153 pages
English language
Published July 15, 1994
The Island of Doctor Moreau is an 1896 science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells (1866–1946). The text of the novel is the narration of Edward Prendick who is a shipwrecked man rescued by a passing boat. He is left on the island home of Doctor Moreau, a mad scientist who creates human-like hybrid beings from animals via vivisection. The novel deals with a number of philosophical themes, including pain and cruelty, moral responsibility, human identity, and human interference with nature. Wells described it as "an exercise in youthful blasphemy."The Island of Doctor Moreau is a classic work of early science fiction and remains one of Wells' best-known books. The novel is the earliest depiction of the science fiction motif "uplift" in which a more advanced race intervenes in the evolution of an animal species to bring the latter to a higher level of intelligence. It has been …
The Island of Doctor Moreau is an 1896 science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells (1866–1946). The text of the novel is the narration of Edward Prendick who is a shipwrecked man rescued by a passing boat. He is left on the island home of Doctor Moreau, a mad scientist who creates human-like hybrid beings from animals via vivisection. The novel deals with a number of philosophical themes, including pain and cruelty, moral responsibility, human identity, and human interference with nature. Wells described it as "an exercise in youthful blasphemy."The Island of Doctor Moreau is a classic work of early science fiction and remains one of Wells' best-known books. The novel is the earliest depiction of the science fiction motif "uplift" in which a more advanced race intervenes in the evolution of an animal species to bring the latter to a higher level of intelligence. It has been adapted to film and other media on many occasions.
Slow start, gets better. The racism is very unpleasant. When you finally get to what Welles is thinking about in the last 40 pages it picks up.
This is an interesting (and famous) novella. The value judgements, ethics, and 'science' are most intriguing, especially for their time period.
It was some time before I could summon resolution to go down through the trees and bushes upon the flank of the headland to the beach. At last I did it at a run, and as I emerged from the thicket upon the sand I heard some other body come crashing after me. At that I completely lost my head with fear, and began running along the sand. Forthwith there came the swift patter of soft feet in pursuit. I gave a wild cry and redoubled my pace... So long as I live I shall remember the terror of that chase.
Man, there certainly was a lot of chasing and running through jungles in this book. At least it was more fun to read than it'd be to experience.
I had to keep in mind that this was written in 1896, easily making it the oldest book I've read …
It was some time before I could summon resolution to go down through the trees and bushes upon the flank of the headland to the beach. At last I did it at a run, and as I emerged from the thicket upon the sand I heard some other body come crashing after me. At that I completely lost my head with fear, and began running along the sand. Forthwith there came the swift patter of soft feet in pursuit. I gave a wild cry and redoubled my pace... So long as I live I shall remember the terror of that chase.
Man, there certainly was a lot of chasing and running through jungles in this book. At least it was more fun to read than it'd be to experience.
I had to keep in mind that this was written in 1896, easily making it the oldest book I've read this year. And it's age showed; the vocabulary and dialogue was dated at parts and it certainly didn't feel like a more contemporary work. However it did very much feel like something out of the golden age of "Adventure" media what with the far-flung and isolated locale, ~savages~, and multiple life-or-death scenarios. This easily could've been adapted into an R-rated episode of Johnny Quest or something.
The characters were, to a man, unlikeable for many different reasons. I found myself finishing the book mostly to watch them fail and get what they deserved, and was not disappointed in that regard. The two main themes I took away from the book were, "Ethics should not be a factor or a concern in the pursuit of science," and "Society is a veneer/we're all just barbaric animals under the surface," both of which point to a very pessimistic view of humanity I don't find myself agreeing with. This definitely is not a cozy book to put you in a cheery mood.
Still, it was interesting delving into a super early work of science fiction and it was short enough that I didn't feel like my time was misspent. And for me personally it's hard to go wrong with the "small cast of characters in a remote location" formula.
Call this more 3 1/2 stars than 3, but man I’m pretty lukewarm on this one. I’d been meaning to read it for a long while now.
It has that fun pulpy serialized writing style that I just eat up, at least
I was not impressed by this. It's dragg-y, old and so full of "all science is evil" that I don't even know why I read it in the first place.
Terrific. Lots of think about regarding changing attitudes about what separates humans from animals, and humans from humans. Beautifully written.
It’s odd listening to a story that I’ve never read, yet know already. It’s also a little odd how easily this story, written over a century ago remains timely. Swap “gene-therapy” or “DNA-splicing” with “vivisection” and the story could be set now, or in the very near future. I’m very glad I took the time for this one.
Aside from mispronouncing “puma” the reader does a good job, though the sound editor could have been better. The volume is a little up and down.
