much I do not like the writing style of [a:H.G. Wells 880695 H.G. Wells https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1392678719p2/880695.jpg]

The story was pretty good, and I really like the idea of time travel, but I think this is the first time an audiobook ruined a good book for me... maybe I will try and read it myself in paper form.

Great read as always, was a good diversion this morning as I was sitting watching the movers finish up.

Probably the most influential time travel novel ever. Not only in terms of going on a ride to a distant time but also in terms of its sociological aspect.

Imagining what human beings could look like hundred of thousands of years ahead, opened so many gates of human speculation.

It also made traveling through some sort of device a popular idea, which later became the de facto item for time traveling in pop culture.

I revisited this book after so many years (read it on my teenage years) and this time did not enjoy it quite much as I expected (or remembered) , but I will probably read it again some time in the future.

8/10

A sci-fi classic.

An enjoyable read but not as good as I was hoping. Interesting view on the distant future but the story dragged on a little in places.

Het verhaal vloeide relatief goed. Soms viel op dat dit in afleveringen was geschreven, maar niets te hobbelig.

“The night came like the turning out of a lamp, and in another moment came to-morrow. The laboratory grew faint and hazy, then fainter and ever fainter. To-morrow night came black, then day again, night again, day again, faster and faster still. An eddying murmur filled my ears, and a strange, dumb confusedness descended on my mind.”

Mijn favoriete deel van het verhaal blijft de eerste expositie en de eerste aankomst in de toekomst. Het daarop volgende verhaal van de dystopische samenleving beviel me iets minder, omdat het een beetje te uitgesponnen werd en niet erg opwindend.

Hoewel ik niet helemaal zeker wist welke kant van de boodschap de auteur ondersteunde, en hoewel het een beetje te fantastisch was om zelfs maar enigszins plausibel te zijn, presenteert het nog steeds een interessant denkproces dat helaas nog steeds actueel is.

“Man had not remained one species, but had differentiated into two distinct animals: that my graceful children of the Upper-world were not the sole descendants of our generation, but that this bleached, obscene, nocturnal Thing, which had flashed before me, was also heir to all the ages.”

Al met al een leuk verhaal dat de tand des tijds goed heeft doorstaan. Briljant bedacht en indrukwekkend hoe deze nu zo gangbare concepten op het moment van schrijven grotendeels onontgonnen waren.

I thought I knew what this story would be like but I was surprised. It's actually quite disturbing. It makes you consider where humanity is headed.

I've read a lot of books, but I've never read a book that made me feel the way this book makes me feel. And I've read A Song of Ice and Fire. It's saying a lot. Trust me.

Great Book! My 1st classic read for the month of Feb/19. Very much follows the 1960 movie starring Rod Taylor. This book includes what happens after the Time Traveler escapes the Morlocks and travels much further into the future. I won't spoil that for any future readers! If you like classic SF this is the book! David N.

Summary: Told as a frame story by a narrator listening to the tales of a man claiming to have travelled through time, this novella by H. G. Wells explores the devolution of humanity in ways that will shock the reader and awaken his or her inner philosopher.

H.G. Wells’ “The Time Machine” is a masterclass in economical storytelling, delivering a profound narrative and rich themes within a compact novel. The genius of Wells lies in his ability to weave complex ideas and speculative theories seamlessly into a gripping story.

The novel’s strength is in its conciseness, proving that a compelling narrative doesn’t require extensive length, though I would’ve loved if this book was a bit longer! What makes “The Time Machine” particularly compelling is how much Wells achieves in such a small space. The novel is not just an adventure; it’s a meditation on entropy, decay, and the relentless march of time. The story’s brevity enhances its impact, distilling profound ideas into a narrative that’s both engaging and intellectually stimulating.

This novel is a remarkable achievement, showcasing Wells’ ability to convey deep, complex ideas within a concise and engaging framework. It stands as a testament to the power of speculative fiction to challenge our perceptions and provoke thoughtful reflection on humanity’s past, present, and future.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever read a book from the nineteenth century before. Not out of choice, at least, as I'm not counting the fragments of old Dutch works we were forced to read in school.

But, over the last few days, that has changed.

On a recent city trip, I wandered past a large bookstore and noticed an entire shelf packed with old classics. One of the titles stood out: The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. The book caught my attention partly because it was featured in the popular Netflix show Dark—(or maybe it wasn’t?). Either way, it got my attention, and I decided to give it a go.

The story, as the title suggests, revolves around a time machine, invented and used by one of the main characters to explore the future. And I mean a far future—we’re talking about the year 802,701. As I read, I discovered a story about a civilization that had split in two: the elite, who live above ground, and the lower class, who live underground. After a close escape from this future world, the protagonist travels even further forward in time, arriving at a future where all life seems to have disappeared and the sun is close to burning out.

I wasn’t certain of the book’s broader message, though. Was it simply an adventure, or was it trying to say something more deep? Comparing it to today's world, the story could offer a tale about humanity’s choices—how we treat each other, and how we (fail to) care for the world we live in. Reading this novel today adds a layer to it, reminding us that these warnings are more important than ever. It’s a timeless message, and one that cannot be repeated often enough.

Despite its age, the adventure it presented and the concepts within felt neither dated, nor clichéd, nor unoriginal. There's an atmosphere in the stark style of writing that lends itself to the waning days of life on planet Earth. Very quick but fascinating.

3.5 stars — Wells' writing style is surprisingly easy to read. A great introduction to the world of time travel, but failed to interest me enough. I loved how our main character, the Time Traveller is nameless throughout the story. Just the Time Traveller. It's an interesting element of mystery and intrigue. But once we got to the future, I found it to drag, be a bit boring. Nevertheless, it interesting to see how Victorian Wells envisioned the future. Instead of advanced technology or steampunk, we got two caveman creatures: the Eloi and the Morlocks, and the Time Travellers experience with these new species. It's not often we get these sorts of future in mainstream time travel stories (we all think of advanced technology now, not cavemen), and that itself felt unique to read.

H.G. Wells, nel 1895, doveva essere proprio un visionario. Nel suo breve romanzo riesce, con tono serioso, ad accompagnarci in un viaggio nel futuro. I meriti di questo romanzo, vale la pena dirlo, non si fermano al fatto che è stata una delle prime storie a parlare di viaggi del tempo (e perciò incredibilmente influente). Infatti, oltre alla narrazione chiara e diretta, l'autore alterna momenti di pura avventura e scoperta, a momenti di tensione e azione, tutto ben orchestrato. Non manca un sottostrato di riflessioni sociali, evidentemente derivate da una critica alla società in cui viveva, e di avvertimenti per le future generazioni. Tutto questo in un contesto fantasioso ma credibile che eleva il fascino di una storia fantascientifica. Una nota di merito secondo me va anche al fatto, che l'autore si impegna a interpretare o a spiegare il futuro in termini evoluzionistici, biologici, psicologici, addirittura cercando di immaginare il corso degli eventi passati di quel futuro.
Per me questa storia incarna proprio lo spirito e l'essenza della fantascienza, o almeno presenta gli elementi che cerco quando leggo questo genere. Un must.

The good thing that came out of it is I got rid of the other two books I had—The War of the Worlds and The Invisible Man. Maybe I'll check out their adaptations—who knows!

Like many books, it's not fair to judge a book by books that came afterwards or today's sensibilities. “The Time Machine” is a Victorian time travel book, framed as a rousing tale told by a scientist during an evening dinner with friends.

For its time, the novella is revolutionary. Although Dickens and Twain beat Wells to the time traveling take, they didn't include a machine that the main character controlled. The book is a product of its time, certainly, including the colonial attitude of The Time Traveller, but it is, nonetheless, an exciting adventure that science still hasn't solved today. Just enjoy the ride.

The haters just feeling crabby

Published in 1895, this is considered a groundbreaking classic. The time machine - part of the appeal of this is that it doesn't propose the science, it just concentrates on the outcome! It does give a tidy description of the 4 dimensions at the beginning. There is also a lot of speculation on what has occurred between present time and the year 802,701, where the story is set for the most part.

I also enjoyed the ending, and thought that fitting - although I won't spoil it here.

The writing is overly wordy, and with clunky prose - as you might expect from a late 19th Century novel, and some of the speculation is easily skimmed over, but in principle this is a significant book which influenced the genre of time travel.

A solid 3 old fashioned stars.