Boek
Invisible Man, The
| Auteur | Herbert George Wells |
| Eerste Uitgave | 2001 |
| Uitgave | 2001 |
| Uitgeverij | Gollancz |
| Vorm | roman |
| Taal | Engels |
| Bladzijden | 138 bladzijden |
| Gelezen | 2005-11-06 |
| Score | 8/10 |
Inhoud
Well's great novel describes a man cast out of society by his own terrifying discovery. Griffin is a brilliant and obsessed scientist dedicated to achieving invisibility. Taking whatever action is necessary to keep his discovery safe, he terrorises the local village where he has sought refuge. Wells skilfully weaves together the elements of the story as the invisible Griffin gradually loses his sanity and, ultimately, his humanity.
Bespreking
A true classic mad scientist story
A brilliant and obsessed scientist named Griffin makes an amazing discovery that -he thinks- will change the world completely: the method to achieve invisibility. Eager to show his environment the power of his invention and to obtain the necessary funds for his research, he applies the formula to himself. But soon he realises that a man with such capabilities is automatically cast out of society and will be hunted down like a rabies dog. Taking whatever action is necessary to keep his discovery safe, he terrorises the local village where he has sought refuge.
The Invisible Man was serialised in the June and July 1897 numbers of Pearson's Weekly before its appearance in book form the following September. Surprisingly enough the story does not show a single sign of old age: it can almost be called a Modern Classic. In comparison to other great novels of the same period, Wells successfully avoids adding too obvious moral lessons to the story. Nevertheless The Invisible Man radiates one strong social message. Wells created a strong allegory to the Invisible Men of the Victorian times. He skilfully weaves together the elements of the story as the invisible Griffin first sees invisibility as a solution to every problem, but soon realises that it is nothing less than a gift from the Devil. As Griffin gradually loses his sanity and, ultimately, his humanity, the reader becomes aware that social invisibility breaks down the pillars of society.
Although the story-line is quite straightforward, in such a way that the author leads the reader by the hand with first person narrative, the power of the story clearly lies with the evolution of the character Griffin. The deterioration of his moral is portrayed with such a convincing drive, that one easily gets to understand the motivation of his evil deeds.