The War of the Worlds

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.”