Hello everyone! Welcome or welcome back to my blog. I am Arindam and am back today with another book review. Today, we are going to talk about a science – fiction classic, The War of the Worlds written by none other than H. G. Wells himself. I had read it a long time ago and therefore for this review, I had to read it once again. You know what? I did not feel bored! This is not one of those books that you enjoy during your first read but get bored if you read it again. Even if you read this book several times, it will always entertain you. So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get into it!
About the Author:
H.G. Wells, or Herbert George Wells, is one of the most successful science-fiction writers of the 20th Century. He was born in Bromley, England, on the 21st of September, 1866. Wells apprenticed as a draper when he was young. He did not take to this kind of work, though. In 1883, he became a student – cum – teacher at Midhurst Grammar School.
Over there, he won a scholarship to study at the School of Science, where he was taught biology by T. H. Huxley, due to which he developed a keen interest in evolution. In the coming years, Wells wrote many major essays on science and finally became a novelist in 1895, when he wrote his first science fiction book, The Time Machine. This book became very popular and made him very popular.Three more successful novels followed it: The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of the Worlds (1898).
Along with being a great novelist, Wells also actively supported socialism and humanitarianism. He was genuine and full of inventiveness. In his early scientific writings, Wells predicted the invention of modern weapons such as the tank and the atom bomb. Therefore, he was horrified by the outbreak of World War I and later World War II. He then wrote extensively about the need for a new world order, it was while working on a project that dealt with the dangers of nuclear war, that H. G. Wells died on the 13th of August,
The War of the Worlds:
The War of the Worlds is an excellent science-fiction novel written by H.G. Wells in 1898, and set during the same time. The book talks about the time when Martians attacked out earth. In the book, he appears as a narrator, the main character, who recounts his experience with the Martians. They are said to be much superior than humans in their knowledge of science and have much superior weapons, with which they start destroying earth. The whole of London and its surroundings are razed to the ground, with even the army proving ineffective against it. It is now up to the narrator the reach Leatherhead – the place where he has safely left his wife – while making sure the none of the Martians spot him.
In the book, Wells has in detail described the Martians, their appearance, and the machine they use. The book speaks about the narrator’s first contacts with the Martians and their way of doing things. He then makes his journey across London to Leatherhead to reunite with his wife. In his journey, he meets many people and also encounters the Martians and, in most situations, he escapes by the skin of his teeth.
The Martians are indomitable, with advanced weapons capable of destroying everything in sight. He then describes the damage done by the Martians to the cities, the buildings razed to the ground and hundreds of lives lost. In the course of it all, even he is forced to leave a companion at the mercy of the Martians in order to save himself. This is a thrilling story about the time when two planets fought the most destructive war ever.
The imagination and imagery in the book is as good, if not better, as any other science fiction writer today. The story moves at a fast pace and does not fail to bring about the emotions of fear, anger, and hatred in you as you read about the various interactions and close shaves of the narrator with the Martians. If you are a science-fiction fan, this will definitely be an interesting read for you. The imagination of the author is as futuristic as it gets.
If you like reading thriller books, but also want to start exploring the classic novels, this will be an ideal start. For people who find classics too descriptive or boring, this will prove them wrong. Even then, if you do not want to put in the effort or do not have as much time, you can go for an abridged version. Just make sure it is not too short, because the there will not be any fun to read it in that case.
Outro:
So, that’s it for today guys! Hope you enjoyed reading the book review of The War of the Worlds and that it will inspire you to take up this book. I will keep posting many such reviews on the most interesting books. If you haven’t already checked out my other posts, please do so. Please subscribe to my blog. It’s fun, and it’s free and you will get notified each time I post something. If you liked this post, stay tuned for more; if you didn’t, still do the same. Who knows? Maybe you will like the next one. Cheers!