By H. G. Wells
In this book review, I travel back in time to review the science fiction classic, The Time Machine, written by H. G. Wells.
THE SHORT
In this novel, often considered the forerunner of all the time-travelling so favoured by modern sci-fi authors, H. G. Wells serves up an entertaining classic. A Victorian scientist is propelled into the future, where humanity has divided into two species, and one of them wants to stop his return to Victorian London. While it certainly is an original thought at the time, Wells seems to have run out of ideas for his futuristic species, and about half of the novel is spent dwelling on the Eloi, and this bogs down the story. Also there seems to be absolutely no plot at all when the Time Traveller first arrives in the future, Wells having to resort to philosophical ramblings about the future. This is evident when he encounters the Morlocks, and the philosophical thoughts nearly double. As it is, this novel is short on plot, and it wanders aimlessly for quite a bit. Overall, this novel, or should I say novella, is just a good one. It is certainly original, yet plot is sacrificed for thoughts on human future.
THE REVIEW
The main character of this book is the Time Traveller, a person whom we never actually learn the name of, and whom we only see through the eyes of a student. As such, we never relate to him on a personal basis, and this kind of ruins the feelings that Wells was trying to create for us when Weena dies. Wells also never develops the character, and the Time Traveller actually doesn't express any emotion in the entirety of this novel, making it impossible for us to enjoy the emotional stakes that Wells creates throughout the book. So this character remains a figure on the page, two-dimensional and foreign.
The narrator of this novel is an unknown student who regularly visits the Time Traveller in his home, and since most of the book is told in the perspective of the Time Traveller, I won't dwell too long on him. The narrator here, too suffer from the same problems that the Time Traveller suffered from: Underdevelopment.
The main antagonist here are the Morlocks, faceless collective villains who act like futuristic zombies. Really. There are no cleverly thought out plans, no elaborate schemes to kill the protagonist, excepting the theft of the Time Machine. Most of the times, they are blundering about blindly, exactly like zombies. It seemed like Wells ran out of ideas and had to use these as antagonists. Perhaps he was merely trying to state that in the future there were no individual villains. Either way, the Morlocks fail as frightening villains.
The themes here are how everything will degrade eventually and how the present will affect the future in unexpected ways. The first theme is explored through the Morlocks and the Eloi, and how none of them actually resemble humans. The Morlocks are ape-like cannibals, and the Eloi are comforted babies, unaware of the danger below. While the Time Traveller had expected civilisation to advance, he found out that it had actually degraded, the future displaying none of the technology that he had expected it to have. The only glimpse that the Time Traveller gets of the "glorious future" is in the castle of green porcelain.
The second theme is explored through the difference between the Morlocks and the Eloi, and the Time Traveller's realisation that their difference is due to the current state in Victorian London. This realisation leads to the conclusion that the future is affected by whatever is happening in the present.
In this book, the plot is, as I have said above, strangely lacking in a science-fiction novel, one of the genres notorious for its plot-laden books. In fact, if Wells hadn't included the philosophical thoughts, this novel would be even shorter than it is now. As it is, this novel is so lacking in plot that one feels that one is reading some kind of philosophy textbook, which really lets the reader down, and actually confuses him. While one expects some kind of moral in science-fiction stories, Wells really piles it on in this novel.
On the flip side, Wells manages to craft a suspenseful part in the book, which comes in the fiery forest finale, in which Weena dies and many of the Morlocks are killed. Here, the talents Wells displays in The War of the Worlds in writing about destruction actually improves the story, and provides a much-needed action boost to what was then a dreary theory about the future, concocted by Wells but which we don't actually care. Wells also squeezes in some kind of mystery in the plot, sustaining the momentum of the book when he is done describing the trip to the future and just kind of wanders around aimlessly until he hits upon the idea of the disappearance of the Time Machine.
The pace of the novel is also irregular, starting slow at first, but then rushing to climax in the forest, and then slowly subsiding. The science of this book is also underexplained, leaving some confusion and disappointment in readers.
Overall, The Time Machine is a delightful little novella which will entertain you, but actually don't think too much about the philosophical consequences which accompany this novel. Wells failed in trying to fit this in smoothly with his story, and as a result both his story and his moral, which he wanted you to find, suffer.
Rating: 7.3/10
Advice: Perhaps it would be best if you ignored what the morals are in this story, and enjoyed the time-travelling nonsense which actually serves as brilliant escapism.
I feel this wasn't Wells's best book, but maybe he had been distracted by other commitments.
Next week: H. G. WELLS MANIA CONTINUES!!! In my review of H. G. Wells's novel The War of the Worlds, watch as Martians invade Earth and seek to colonise the entire planet, with the aid of seemingly indestructible machines! Make sure to come back next week and check out my review of The War of the Worlds!!!
The second theme is explored through the difference between the Morlocks and the Eloi, and the Time Traveller's realisation that their difference is due to the current state in Victorian London. This realisation leads to the conclusion that the future is affected by whatever is happening in the present.
In this book, the plot is, as I have said above, strangely lacking in a science-fiction novel, one of the genres notorious for its plot-laden books. In fact, if Wells hadn't included the philosophical thoughts, this novel would be even shorter than it is now. As it is, this novel is so lacking in plot that one feels that one is reading some kind of philosophy textbook, which really lets the reader down, and actually confuses him. While one expects some kind of moral in science-fiction stories, Wells really piles it on in this novel.
On the flip side, Wells manages to craft a suspenseful part in the book, which comes in the fiery forest finale, in which Weena dies and many of the Morlocks are killed. Here, the talents Wells displays in The War of the Worlds in writing about destruction actually improves the story, and provides a much-needed action boost to what was then a dreary theory about the future, concocted by Wells but which we don't actually care. Wells also squeezes in some kind of mystery in the plot, sustaining the momentum of the book when he is done describing the trip to the future and just kind of wanders around aimlessly until he hits upon the idea of the disappearance of the Time Machine.
The pace of the novel is also irregular, starting slow at first, but then rushing to climax in the forest, and then slowly subsiding. The science of this book is also underexplained, leaving some confusion and disappointment in readers.
Overall, The Time Machine is a delightful little novella which will entertain you, but actually don't think too much about the philosophical consequences which accompany this novel. Wells failed in trying to fit this in smoothly with his story, and as a result both his story and his moral, which he wanted you to find, suffer.
Rating: 7.3/10
Advice: Perhaps it would be best if you ignored what the morals are in this story, and enjoyed the time-travelling nonsense which actually serves as brilliant escapism.
I feel this wasn't Wells's best book, but maybe he had been distracted by other commitments.
Next week: H. G. WELLS MANIA CONTINUES!!! In my review of H. G. Wells's novel The War of the Worlds, watch as Martians invade Earth and seek to colonise the entire planet, with the aid of seemingly indestructible machines! Make sure to come back next week and check out my review of The War of the Worlds!!!
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