The War of the Worlds

This books reads as a historical account of an alien invasion. There is too much location name dropping, over-detailing and overall coldness in the narration that takes all the appeal of an inter-world battle.

This book, for the most part, is slow, pedantic, and technical. Yet, there is just something about it that I can't quite put my finger on which kept me reading. I was empathetic to the main character despite knowing much about him, which in itself, is a feat for any author to do.

The themes of the story were relatable, and the struggles of the characters came off genuine. I think good fiction has the ability to make you believe that all of the made-up stuff is or can be true, and Wells definitely did that.

The first classic I picked up for the 2015 Classic Challenge was picked with another classic in mind. I read The Time Machine in sixth grade and was thinking how I enjoyed it but how little I remembered of the classic. I decided it would be better to read something I hadn't read before so instead of a repeat in the classic category I would stay with the author. The War of the World by H.G. Wells is a classic that has created a rememberable radio show and epic movies but as any creative work they are nothing like the book.

I was surprise when I learned this novel is a sharp satire about British Imperialism. There is a comparison Wells makes about not judging the Martians to harshly and remember how ruthless our own species have been. He mentions, “The Tasmanians, in spite of their human likeness, were entirely swept out of existence in a war of extermination waged by European immigrants.” It is a theme that never goes away. It will always remain a classic. It is surprising that a novel label Science fiction a hundred years ago now reads stockily realistic. Much of the Martian's science, Heat Rays and Gas, that destroys Victoria England seem very real reading today.

If you decide to pick up this classic don't expect an action sequence every few pages. Action is few and far between the narrator questioning the human race and the self.

J'avais essayé de lire ce classique de H.G. Wells il y a quelques années et je n'avais pas réussi à aller au bout. Je viens de terminer ma seconde tentative, avec succès cette fois. Si je comprends ce qui a pu me rebuter à l'époque, j'ai plus de mal à comprendre comment j'avais pu passer à côté des grandes qualités de ce roman. Certes, le rythme est un peu lent, mais le récit est tout de même captivant et offre une réflexion sur la question de l'impérialisme, qu'il soit strictement britannique ou plus généralement occidental.

Pour mémoire et comparaison, je laisse ci-dessous ma critique lors de ma première lecture inachevée :

Je n'aime pas ne pas terminer un livre que j'ai commencé. C'est comme un double échec, échouer dans le choix du livre et échouer dans la tentative de le lire malgré un début difficile. “La Guerre des mondes” est un classique de la science-fiction, si ce n'est LE classique de la science-fiction. J'ai tenu bon jusqu'au début de la deuxième partie, sans enthousiasme après m'être passablement ennuyé pendant toute la première partie. J'ai finalement renoncé après avoir longuement insisté, au début de la deuxième partie. Je passe peut-être à côté d'un grand classique, mais je n'ai pas réussi à entrer dans l'histoire ni à m'attacher aux personnages. Triste.

I'm continuing my quest to read the ‘NPR - Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books,' and my next pick was War of the Worlds.

Despite its brevity, I must admit it took me longer than expected to finish, as it unfortunately became quickly ‘boring.' I believe much of the book's success stems from Wells' vision and courage in 1898 when he wrote a book of this nature. However, I can't say it has aged well.

While I haven't read other books by Wells, I can't help but feel that his writing is somewhat ‘basic.' There were numerous repetitions, like the absurd use of the pronoun ‘I' and expressions like ‘to and fro.'

It's not all bad, though. The story is infused with philosophical meanings and morals. At times, the book can be quite beautiful, offering moments for deep reflection. Also, being told in the first person, much of the book feels like we are sitting by a bonfire, listening to Wells tell a ‘scary' story.

However, there are some notable omissions, such as what happened to his cousin and how he was able to find the narrator's wife, but the narrator clearly wanted a happy ending, so there's that.

I feel conflicted about recommending this book. On one hand, it's a classic that must be respected for its achievements and the story it tells. On the other, the writing style and the narrator's way of over describing certain details can easily become old and boring.

I certainly didn't expect the way the story went, given that I was primed for it only by the movie Tom Cruise starred it as well as the mass hysteria triggered by a radio station by just reading this book.

I liked reading it; it has a pleasant flow and it's all from a narrative point of view (seems like the recent classics I've read all do this). I guess with the author being from an age where airplanes weren't invented yet, it's hard to surprise me in terms of technological marvels. Still, the actual story involves quite a few other elements than just mere alien invasion. It's like in the movie as well, where it's more about what happens to us humans, our society, and our relationships with each other. There's also that imperialism undertone; probably understandable seeing that it came from a period of European expansion and colonialism.

The parts where the protagonist interacts with other humans and how each dealt with this catastrophe are some of the best parts of the book, especially the artilleryman - reminded me of Hellgate: London (the computer game).

One of the more memorable lines I liked from the book is this: “This is not a war any more than it's a war between men and ants.”

It's a good quick read that is like an average person re-telling a series of events that happened to them. If I have one criticism it is that the chapters with the main character's brother felt like they were filler and his part ends abruptly. I am going to assume he survived if our narrator is able to tell about what happened to him during the Martian invasion.

Ultimately this book is very fitting for its time and I enjoy the use of the storyteller style of narrator.

I can't even apologize - this was dull.

But this story and movie was pivotal in my childhood, made me discover a love for the unknown, and with that I'm happy to of finally read this.

7/10

This is the third time, I think, that I have read this book and the first time I have really enjoyed it. In my younger years, I found it too “talky” and lacking in action. I have, clearly, changed in my taste/appreciation.

I have read a few "classics" in my time and TBH I have found many of these older classics to be dry in the writing style with lack of good characters and often while great ideas, not told in a really entertaining way.

War of the worlds stands apart from that, and I would argue this book has the feel of a cosmic horror. The unexpected arrival of aliens in london and the world is at war. The devastation, terror and destruction is told in a way that keeps you reading wanting to know how the world survives and ultimates "wins" this war of the worlds

I really enjoyed this read and its a scifi classic I would highly reccomend for any scifi fan

Format read: Paperback
Reading time: 5-7h
Tags: apocalypse, alien invasion, war, military, humanity, horror, psychological, philosophical, biology, evolution, science fiction, speculative
Own a copy: yes
Reread likelihood: 10/10

I felt the first inkling of a thing that presently grew quite clear in my mind, that oppressed me for many days, a sense of dethronement, a persuasion that I was no longer a master, but an animal among the animals, under the Martian heel. With us it would be as with them, to lurk and watch, to run and hide; the fear and empire of man had passed away.
—The War of the Worlds p. 116

Review

The War of the Worlds

The War of the Worlds

Surely if we have learned nothing else, this war has taught us pity–pity for those witless souls that suffer our dominion.
—The War of the Worlds p. 120

Wells' unnamed protagonist is an unsympathetic narrator. He acts in ways that count as lacking in humanity and compassion, despite the need to survive preceding all other needs. He is detached from what happens around him, and when he sees people dying all around him in horrible ways, he disengages emotionally and continues to move forward with the single idea of survival dominating his mind. This makes for a cold narrator who observes the world around him in a stoic and scientific way. Although he gives in to his emotions on a few occasions, he is disaffected for the better part of the novel. His companion for half the book, the curate, quickly becomes a nuisance to him rather than a friend and source of comfort. The narrator would rather be on his own than with the curate, yet when he does end up alone, he suffers from bone-deep melancholy and loneliness. Interestingly, none of the important characters are named in the narrative. The narrator, the narrator's brother, and the artilleryman are central characters in this story, yet their lack of identity makes it easier for the reader to ‘become' the survivalist in this tale. In an unusual twist, the named characters, such as the astronomers and scientists at the beginning, are the ones to die and do not add much value to the story.Perhaps it's because I'm currently reading a lot of SFF, but I saw an immediate relationship between the artilleryman's plan for humanity and the post-apocalyptic and dystopian society of E. M. Forster's [b:The Machine Stops|4711854|The Machine Stops|E.M. Forster|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347943820l/4711854.SY75.jpg|4776249]. Reading the two texts side by side, they provide a chilling and terrifying perspective on the future of humanity should we continue to go on the path of destruction we are currently on. Wells' writing in The War of the Worlds is impeccable, and there are many beautiful philosophical thoughts scattered throughout, and his evident support of peaceful cohabitation with Nature comes across on every page. The literature itself is beautiful and entrancing just as much as the plot is bone chilling and eerily accurate.There's a reason why this novel is considered to be a foundational text in SFF literature, and the explanation for it is obvious. Wells' story about an alien invasion may seem farfetched, but it is ultimately a cautionary tale about the evils of Man wrought against Nature and fellow men. The story acts as a social comment on humans' rights to impose their will on other living beings and, should the tables be reversed, humans would have no right to cry foul. Another species' supremacy and control over mankind would only be rightful karmic retribution.And before we judge them too harshly we must remember what ruthless and utter destruction our own species has wrought, not only upon animals, such as the vanished bison and the dodo, but upon its own inferior races. The Tasmanians, in spite of their human likeness, were entirely swept out of existence in a war of extermination waged by European immigrants, in the space of fifty years. Are we such apostles of mercy as to complain if the Martians warred in the same spirit?—The War of the Worlds p. 3

Man, I really thought I would enjoy this story. But every single thing about it bored me; I could not find a single route into it that would make me interested. I recognize it's a product of its time and that it influenced a lot of sci-fi, but I guess my tastes in the sci-fi genre have moved past this story. I wouldn't dismiss anybody for enjoying this novella more than I did, but definitely did not work for me.

I suffer from the curse of being incredibly young, so I recently discovered that I've yet to read any Wells. In all of my years of being a science fiction fan, I've never read any text by the father of the genre. My first step in fixing this problem was War of the Worlds. This Victorian novel which is one of the first incidents of an alien invasion story was more fascinating than engaging. It suffers from pre-cinema pacing but I found the scientific knowledge used to explain the aliens absolutely charming. The most noteworthy thing we learn from the aliens in this book is the power of flight! I found the anti-imperialism themes very interesting, especially how they were tied in with environmentalist ideas. It's interesting that the first alien invasion story is designed to bring attention to how we have mistreated plants, animals and other human beings in the past with our powerful drive to acquire more and more land. My only complaint is that the ending goes against these themes. The aliens are brought down by the fact that they never discovered the wheel or germ theory, thus proving that human beings are advancing at just the right speed, and are rightfully the good guys.

DNF not a huge fan of sci fi so i only got like 20 pages in i think

It's great, of course, except... would the hunger REALLY become that bad in less than a month? Really?

The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells is a fascinating novel that feels ahead of its time. The story comes to life with vivid and immersive detail, making it easy to feel as though you’re right there alongside the characters. Wells’s ability to create such a lifelike atmosphere is remarkable. The descriptions of the Martian invasion are so detailed that you can almost feel the tension and fear. His insight into human nature adds depth to the story, making it both thrilling and thought-provoking. Overall, The War of the Worlds is a novel that entertains while also making you think. Despite being written over a century ago, it feels surprisingly modern and has sparked my interest in exploring more books in this genre.

This is a pretty amazing story. I won't rehash it, it's a quick read. But this book is both an amazing sci-fi story and the terror communicated by the story teller comes through still today.

I knock it a star because of the ending. I feel like it's a bit cheap. I'd give it 4.5 if I could though.

cool read
a little slow , with passages that i really liked , and other that bored me a little
i found it quite funny to see an english man living in the peak of imperial britain complain about being conquered and his people killed
i also liked the end
it was surprising in a pleasant way

As I have recently been on a Sci fi kick, and I noticed that my classics shelf was looking somewhat bare, I decided to look at reading War of the Worlds. I had seen the film starring Tom Cruise, and I was interested to see what changes they made when adapting the film. As I read the book, I began to think that this book was one that I would not really remember, but can respect for what this novel did.

H.G. Wells is the grandfather of Science Fiction as we know it, and this was one of the first books on the subject of Alien invasion. It was also one of the first to use the term Heat Wave to describe the alien weapon technology. These are all things that I can respect it for, but as for my own personal feelings, I just don't really care.

And that is the point of the idea of reader response criticism, or reviewing books, it does not matter how influential the book is, what matters is your own reaction to it. 100 years from not, children who read Harry Potter are not going to have the same reaction to it as my generation did. Therefore, how I felt about this book does not really matter. But I'm going to give my opinion anyway. The writing style is better than, say, Jane Austen, but it is still pretty stilted, and flat. The characters are one dimensional, and this combined to make an overall forgettable novel for me. If you love classics, then I suggest you pick this one up, but for me, even though I can respect what this novel represents, I doubt I'll remember this novel come March. I give it a two out of five.

4.5 ⭐️
6 hours and 30 minutes audiobook
I enjoyed War of the Worlds by H.G Wells. The plot is lovely for the time that it was written in. Granted, I find plot issues but I enjoyed how you have to fill in the some blanks instead of being told everything. Characters are done correctly for this story. Not over or under written.
The narrator Steve Parker did a wonderful job.

Este clásico me ha sorprendido gratamente. Cuando lo lees te das cuenta de que Wells es realmente el padre primigenio de las historias de ciencia ficción, sobre todo de invasiones alienígenas. Hay una crítica enorme a la sociedad de la época y la insostenibilidad de la misma.

Inicia la mentalidad, que Lovecraft recalca tanto: los marcianos no son malos en sí, simplemente existen ¿nosotros somos malos cuando pisamos las hormigas al andar?