ManyRoads reviewed The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells
Review of 'The War of the Worlds' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
This is interesting from the perspective of being an early 'space opera'. Beyond that it was quite pedestrian.
Paperback, 170 pages
English language
Published July 15, 2012 by PENGUIN GROUP, Penguin Classic.
The ultimate science fiction classic: for more than one hundred years, this compelling tale of the Martian invasion of Earth has enthralled readers with a combination of imagination and incisive commentary on the imbalance of power that continues to be relevant today. The style is revolutionary for its era, employing a sophisticated first and third person account of the events which is both personal and focused on the holistic downfall of Earth's society. The Martians, as evil, mechanical and unknown a threat they are, remain daunting in today's society, where, despite technology's mammoth advances, humanity's hegemony over Earth is yet to be called into question. In Well's introduction to the book, where the character discusses with the later deceased Ogilvy about astronomy and the possibility of alien life defeating the 'savage' (to them) nineteenth-century Britain, is he insinuating that this is the truth and fate of humanity? It's up to âŠ
The ultimate science fiction classic: for more than one hundred years, this compelling tale of the Martian invasion of Earth has enthralled readers with a combination of imagination and incisive commentary on the imbalance of power that continues to be relevant today. The style is revolutionary for its era, employing a sophisticated first and third person account of the events which is both personal and focused on the holistic downfall of Earth's society. The Martians, as evil, mechanical and unknown a threat they are, remain daunting in today's society, where, despite technology's mammoth advances, humanity's hegemony over Earth is yet to be called into question. In Well's introduction to the book, where the character discusses with the later deceased Ogilvy about astronomy and the possibility of alien life defeating the 'savage' (to them) nineteenth-century Britain, is he insinuating that this is the truth and fate of humanity? It's up to you to decide......đłđŽđłïžâđ
This is interesting from the perspective of being an early 'space opera'. Beyond that it was quite pedestrian.
Jâavais essayĂ© de lire ce classique de H.G. Wells il y a quelques annĂ©es et je nâavais pas rĂ©ussi Ă aller au bout. Je viens de terminer ma seconde tentative, avec succĂšs cette fois. Si je comprends ce qui a pu me rebuter Ă lâĂ©poque, jâai plus de mal Ă comprendre comment jâavais pu passer Ă cĂŽtĂ© des grandes qualitĂ©s de ce roman. Certes, le rythme est un peu lent, mais le rĂ©cit est tout de mĂȘme captivant et offre une rĂ©flexion sur la question de lâimpĂ©rialisme, quâil soit strictement britannique ou plus gĂ©nĂ©ralement occidental.
Pour mémoire et comparaison, je laisse ci-dessous ma critique lors de ma premiÚre lecture inachevée :
Je n'aime pas ne pas terminer un livre que j'ai commencĂ©. C'est comme un double Ă©chec, Ă©chouer dans le choix du livre et Ă©chouer dans la tentative de le lire malgrĂ© un dĂ©but difficile. "La Guerre des mondes" est âŠ
Jâavais essayĂ© de lire ce classique de H.G. Wells il y a quelques annĂ©es et je nâavais pas rĂ©ussi Ă aller au bout. Je viens de terminer ma seconde tentative, avec succĂšs cette fois. Si je comprends ce qui a pu me rebuter Ă lâĂ©poque, jâai plus de mal Ă comprendre comment jâavais pu passer Ă cĂŽtĂ© des grandes qualitĂ©s de ce roman. Certes, le rythme est un peu lent, mais le rĂ©cit est tout de mĂȘme captivant et offre une rĂ©flexion sur la question de lâimpĂ©rialisme, quâil soit strictement britannique ou plus gĂ©nĂ©ralement occidental.
Pour mémoire et comparaison, je laisse ci-dessous ma critique lors de ma premiÚre lecture inachevée :
Je n'aime pas ne pas terminer un livre que j'ai commencĂ©. C'est comme un double Ă©chec, Ă©chouer dans le choix du livre et Ă©chouer dans la tentative de le lire malgrĂ© un dĂ©but difficile. "La Guerre des mondes" est un classique de la science-fiction, si ce n'est LE classique de la science-fiction. J'ai tenu bon jusqu'au dĂ©but de la deuxiĂšme partie, sans enthousiasme aprĂšs m'ĂȘtre passablement ennuyĂ© pendant toute la premiĂšre partie. J'ai finalement renoncĂ© aprĂšs avoir longuement insistĂ©, au dĂ©but de la deuxiĂšme partie. Je passe peut-ĂȘtre Ă cĂŽtĂ© d'un grand classique, mais je n'ai pas rĂ©ussi Ă entrer dans l'histoire ni Ă m'attacher aux personnages. Triste.
This is generally considered the very first work of science fiction. It was written before the Wright Brothers ever flew an airplane - at the time of writing, hot air balloons were the only way to get airborne. Yet, the author not only writes about life on Mars travelling to Earth on rocket ships, but also that the Martians had the ability to build giant mechanical robots and aircraft. It's an absolutely amazing work of future prediction when you think about when it was written - and still an entertaining read today.
Although the famous Orson Welles radio production relocated the story to the United States, the original story takes place just outside London, England. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the origins of science fiction and speculative literature.
As a fan of modern science fiction and fantasy, I wouldn't choose to read The War of the Worlds for pleasure. 19th century British prose is long-winded, and the narration is very introverted. Most of the story is just the character detailing the events that happened to him and his reactions to them. Very little of the action was in scene, and the conversational manner made the story feel almost latent. But, this story's effect on Science fiction cannot be ignored, and though the telling is a but dry, the actual story is good.
Fantastic sf novel which is nothing at all like most invasion stories. The exquisite part of the novel is the narrator's style. Wonderful.
Ăcrit en 1898, le livre raconte lâarrivĂ©e incongrue de martiens prĂšs de Londres, la panique de la population, et tout ce que cela implique : angoisse, inconnu, menace, mortâŠ
Impressionnant de se dire que bien avant que la science commence à évoquer la vie ailleurs, que la littérature commence à imaginer la possibilité de voir des martiens, un auteur a raconté une invasion !
Absolument innovant si on pense au contexte et Ă lâĂ©poque, et le livre est dâautant plus angoissant que les moyens de communication et les connaissances dâalors sont bien maigres par rapport Ă aujourdâhui.
En plus, ça ressemble tellement Ă certains de mes vieux rĂȘves rĂ©currents que câest un bonheur ! lol