I have never read anything by H.G. Wells before, and I found this book very intriguing. I really enjoyed the beginning of the book. He set up the mood and atmosphere perfectly; it was very suspenseful. The middle of the story bogged down a bit, but by the ending I was enjoying it again. It was interesting to note that in my edition they noted four alternative endings to the one I read. They were very minor changes, and my favorite ending was not the one published in this edition.
One of my favorite authors is C.S. Lewis, and though Lewis admired Wells’ writing, he disagreed with him philosophically on many points. I just read that Lewis based one of the characters in That Hideous Strength on Wells himself. I’m planning on reading that book and the first two in the Space Trilogy by Lewis in 2008, so I’m really looking forward to seeing Lewis’ take on Wells’ character and ideology.
1897, 154 pp.
Rating: 4
