Amazon | Barnes & Noble | GoodreadsTitle: The Time Machine
Author: H.G. Wells
Year Published: 1895
My Pre-Reading
Synopsis: When the Time Traveler courageously stepped out of his machine for the first time, he found himself in the year 802,700 -- and everything had changed. H.G. Wells's famous novel of one man's astonishing journey beyond the conventional limits of the imagination is regarded as one of the great masterpieces in the literature of science fiction.
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Review: I really like H.G. Wells' books, or at least the few I've read, so I was really looking forward to reading this classic. Especially since it's such a staple in the sci-fi world. And while I did enjoy it, I felt like it didn't really live up to all pf my expectations. The world of the future was really interesting, and I can definitely see how it's imaginative, but the world building just seemed to be lacking in some respects. We got to see the terrain and the people of the future, but we didn't real learn anything about either. The Time Traveller makes very few attempts to learn anything about the people, or creatures, or whatever you want to call them, and that was kind of a disappointment for me.
What we do learn is fascinating though, so at least there was a little bit. I think the idea of two separate societies, which have been flipped upside down several times over the course of history, isn't far off from what might actually happen. Everything is totally plausible, and I think that might be part of what made this story so groundbreaking. Wells even goes so far as to give a mathematical explanation as to why time travel is completely possible.
The plot moves pretty slowly, and is fairly dty. The Time Traveller is pretty much narrating the book the whole time, but it's written so that he's speaking to a group of his friends and a third party is writing it all down. It's a little strange, and I almost wish it had been written from the Time Traveller's perspective as he is experiencing everything for the first time. It works, but it was just a little weird for me.
I am glad I read this book, and I do think anyone who enjoys the sci-fi genre should definitely read it. I will likely be checking out more of Wells' stories in the future. 3/5 on this one from me.
--Ashley
What we do learn is fascinating though, so at least there was a little bit. I think the idea of two separate societies, which have been flipped upside down several times over the course of history, isn't far off from what might actually happen. Everything is totally plausible, and I think that might be part of what made this story so groundbreaking. Wells even goes so far as to give a mathematical explanation as to why time travel is completely possible.
The plot moves pretty slowly, and is fairly dty. The Time Traveller is pretty much narrating the book the whole time, but it's written so that he's speaking to a group of his friends and a third party is writing it all down. It's a little strange, and I almost wish it had been written from the Time Traveller's perspective as he is experiencing everything for the first time. It works, but it was just a little weird for me.
I am glad I read this book, and I do think anyone who enjoys the sci-fi genre should definitely read it. I will likely be checking out more of Wells' stories in the future. 3/5 on this one from me.
--Ashley
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