The invisible man: book

H. G. Wells Quote

H. G. Wells Quote

The invisible man is a novel created by British author HG Wells. Before being released in book format in 1897, the story was serialized in the celebrated magazine Pearson's Magazine during that same year. Since then, The Invisible Man - original title in English - was adapted multiple times to film, radio, television and comics.

Likewise, is a song name used by rock bands like Queen, Helloween and Marillion, among other. Even the Russian scientific popularizer Yakov I. Perelman (considered the forerunner of popular science literature) raised a serious discussion about the book's theories in 1913. Today, academics consider it one of the "inevitable" of science. Science fiction.

Analysis and summary of the book El man invisible

Initial approach

A strange man comes in looking for lodging at an inn in the town of Iping, Sussex, England. The subject appears covered by warm clothing, wearing gloves, a hat and his face is completely covered by bandages and large glasses. Likewise, she emphatically requests Mrs. Hall (the innkeeper) that she must remain alone in her room, where she works with laboratory instruments.

Shortly after, the villagers begin to wonder who is this stranger that no one has seen during the day, because he only leaves the hostel at night. Meanwhile, mysterious robberies are reported among the houses of the town, perpetuated by a thief that no one has been able to glimpse.

The main characters

Performer

The main character is Griffin, a brilliant scientist with rather questionable moral codes, therefore, he lacks scruples and does not hesitate to steal or kill if he considers it necessary. However, Wells does not present him as a potential psychopath from the start. He rather he appears to be a reasonable guy, although, from the outset, a halo of uncertainty is noted around his strange figure.

mr marvel

He is a nomad who meets Griffin in the Iping Hills, England - the town where the events take place - when the last one fled from the police after committing a series of robberies. Soon, Marvel is forced by the scientist to collaborate with him until the homeless man goes to the authorities when he finds that the invisible man is insane.

Dr Kemp

Following Marvel's "betrayal," Griffin arrives in the seaside town of Burdock and attempts to break into an inn entrance. But he is discovered, wounded by a bullet and, in the midst of desperation, he takes refuge in an adjoining house. The house in question turns out to belong to the Dr. Kemp, an old college buddy.

The Invisibility Theory

from the meeting of the two former medical students, the reasons that explain the physical condition and the dangerous behavior of the protagonist are revealed. This excuses his situation in the misery suffered in the past, which prompted him to invent something truly transcendental. This creation was a formula for objects to stop absorbing and reflecting light.

Narrative structure and style

The invisible man it is a fast reading book given its length; has between 211 and 230 pages, depending on the Spanish edition. Also, its short chapters perfectly complement the interest generated by the agile pen of the British writer. Likewise, it is a text full of narrative singularities; for example: the description of the fight of a person who cannot be seen.

That way, the reader is quickly hooked from start to finish by the dilemma posed in combination with the dynamic rhythm of events. Additionally, the closing of the work lives up to the expectations generated and, at the same time, leaves room for more interpretations. All this masterfully complemented by the psychological depth of the characters.

About the author, H.G. Wells

HG Wells

HG Wells

Childhood and Youth

Herbert george wells He was born in Bromley, Kent, England, on September 21, 1866, into a lower-middle class family. At the age of eight, the future writer broke his leg, which forced him to rest in bed for several months. Consequently, the little boy started reading to pass the time; a few months later it became a passion and his desire to write was born.

That habit only diminished in intensity when, shortly before his eleventh birthday, his father suffered an accident that prevented him from supporting his family. Therefore, the young Wells and his brothers were forced to work while they completed their secondary studies. In 1884, Herbert entered the Royal College of Sciences in London on scholarship, where he was under the tutelage of TH Huxley.

Marriages and political thought

HG Wells was married twice and had a few extramarital affairs throughout his life. Her spouses were Elizabeth Mary Wells (between 1891 – 1894) and Amy Catherine Robbins (between 1895 – 1927); with the latter he had two children. Additionally, the writer from Canti had affairs for several years with celebrities such as Odette Zoé Keun, Rebeca West or Margaret Sanger.

These were women with liberal tendencies and unconventional behavior for the time. In fact, West and Sanger are currently recognized as among the greatest precursors of so-called first-wave feminism. Similarly, Wells was a firm believer in gender equity and was part of the Fabian Society, a leftist political association.

Literary career

Apart from writing Wells was a journalist, sociologist, historian and, of course, a doctor of Biology. All these facets appeared reflected in a good part of his extensive catalog of literary publications, which includes several immortal pieces of the science fiction. Certainly, they are transversal works with respect to the scientific, political and moral principles of the English intellectual. For example:

  • En the time machine (1895), the author expresses his position on the class struggle;
  • The ethical limits of science constitute the argumentative nucleus of The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896) and of The invisible man;
  • War of the Worlds (1898) is a text loaded with criticism of British imperialism;
  • The protagonist of the novel Ana Veronica (1909) is a young woman who rebels against the patriarchal system of the early twentieth century;
  • The open conspiracy (1922) is an encyclopedic essay on the self-destructive power of mankind.

Other notable HR Wells titles (primarily socio-political in theme)

  • Bungee Ringtone (1909);
  • Mr. Polly's story (1910);
  • Outline of History (1920);
  • The Shape of Things to Come (1933);
  • Experiment in Autobiography (1934)

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