Title: The Invisible Man
Author: H. G. Wells
Original Publication Date: February 2, 1897
Publication Date of Edition Read: September 3, 2002
Publisher: New American Library/Penguin Books
Genre: Classic Literature, Science Fiction, Horror, Fantasy
A classic about a man who disappears, but trust me, the chaos is very visible.
I try to alternate my reads between ARCs and backlist titles, so I picked up The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells after finishing my latest ARC. I didn’t really know what to expect, but one of its major Goodreads shelves is horror. I can respect why some readers view it that way under certain conditions, yet I honestly found the chaos in these pages more amusing than scary. Apparently invisibility is less spooky and more an open invitation to confusion and uproar. I enjoyed the quirkiness of the story and the antics that unfold once everyone realizes an invisible man is running around.
At first, everything seems relatively normal when the Invisible Man, Griffin, arrives in Iping Village. He comes across as a tired traveler looking for a quiet place to rest. It doesn’t take long, though, to realize he’s anything but ordinary. He’s secretive, irritable, and wrapped in bandages as if hiding some grotesque injury. He hasn’t been in the village long before his invisibility is exposed, and from that point on the story slips into full mayhem, complete with several absurd and unintentionally funny moments.
Griffin is a perfect example of what happens when a “mad scientist” has zero impulse control. His success has made him arrogant, and he treats everyone around him with the kind of dismissiveness that comes from believing he’s the smartest person in every room. Looking back, there’s even a touch of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs at play. Once the chaos begins and his invisibility is exposed, he’s suddenly on the back foot. Everything unravels like a dropped ball of yarn once he can’t count on a warm roof, regular meals, or basic security, and his humanity slips further and further away. He eventually stumbles into the home of another scientific mind, Dr. Kemp, who is initially curious and even willing to help. But the more Griffin reveals about how and why he became invisible, the more horrified Kemp becomes, and it quickly becomes clear there’s only one way this story can end.
Wells writes each chapter like its own episode, and the story moves at a brisk, increasingly chaotic pace. It swings like a pendulum between dark comedy and genuine tension as the invisible man startles ordinary people who can barely process what they’re witnessing. The small-town setting, which would usually feel quaint and cozy, becomes an incubator for rising dread and confusion until everything finally boils over. My favorite moment comes shortly after Griffin first becomes invisible, when a group of boys notice something strange: “‘Look! There he goes!’ cried a lad, and the boys ran shouting after the footprints that shifted and vanished on the melting road.’’ I could see the scene so clearly in my mind’s eye, and it captured the tone of the novel perfectly.
This book holds up surprisingly well for something written in 1897. Some of the language is old-fashioned, but overall it reads much like a piece of historical fiction. Readers who enjoy the classics might appreciate The Invisible Man, as well as anyone who wants to dip their toes into sci-fi without diving in headfirst. I didn’t expect to enjoy this story as much as I did, and it still carries a few timeless messages, including the reminder that “pride goes before the fall.”
Nerd Rating: 🤓🤓🤓🤓 — A lively, chaotic classic that proves invisibility isn’t scary, but unchecked ego definitely is.
Let’s Discuss: What would you do if you could be invisible for a day?