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.