The Invisible Man is not quite as weird or captivating as The Time Machine, but I still enjoyed it. Like The Time Machine, this book’s story is told to a narrator who is then relating what he can of the story to us. Some parts of the story the narrator could find no direct witnesses to, so it is interesting to watch him construct the narrative like a detective at times.

I wasn’t familiar with the story and have not seen the movie adaptations, so I was not really aware

of how titular character is the villain of the story. I appreciated how at first you believe the experiment has made him mad, and then gradually you realize he was a self-absorbed asshole from the beginning. Turning invisible only allowed him to become more of the asshole he already was.

Content warning: HG Wells was a racist and eugenicist, and it does come out a bit in the book - there is one instance of the n——— word as well.


**There were quite a few clever turns of phrase that I enjoyed and reminded me of British author Terry Pratchett.**

“Opinion was greatly divided about his occupation. Mrs. Hall was sensitive on the point. When questioned, she explained very carefully that he was an "experimental investigator," going gingerly over the syllables as one who dreads pitfalls.”

“The Anglo-Saxon genius for parliamentary government asserted itself; there was a great deal of talk and no decisive action.”

“He was simply exasperating. You don't blame me, do you? You don't blame me?"

**"I never blame anyone," said Kemp. "It's quite out of fashion.** What did you do next?"

**And yet more quotes that stuck out to me for simply being amusing or evocative:**

“Can’t a man look at you?—Ugly!”

“What is the good of the love of woman when her name must needs be Delilah?”

“He glanced away from the barrel of the revolver and saw the sea far off very blue and dark under the midday sun, the smooth green down, the white cliff on the Head, and the multitudinous town, and suddenly he knew that life was very sweet. His eyes came back to this little metal thing hanging between heaven and earth, six feet away.”

**And still more quotes that reminded me how similar we are to the people of 1897:**

“The infinite details! And the exasperation,—a professor, a provincial professor, always prying. 'When are you going to publish this work of yours?' was his everlasting question. And the students, the cramped means! Three years I had of it—“

“Then I saw in one of those little miscellaneous shops-news, sweets, toys, stationery, **belated Christmas tomfoolery**, and so forth-an array of masks and noses.”